Announcements

Societal trends, such as digitalization and the growing meaning of media in our daily lives, are current topics in the educational discussions around the world: What role does the media play in the lives of children? How can we empower children and youth to use opportunities offered by the new media, but also support them to tackle the possible challenges?

 

On January 22, at 15:00, the Public Journalism Club will hold a webinar entitled “Basis for media literacy is created in the early childhood – Discussing insights and best practices from Finnish media education” led by Finnish media experts Lauri Palsa and Saara Salomaan.

Attention! The webinar is for preschools’ directors, teachers, education and media experts.

To participate in the webinar, you need to fill out the following application form in advance by January 20.

The participants of the following webinar will be selected by “Public Journalism Club” NGO. 

The webinar is an exclusive opportunity for those who are interested in studying the best international experience. The participants of this webinar will have the opportunity to participate in the next webinars to be implemented within the “Acting for Safer Online Environment: information literacy intervention for preschools” program. The participants who will effectively participate in all the webinars will be invited to participate in a seminar, which will be conducted by American media expert Sherrii Hope Culver.

 

About the webinar

The presentation follows two lines of though. Firstly, the presentation will offer tools for educators to comprehend the various aspects of media literacy and also to build shared understanding of the concept. The aim is to highlight the importance of contextual awareness and conceptual clarity when designing media educational practices. Secondly, the presentation focus on the enhancement of the children’s participatory and educational rights and the freedom of speech in media environments, while taking into account their equally important right for protection? 

In the presentation insights of the role of media education in the Finnish educational system from the perspectives of evolving concept of literacy, goal-oriented education and cross-sectoral cooperation are shared. In addition, the presentation discusses the principles, methods and policies promoting children’s media literacy especially in early childhood education and care in Finland.

The webinar will take place via Zoom platform, during which a consecutive Armenian translation will be provided.

The webinar will be broadcast on the Facebook Page of the Public Journalism Club, which you can follow at this link․

 

Participation in the webinar is free.

 

About the Speakers

Lauri Palsa (M.A.) is a Senior advisor in the National Audiovisual Institute, KAVI, in Finland. Currently Palsa is working as the team leader for the media education team in the KAVI´s Department for Media Education and Audiovisual Media. He has several years´ experience in researching, developing and promoting national media education in Finland. Palsa also studies and writes a PhD dissertation in the University of Lapland. His research interests focus on the contextualized literacies in the digital mediated world, curriculum and policy research, and media education. He is the co-author of the “Media literacy in Finland. National media education policy.”

Saara Salomaa (M.A.) is a senior advisor and a team leader in the Department for Media Education and Audiovisual Media in the Finnish National Audiovisual Institute (KAVI). KAVI’s media education includes expert consulting, policy development, networking and strategic planning, research and producing educational resources. Saara Salomaa is leading the Finnish Safer Internet Centre (FISIC), a long-term project partly fund by the European Commission. She is also in charge of the media literacy section of the national New Literacies -project lead by the Ministry of Education and Culture. Salomaa’s publications and research interests cover media education widely; from media literacy policies to professionals’ media educational consciousness and children’s media usage. She is the co-author of the “Media literacy in Finland. National media education policy.”

Public Journalism Club NGO has launched “Acting for Safer Online Environment: information literacy intervention for preschools” project in September, 2020 which is implemented with the support of US Embassy.

The purpose of the project is to promote media and information literacy in Armenia in preschool education and advocate for the integration of these concepts in the national educational strategy and curricula through a series of actions aimed at inspiring, educating, training and motivating key stakeholders.

Within the project, preschool curricula (4-6 years old) and pre-school education standards will be explored as well as educational materials will be prepared, translated, fairy-tale books will be published, which will teach digital security and critical thinking with content appropriate for the age of the children.

The project will host webinars led by media experts from the United States and Finland. The webinars are intended for experts in the field, teaching staff, kindergarten directors and anyone interested in the field. In addition, a seminar will be held with the participation of an expert from the USA.

You can get more detailed information about the project by following the link․

You can watch the video of the first webinar within the program at the following link.

 

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The mission of Public Journalism Club is to promote freedom of expression, diversity and pluralism, build a media literate society, facilitate the development of a stronger civil society and support processes aimed at the democratization of the region and establishment of a dialogue, mutual understanding and peace.

For more details, you can contact Public Journalism Club by phone: +374 12 755 898, +37499 755898  or by e-mail: [email protected] , [email protected]