When Erin McNeill became a mother she started developing strategies for how to best educate her kids about media literacy. As a reporter who used to cover Congress, Erin eventually realized she could use her knowledge about the legislative process to improve media literacy for students all over the country. Her organization, Media Literacy Now, has helped pass state bills that improved how the subject is taught and developed resources to aid teachers all over the country to create lesson plans.
In this week's episode, Erin talked with host Peter Bittner about how teachers and parents need to change the way they think about media literacy as new technologies like AI exert a greater influence over young people.
Show Notes:
(00:58) How Erin came up with the idea to found an organization that works to expand media literacy across the United States
(3:08) How Erin’s background as a journalist helped her become an advocate for media literacy
(4:34) How Media Literacy Now works to help improve curricula in schools
(5:19) Ways media literacy can prepare students to better understand the dangers posed by AI
(6:28) The challenges facing young students growing up with AI
(7:35) What parents can do to educate their children about how to understand the dangers of the internet
(11:30) What worries Erin about AI
(14:04) Effective strategies for teaching children how to be media literate
(19:37) States are taking an initiative to combat the effects of smartphones by strengthening media literacy in schools
(21:162 Peter talks about his career as a foreign correspondent in Mongolia and pivoting to working at the intersection of tech and media
(23:03) The pandemic’s influence on education
How to read more about Media Literacy Now’s work:
Subscribe to Media Literacy Now’s newsletter and mailing list:
https://medialiteracynow.org/subscribe/
Learn more about The Upgrade and our online courses
Connect on LinkedIn with Peter Bittner, The Upgrade’s founder and CEO
Special thanks to Mitch Walker for helping to design the podcast’s artwork
When Erin McNeill became a mother she started developing strategies for how to best educate her kids about media literacy. As a reporter who used to cover Congress, Erin eventually realized she could use her knowledge about the legislative process to improve media literacy for students all over the country. Her organization, Media Literacy Now, has helped pass state bills that improved how the subject is taught and developed resources to aid teachers all over the country to create lesson plans.
In this week's episode, Erin talked with host Peter Bittner about how teachers and parents need to change the way they think about media literacy as new technologies like AI exert a greater influence over young people.
Show Notes:
(00:58) How Erin came up with the idea to found an organization that works to expand media literacy across the United States
(3:08) How Erin’s background as a journalist helped her become an advocate for media literacy
(4:34) How Media Literacy Now works to help improve curricula in schools
(5:19) Ways media literacy can prepare students to better understand the dangers posed by AI
(6:28) The challenges facing young students growing up with AI
(7:35) What parents can do to educate their children about how to understand the dangers of the internet
(11:30) What worries Erin about AI
(14:04) Effective strategies for teaching children how to be media literate
(19:37) States are taking an initiative to combat the effects of smartphones by strengthening media literacy in schools
(21:162 Peter talks about his career as a foreign correspondent in Mongolia and pivoting to working at the intersection of tech and media
(23:03) The pandemic’s influence on education
How to read more about Media Literacy Now’s work:
Subscribe to Media Literacy Now’s newsletter and mailing list:
https://medialiteracynow.org/subscribe/
Learn more about The Upgrade and our online courses
Connect on LinkedIn with Peter Bittner, The Upgrade’s founder and CEO
Special thanks to Mitch Walker for helping to design the podcast’s artwork