NAMLE
President's Column
January 2008
With this column coming on the heels of the emotional and ground-breaking presidential inauguration, I've been inspired to think about the ways in which NAMLE can (and should) embody the call-to-action for a country that is more responsible, civil, ethical and forward-thinking.
Many of us already see media literacy as a necessary component of a society that truly values diverse voices and the ability to think critically. What is the best and highest role for a media literacy organization when it seems like each day brings another story about the dangers of the Internet or the impact of TV content on child development?
As researchers, educators, youth workers and media professionals, we see the power and the persuasive-ability of media - but also the enjoyment and educational value of media.
I see this as a time when our voices, as media literacy advocates, must be stronger.
NAMLE is working hard on your behalf to talk with other organizations passionate about this issue, about this field. Recent conversations with Common Sense Media, Joan Ganz Cooney Center, Independent Film Channel, National Council of Teachers of English, National Education Association, Cable in the Classroom and others affirm for me that while others may share our passion for the importance of media literacy, there is no other organization focusing on media literacy education; on the people doing the research, the people working directly with students, the people sharing best practices.
I hope that 2009 will see NAMLE collaborating with these organizations and working together to bring media literacy to the top of our country's educational agenda.
NAMLE's unique ability to connect the media literacy education community is the over-arching goal of our conference this coming August. For many, the conference is the only environment they experience where media literacy information is openly shared, professional contacts are made, and tangible best-practices are offered. This conference can inspire an entire year of media literacy activities and discussions!
Please plan to join us in the home of Motown-Detroit, on August 1-5, 2009.
To experience the conference fully, attend as a presenter. If you've presented before, you know how different a conference experience can be when you are part of the agenda. If you've not presented in the past, I encourage you to make this your first!
If you need help brainstorming ideas about a presentation, please contact NAMLE directly. Our online proposal area is waiting for your submission. The conference brings together the full mix of the media literacy community, so all areas of expertise or areas of knowledge, are encouraged to submit proposals. Don't put it off. The deadline for submissions is February 15th. (ADD URL)
NAMLE's forward-thinking role is further embodied by our Journal of Media Literacy Education. NAMLE may be the official "publisher" (online) of the journal, but it is your participation that enables it to serve as a vital method for leading the field. Help us bring critical field issues to the forefront by submitting a paper. (ADD URL)
As we all await details about the future of No Child Left Behind or the agenda of the Federal Communications Commission and other areas having an impact on media literacy education, I hope we can use NAMLE as a place to raise important questions and find a supportive community to effective action.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Sherri
sherri@namle.net
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The NAMLE Marketplace: Your One-Stop Shop for the best in media literacy materials
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Call for Proposals NAMLE 2009 Conference
The National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) convenes its members and other interested parties every two years to explore concepts and exchange ideas to help students gain the multiple literacies they will need to thrive in the 21st century. We are currently soliciting presentations for our 2009 Conference. Our call for proposals invites a rich mix of conversations, presentations and hands-on educational experiences. Because of our organization's interdisciplinary goals, we seek proposals from academics, educators, administrators, media librarians, youth leaders and others to participate as presenters at our 2009 conference. The NAMLE conference committee will accept session proposals until midnight MST on February 15th. Call for Proposals. |
 Conference Update
Looking for real media literacy tools to take back to your classroom?
Want to kick start your career in media literacy education?
Need a few days of media literacy inspiration?
Then join us this August for our national conference!Visit our website for the latest news about the 2009 NAMLE Media Literacy Education Conference. Meet some of our featured speakers and read about the conference program theme. You can also watch a student-produced video that highlights the culture and entertainment that Detroit has to offer. |
Call For Proposals
 The call for proposals has been posted for NAMLE's new Journal of Media Literacy Education. The peer-reviewed journal will be published online three times a year. The call for papers and information about the journal are available on the NAMLE website, namle.net/publications/jmle. |
MARKETPLACE items priced to sell
 Check out the NAMLE Marketplace today for items reduced for clearance and save up to 50%! Click the "Search and Shop" button on the Marketplace home page, and then click the reduced for clearance link, and then shop away. NAMLE members always receive free shipping and a 5% discount on their orders, so you can save even more! VISIT THE MARKETPLACE TODAY |
My First Conference Was Baltimore.
