Media Smart for Parents
Being Media Smart at Home It’s a new digital world we live in now. Along with television, movies, billboards, newspapers, and magazines, our kids move through their days surrounded by computers, cell phones, video games and more.
Cable in the Classroom has developed a variety of resources for you to use to educate yourself and teach your children how to evaluate media messages, practice digital ethics, and stay safe in the digital world.
For more than a decade, CIC and National PTA have collaborated to provide information and resources, like the ones below, that help families take control of their TVs, computers and other media.
Explore these links to get an overview of the key concepts of media literacy, and some simple, effective ideas for using them with your family.
Point Smart. Click Safe. is a comprehensive new initiative from Cable in the Classroom and the cable industry that addresses Internet safety, digital ethics, and media literacy.
Weaving a Web of ResponsibilitiesA conceptual framework for thinking about how we can teach critical 21st Century skills such as media literacy, internet safety, and ethical online behavior. This framework can help guide administrators, teachers and parents as they consider how best to help children learn these crucial competencies.
Parenting Moves Online: Parents’ Internet Actions and Attitudes, 2007, a new Cable in the Classroom/Common Sense Media poll conducted by Harris Interactive® shows that the majority of parents in the United States are taking action to ensure their children are safe and responsible while using the Internet.
Parenting the MySpace Generation A 2006 poll commissioned by Cable in the Classroom reports that 9 out of 10 parents think they should have a lot of responsibility for ensuring kids' internet safety. Learn more about the findings and recommendations from this poll.
Free e-newsletters Subscribe to Cable in the Classroom’s free electronic newsletters. Be sure you always have the latest information on cable’s educational resources, media literacy, and news you can use.
Media Literacy 101 This ten-part online primer for parents and teachers covers the key concepts of media literacy and provides examples and activities that illustrate and illuminate each point. It’s a great way to learn how to teach kids how to think critically about media and improve their ability to use media wisely.
Digital Ethics Digital ethics is an online primer on teaching ethical, courteous, and productive behavior while using digital media. Topics include plagiarism, cyberbullying and copyright issues.
Media Smart ReadingsA collection of articles, drawn from the pages of Cable in the Classroom Magazine and Threshold, covering many aspects of media literacy and children's media use.
Navigating the Children's Media Landscape: A Parent's and Caregiver's Guide Written by the American Institutes for Research for Cable in the Classroom and National PTA, this guide helps parents take control of TV viewing and other media activities in the home.
Taking Charge of Your TV: A guide to critical viewing for parents and children This informative booklet explains four key concepts of media literacy and how you can use them at home with your family.
Thinking Critically about Media: Schools and Families in Partnership A collection of essays by a wide variety of respected experts on teaching media literacy at school and at home.
Video Clips - Taking Charge of Your TV Seeing is believing! These short video clips demonstrate how easy - and how important -media literacy really is.
Learn more about Choice and Control Learn about the cable industry's efforts to help families use media in a smart way, including through parental controls.
Awards Check out Cable in the Classroom’s awards programs honoring contributions to the field of media literacy.
Links to Media Literacy Resources Want to learn more? Many organizations offer resources, research, and background information on media literacy, including tips for teachers, parents, and caregivers. This annotated list of links gives you a preview of what’s available so you can quickly select what will be most useful.
