National Council of Teachers of English
COMMISSION ON MEDIA Announces

Media Literacy Award

Call for Nominations

The NCTE Commission on Media is proud to announce that it will award the second annual Media Literacy Award at the Assembly of Media Arts Sharing Session at the upcoming NCTE Annual Convention in San Antonio.  Deadline for application is Monday, June 16^th, 2008. The award winner will be notified by the end of August.

A resolution passed by the members at the 2003 San Francisco Convention on Composing with Non-Print Media made the creation of this award especially timely.  The resolution recommended the encouragement of preservice, inservice, and staff development programs that focus on new literacies, multi-media composition and a broadened concept of literacy.  This award showcases NCTE members who have developed innovative approaches for integrating media analysis and composition into their instruction.

Applying for the Award

The Media Literacy Award will be presented to an individual, team, or department that has implemented and refined exemplary media literacy practices in their school environment.  The Award Selection Process will be based on a portfolio review by a panel from the Commission on Media. 

The portfolio should be submitted electronically.  Hard copy submissions will be accepted via U.S. Mail if absolutely necessary.

The key elements of the portfolio should demonstrate:

a.      analysis, evaluation, and creation of media

b.      reflective processes used by instructor(s) and participants

c.      growth of media literacy instruction in the course/department

The portfolio must address the following criteria:

Criteria 1: Evidence of sustained implementation of media literacy principles (recognized as the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media messages) over time.

STATEMENT

• How have media literacy principles been reinforced over time during the course of study?
• What assignments, readings, strategies are used to show that media literacy is fundamental to the course? 

EVIDENCE

includes, but is not limited to:

• assignments, lessons and/or project descriptors
• curriculum maps or unit plans
• resource lists
• examples of student work
• grading rubrics and assessment standards

Criteria 2: A description of the development of the course or unit and how it fits within the curriculum, providing evidence of innovation and imagination within the program.  What is the context within which the work takes place: a course, a unit, a department?

STATEMENT

Questions to consider:

• is this a lesson? A series of lessons?  a unit?
• is media literacy used in a variety of contexts and lessons?
• what issues have arisen while implementing media literacy?
• what obstacles have been overcome?
• how have the units/lessons/projects evolved over time?

EVIDENCE

includes, but is not limited to:

• revisions of units and lessons
• student and teacher reflective instruments
• assignments, lessons and/or project descriptors
• curriculum maps or unit plans
• resource lists
• examples of student work
• grading rubrics and assessment standards

Criteria 3: Evidence of collaboration in the media literacy classroom, within or outside the school.

STATEMENT

questions to consider:

• how does this unit/lesson/project transcend the classroom? 
• do students work collaboratively? Do they reflect on the collaborative process in a formal manner?
• does collaboration enhance the project/lesson/unit in specific ways that more traditional solo activity might not? 
• do students work with others outside the classroom? 
• do they work across academic disciplines?  Across grade levels? 

EVIDENCE

may include, but is not limited to:

• revisions of units and lessons
• student and teacher reflective instruments
• assignments, lessons and/or project descriptors
• curriculum maps or unit plans
• resource lists
• examples of student work
• grading rubrics and assessment standards

Criteria 4: A portfolio of exemplary work, including high or low-tech media compositions, syllabi, and course assignments to be submitted electronically, if possible.  Hard copy submissions will be accepted if necessary.

STATEMENT

Questions to consider:

• what work is most representative of the focus on media literacy in my courses?
• How have assessments and teacher responses helped students create effective media literacy products? 
• How has the practice of media literacy evolved over time in my course and what artifacts best represent that?
• What best represents the ways we analyzed, evaluated and created media? 
• How has the projects/lessons/units evolved over time? 
• What instruments and results show the reflection that goes into the developing of the course?

EVIDENCE

may include, but is not limited to:

• revisions of units and lessons
• student and teacher reflective instruments
• assignments, project descriptors, resource lists, curriculum maps and lesson or unit planning
• student projects, examples of student work in all formats
• grading rubrics and assessment standards
• products of student work.