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Social media has changed the way teenagers communicate and the way they consume information. There is understandably some concern about this, as teachers and parents worry that their children will experience cyber-bullying or become addicted to their mobile devices. While these concerns are reasonable, social media is like any other technological tool, and it can be used for good or bad. We show how teachers can integrate social media into the classroom to engage students in the learning process and train them to use digital technology in productive ways.

"When educators teach media literacy, they provide students with crucial skills to become knowledgeable and active participants in the media surrounding them. Additionally, when given the skills to understand the media surrounding them, students become more aware of their consumption of it and can critically evaluate content they usually only consume in passing on their phones, in print, or on television."

"A new report from Common Sense, The Common Sense Census: Media Use by Tweens and Teens, 2019, helps us connect what we're observing in classrooms with larger trends. This nationally representative study on how kids age 8 to 18 use media highlights what kinds of access kids have to technology, what they're doing on those devices and how often, and how much they enjoy the various types of media activities they're engaged in. The report also compares how the data has changed since the first wave of the study in 2015."

"Social media is a phrase we throw around a lot these days, often to describe what we post on sites and apps like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and others. So you can infer that social media are web-based sites that allow people to interact with each other. "

A recent study by University College London (UCL) has suggested that heavy use of social media can cause lower levels of literacy in children. The study was based on 11,000 children tracked from their births in 2000 and has found that time spent on social media could be distracting children from reading and homework, thus having an adverse effect on their literacy.

The school library media center offers a wide variety of resources and opportunities. However, the enthusiastic leadership of a teacher librarian is essential to bring the potential of information and learning resources alive for both teachers and students. Designed primarily as a tool for a university course at Indiana University at Indianapolis, this website is available to anyone who wants to learn more about the role of the school library media specialist in today's schools.

Infographic on media literacy from UNESCO

The rise in popularity of social media platforms and apps has opened the door for storytellers to deliver their content in inventive ways that let them engage with the audience. Transmedia storytelling is becoming a way of life for many who create content, but the definition of the phrase isn't always clear. Basically, it's taking a single story and breaking it down into pieces that are delivered via varying and multiple media platforms. Those platforms can include websites, films, YouTube videos, Twitter accounts, apps, paper brochures - you name it. Ideally, each piece of the story should stand on its own while also feeding into a bigger picture.

Storytelling in any format is about making meaning. While the essence of the stories we tell may remain the same, the ways in which we can now share these stories have changed dramatically with the development of digital communication technologies. Access to simple, easy to use media production tools and resources in conjunction with the potential for immediate and universal online publication has significant implications for literacy thinking and practice.

Edutopia's collection of articles, videos, and other resources on internet safety, cyberbullying, digital responsibility, and media and digital literacy.

The school library media Web page is a recent development, but as schools, classrooms, and society have become connected to the Internet, media specialists throughout the world are designing and maintaining Web pages for their programs. You will want to begin by fol-lowing some general guidelines for effective Web design, ensuring that your site is easily navigated by all different types of users and viewable in many different browsers.

"Two-thirds of parents in the U.S. say parenting is harder today than it was 20 years ago, with many citing technologies - like social media or smartphones - as a reason"

"Fluid environments involve using multiple modes of communication to convey a complex, interactive message. Information flows smoothly from one media to the next. The strengths of each media create synergy. The result is something more dynamic than could be done in a single medium."

Annette Lamb and Larry Johnson on the importance of evaluation of school library media programs.

"Digital stories are short multimedia presentations that combine a variety of communicative elements within a narrative structure. Media may include any combination of the following: text, images, video, audio, social media elements (like tweets), or interactive elements (like maps)." the site includes a range of examples.

Storytelling in any format is about making meaning. While the essence of the stories we tell may remain the same, the ways in which we can now share these stories have changed dramatically with the development of digital communication technologies. Access to simple, easy to use media production tools and resources in conjunction with the potential for immediate and universal online publication has significant implications for literacy thinking and practice.

PLAY - Participatory - Learning - And - You - this wiki focuses on participatory learning, the role of new media literacies in 21 Century learning and the role of curriculum design.

From Canada: Use, Understand & Create: A Digital Literacy Framework for Canadian Schools. Frameworks for K-3, 4-6, 7-8. Lesson plans are provided to support the learning outcomes or each year level. Lots of support information on digital and media literacy, teacher resources and research data are available under the tabs.

Annette Lamb and Larry Johnson on the importance of accountability in school library media programs.

Annette Lamb and Larry Johnson on the importance of evidence and reflection in school library media programs