Ithaca College

On Friday, May 3 from 1:30pm to 2:45pm, Sox Sperry, Program Associate at Project Look Sharp hosted a workshop entitled “ELA, Common Core and Critical Thinking: Using Science Fiction and Media Literacy to Teach to the Standards.” This workshop was held in the Ithaca Falls Room, in association with the Pippi to Ripley: The Figure of the Female in Fantasy and Science Fiction conference that took place April 3 & 4 at Ithaca College.

This interactive workshop taught participants how to effectively integrate media literacy into K-12 Common Core curriculums. Using elements of science fiction, Sperry guides middle and high school English teachers through a demonstration of decoding media materials, to help them to discover ways in which they can incorporate elements of media literacy into their own future lesson plans. Drawing upon Project Look Sharp’s media literacy materials and curriculum kits, Sperry will also engages participants in discussions about the importance of media literacy and critical thinking in today’s educational system. 

Sperry was excited to share his knowledge with the public. With over 40 years of experience teaching and educating individuals about peace and social justice, He often hosts workshops and discussions on the importance of media literacy in today’s educational system, and is passionate about increasing media literacy awareness across the country. His current position as Program Associate with Project Look Sharp has enabled him to author and co-author many of the free, online curriculum kits available to educators throughout the nation.

Project Look Sharp now has 20 media literacy kits that include detailed teacher guides and lessons for classroom decoding of historic documents. These kits have been specifically made for K-12 classrooms and the college level courses. All kits are available free online with hard copy kits sold at cost through the Ithaca College bookstore.

Project look Sharp is Ithaca College's Media Literacy Initiative. From day one, Ithaca College prepares students for personal and professional success through hands-on experience with internships, research and study abroad. Its integrative curriculum builds bridges across disciplines and uniquely blends liberal arts and professional study. Located in New York’s Finger Lakes region, the College is home to 6,100 undergraduate and 400 graduate students and offers over 100 degree programs in its schools of Business, Communications, Humanities and Sciences, Health Science and Human Performance. 

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For more information, please contact Media Outreach Intern Abigayle Piechnik at looksharp-mktg@ithaca.edu.

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