When Was Yours?
With the next NAMLE conference fast approaching, we thought we would take the opportunity to look back at past conferences through the eyes of those who were there. If you were in Austin in 2001, Baltimore in 2003, San Francisco in 2005, or St. Louis in 2007, we want to hear from you. What new concept or technique did you learn about? Did you make any personal or professional connections that have continued to impact your work? Why is a conference on media literacy education important? If you have a story, comment, or interesting perspective, send a quick email tp Andrea Ellis at namle@namle.net as soon as possible. We'd love to hear from you. |
Members on the Move & Making News
NAMLE President Sherri Hope Culver and founding member Frank Baker will lead a panel on media literacy at the Celebration of Teaching and Learning, hosted by PBS WNET Thirteen in New York City. See the "Mark Your Calendars" section below for more on the conference.
NAMLE board member Liz Thoman was one of over 200 attendees at the Los Angeles debut of "Diary of a Single Mom," a new online video series co-produced by Robert Townsend and One Economy Corporation. The event, held at Creative Artists Agency, was the first joint activity of the newly merged Just Think/One Economy team. The series began airing on One Economy's Public Internet Channel www.PIC.tv on January 27.
Former NAMLE board member Elana Yonah has returned from the Middle East after a planning meeting to implement One Global Economy's initiative to establish community media access and deliver media literacy skills for community members in Rwanda, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria and Cameroon. With Just Think media education curriculum, in partnership with NGOs in Africa, community knowledge centers will be up and running by December of 2009. For more information visit ogecorp.com.
What have you been doing lately? NAMLE members, send us news of your
activities, and we'll include it in the UPDATE. Email us at
update@namle.net
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Media Smart Research Awards
Cable in the Classroom has announced its 2008 Media Smart Research Awards program, which aims to encourage the teaching and learning of media literacy in American schools and homes. By publicizing and supporting the research of emerging media literacy scholars, Cable in the Classroom aims to expand the knowledge base on the status and effectiveness of media literacy instruction. Up to three Media Smart Research Awards of $2,000 each will be given for research papers in media literacy written by graduate students attending accredited colleges and universities in the United States. Undergraduate students at such institutions may, with the recommendation of their faculty advisor, also submit papers for consideration. This year's deadline is May 31, 2009. NAMLE's own Kelly Mendoza was one of last year's winners. Let's do it again this year. Details online.
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Calls for Papers, Articles & Entries
The Call for Proposals for the NAMLE 2009 Conference "Bridging Literacies: Critical Connections in a Digital World," has been posted. Read the call and submit online. Call for Proposals: Media Literacy in / and the Arts: a special double issue of Afterimage (September/October 2009). Afterimage, the Journal of Media Arts and Cultural Criticism, is seeking unpublished scholarly research, pedagogy, experiential narratives and coverage of all media literacy practices and applications in any media and in relation to all educational, artistic, and professional disciplines. Submit proposals for the following: feature articles (3,000-4,000 words); essays and narratives (1,500-2,500 words); portraits (850 words); artist portfolios; reviews (850-1,500 words) of exhibitions, books, films, videos, and educational materials. Include cv/resume with all submissions. Deadline for proposals: February 15, 2009. Email Karen vanMeenen, Editor, at afterimageeditor@yahoo.com with proposals and questions. Call for Proposals: Mary Christel and Scott Sullivan, authors of "Creating Lesson Plans for a Media Rich Classroom," are soliciting proposals for a second book of lesson plans that would offer a range of practical activities for high school and middle school teachers to integrate Web 2.0 skills into existing English language arts curricula. The deadline for submissions is March 1. For information about submitting proposals, contact Mary Christel at mchristel@d125.org. |
Mark Your Calendars
It's not too soon to begin making plans for the NAMLE Conference 2009 "Bridging Literacies: Critical Connections in a Digital World," which will be held in Detroit, MI August 1 - 4, 2009. Visit the NAMLE website for more information. The School of Communication at American University is hosting Making Your Media Matter 09, from Feb 12-Feb 13 in Washington, DC. Established and aspiring filmmakers, non-profit communications leaders, funders, and students are invited to learn and share cutting-edge practices for creating media that matters. www.centerforsocialmedia.org/mymmPBS WNET Thirteen presents a Celebration of Teaching & Learning, March 6-7 in New York City. Featured speaker Alan Alda will join a host of speakers and panels, including a panel on media literacy hosted by NAMLE's Sherri Hope Culver and Frank Baker. Read more online at thirteencelebration.orgThe Teachers College at Columbia University is hosting The Moving Image in the Classroom, April 4-5 2009. Find more information online. The 7th annual Northeast Media Literacy Conference will be held on Friday, April 3, 2009 at the University of Connecticut. The theme of the conference is "Rethinking Media Literacy Priorities in a Changing Information Age." Read more online. 3rd Global Conference: Visual Literacies: Exploring Critical Issues. Tuesday 14th July - Thursday 16th July 2009, Mansfield College, Oxford, United Kingdom. Read the call for papers and more information about the conference at the conference website.
