Be Media Smart 2023 – Community Training Programme

Now, more than ever, it is critical that people use accurate and reliable information when making informed decisions – whether those decisions relate to health, politics, economics or any other aspect of their lives.

Be Media Smart is an initiative of Media Literacy Ireland (MLI) which encourages people to Stop, Think and Check that the information that they read, see or hear is reliable and accurate.Be Media Smart previously ran as a public awareness campaign in 2019, 2020 and 2021. In 2023, the initiative will run across the month of October with the campaign message being delivered nationwide across TV, radio, news publications and online and directing members of the public to bemediasmart.ie for tips, guidance and support.

Be Media Smart Training Programme
A key feature of the campaign this year is a community-based programme of media literacy training developed by EDMO Ireland and Media Literacy Ireland.

The aim of the training programme is to start to build a network of community-based trainers who will be able to help individuals, communities, and institutions recognise and value reliable and accurate information in order to make informed decisions.

A series of online ‘Train the Trainer’ sessions will empower community-based learning facilitators with the necessary knowledge, tools, techniques, and resources to deliver Be Media Smart Workshops in their own communities. This training will be developed and delivered by Dr Ricardo Castellini da Silva, a Media Literacy educator and a Postdoctoral Researcher with DCU Institute for Future Media, Democracy and Society (FuJo). The online training sessions are expected to take place in mid-September and last 2-3 hours (times, dates and duration TBC depending on demand.)

Central to the training will be the Be Media Smart Workshop in a Box which will contain everything required to deliver community-based training including:

•  A roadmap for the entire learning journey including the educational philosophy, pedagogical approach and rationale behind the learning experience.
•  A set of interactive and engaging slides which will summarise key information, highlight essential points, and facilitate practical activities and group discussions.
• Additional resources for the Community-based Trainers such as articles, videos, case studies, or interactive modules that facilitators can use to dive deeper into specific topics, complementing the core content outlined in slides and activities.
• Post-training resources to provide participants with ways to continue exploring the topics covered such as further readings, online courses, documentaries, or tools they can easily access after the workshop.
• Marketing material such as posters to promote the Be Media Smart Workshops at a community level, social media assets and a template press release.

This free-of-charge training is available on a first-come, first-served basis to anyone who is based within a community context and who is interested in helping others improve their digital media literacy skills. There will be bespoke ‘Train the Trainer’ sessions for Librarians; Teachers and School librarians; Community and Voluntary Groups; and, Irish language trainers.

Interested?

• Are you a librarian, teacher, trainer, coach or community or group leader?
• Are you interested in learning more about how to recognise and verify accurate and reliable information online?
• Can you commit to delivering at least one Be Media Smart Workshop within your community during October 2023?

If you can answer yes to these questions register now for your free online training session and get access to all the training resources you will need to run a Be Media Smart Workshop in your community. Places are limited to 20 per session, so don’t delay.

Register your interest, via this form, before Monday 4th September.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BMSTraining

 

Notes
Media Literacy Ireland is an informal alliance of organisations and individuals who are working together on a voluntary basis to promote media literacy in Ireland. Facilitated by Coimisiún na Meán, as part of its commitment to promoting media literacy, MLI brings together a wide range of members from sectors such as the media, academia, online platforms, libraries and civil society.

 

 

EDMO Ireland is EDMO Ireland is the national hub for the European Digital Media Observatory. The hub is co-funded by the European Union to advance an evidence-based understanding of the problem of disinformation and facilitate cooperation among stakeholders.

 

 

For more information please contact:
• The MLI Coordinating Team at info@medialiteracyireland.ie
• Martina Chapman, National Coordinator MLI: martinachapman@mercuryinsights.com
• Dr. Ricardo Castellini Da Silva, Media Literacy Coordinator, EDMO Ireland