Teaching Students to Decode the World: Media Literacy and Critical Thinking Across the Curriculum

In our media-saturated environment, how can we teach students to distinguish true statements from those that are false, misleading, or manipulative? How can we help them develop the skills needed to identify biases and stereotypes, determine credibility of sources, and analyze their own thinking and its effect on their perceptions?

In Teaching Students to Decode the World, authors Chris Sperry and Cyndy Scheibe tackle these questions as they introduce readers to constructivist media decoding (CMD), a specific way to lead students through a question-based analysis of media materials—including print and digital documents, videos and films, social media posts, advertisements, and other formats—with an emphasis on critical thinking and collaboration. Drawing from their decades of experience as teachers, consultants, and media literacy advocates, the authors explain how to

* Develop and facilitate CMD activities in the classroom and in virtual teaching environments;
* Implement CMD across the curriculum, at all grade levels;
* Connect CMD with educational approaches such as project-based learning, social-emotional learning, and antiracist education;
* Incorporate CMD into assessments; and
* Promote CMD as a districtwide initiative.

This comprehensive guide explains the theoretical foundations for CMD and offers dozens of real-life examples of its implementation and its powerful impact on students and teachers. Equipped with CMD skills, students will be better able to navigate a complex media landscape, participate in a democratic society, and become productive citizens of the world.

Chris Sperry is cofounder and director of curriculum and staff development of Project Look Sharp at Ithaca College. He taught middle and high school social studies, English, and media studies at the Lehman Alternative Community School in Ithaca, New York, for more than 40 years, where he also served as an instructional coach and a mentor for teachers. He is the author and coauthor of many articles, lessons, and curriculum kits for integrating media literacy and critical thinking into the K–12 curriculum. Chris was the recipient of the 2005 National PTA and Cable's Leaders in Learning Award for Media Literacy. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Ithaca College with a planned studies major in media literacy and a master's degree in human development from Harvard University.

Cyndy Scheibe is cofounder and executive director of Project Look Sharp at Ithaca College, where she is also a professor of psychology, teaching courses in child and adolescent development, media literacy, and media effects; she also coordinates the college's interdisciplinary media literacy minor. She was a founding board member of the National Association for Media Literacy Education and coauthored the association's Core Principles of Media Literacy Education. Her publications on media literacy education include ASCD's Quick Reference Guide Media Literacy in Every Classroom, coauthored with Faith Rogow. She has a master's degree in communications and a PhD in developmental psychology, both from Cornell University.