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New MLE Resources
Stanford Law Professor Larry Lessig, a recipient of NAMLE's Media Literate Media award in 2007, was interviewed about copyright law by Stephen Colbert on the Colbert Show a couple of weeks ago. Watch the video at Comedy Central and check out the viewer remixes that resulted. History (formerly The History Channel) has put up historical video clips without narration or commentary. Topics range from historical events to pop culture celebrities. They could lead to some interesting student activities, such as selecting voiceover script, music, etc., or interpreting the videos in multiple ways. Find the videos at www.history.com/minisites/historyuncutThe Media Education Lab at Temple University is offering helpful teaching tools for learning about Media Literacy, Copyright and Fair Use. Check out the Lab's video case studies, lesson plans and "Schoolhouse Rock" style music videos. Journalism's in turmoil, then there's YouTube. How can we build the next generation of news consumers? The School Library Journal features an article titled: Enhancing News Literacy that addresses these questions. Check it out online. |
Opportunities
 The International Film Channel is launching a special section on www.ifc.com for expert bloggers from a variety of fields to provide bi-weekly spots on various aspects of American culture: film, music, television, politics, media, etc.They are searching for candidates to be "The Media Blogger" who will write about all topics media, from television to film to social networking to the internet to issues of media literacy. They are seeking someone with substantial blogging experience, and preferably an established readership, who appeals to the 18-34 (primarily male) demographic. The blogger would write bi-weekly articles about media, providing commentary on current events, media coverage of issues in the news, and media trends and provide their unique insight into the behind the scenes story of how media really operates. The blogger would ideally be consistent with the IFC style - irreverent and uncut. Send samples of work toLuke Abbott at Luke.Abbott@cegny.com or contact him at 212-426-7006.
Fair Media Council Recognition Program for Teachers
The
Fair Media Council is unveiling a new program designed to recognize 4th
to 6th grade teachers who are using news and promoting media literacy in their classrooms. Entries are due by June 15, 2009, and will be judged
by community leaders. Winners will be recognized with the Fair Media
Council designating the winning school as a Fair Media Council Media
Savvy School. Download the
Media Savvy Teacher program forms at www.fairmediacouncil.org.
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We Need You!
Don't just sit back and ponder the best ways to advance media literacy education. Join a NAMLE Committee! New NAMLE President, Sherri Hope Culver, invites members to help advance the mission of media literacy education by joining a committee of the Board. Board Committees tackle specific projects and initiatives for the industry and the organization. Committees seeking interested volunteers are listed below. Please contact the committee chair directly. Communications Committee Jane Ballinger communicationschair@namle.net(manages website, UPDATE newsletter and external information) Marketing CommitteeJessica Z. Brown Marketingchair@namle.net(manages marketing strategy, press relations, etc.) Development Committee Cindy Pulley developmentchair@namle.net (manages fundraising from foundations, corporate giving, and government) Program Committee Amy Jensen propubchair@namle.net(manages programmatic development) Conference Committee Sharon Sellers-Clark NMECchair@namle.net(manages the NAMLE conference upcoming Aug. 2009) Membership Committee Jane Owens membershipchair@namle.net(manages membership recruitment, renewal and service)
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