Ithaca College

On Friday, November 21st, Dr. Cyndy Scheibe, Executive Director of Project Look Sharp presented at the National Council for Teachers of English annual conference in Washington, DC. 

Scheibe led a collective media decoding seminar called As Seen on TV: Engaging All Learners Through Close Reading of Fiction and Nonfiction Stories from the Landscape of Television where she used a classic TV commercial to demonstrate how one can combine teaching fiction and nonfiction, and address information literacy goals in judging credibility of information.

Handouts and examples illustrated the integration of media literacy and information literacy into K-12 English education, with an emphasis on inquiry-based approaches that engage students from all backgrounds and abilities. Extensive materials and resources available free of charge for educators on the Project Look Sharp website were also highlighted.  The presentation also showcased a short video about an upcoming initiative, the Media Lit ExChange, designed to provide a platform for teachers and students to share media examples for use in the classroom.

Project Look Sharp is Ithaca College's Media Literacy Initiative. Project Look Sharp supports the integration of critical thinking through media literacy in school curriculum and teaching. They do this through developing and providing lesson plans, media materials, training, and support for educators at all education levels. The purpose of media literacy education is to help individuals of all ages develop the habits of inquiry and skills of expression they need to be critical thinkers, effective communicators, and active citizens in today’s world.