Media at the Core: How Media Literacy Strategies Strengthen Teaching with Common Core

The key concepts of media literacy education offer many ways to strengthen English language arts (ELA) teaching through the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). This article focuses on connections between effective practices in media literacy education and alignment with the Common Core State Standards, including an expansion of teachers’ conception of texts to include understanding and creation in a variety of media forms; integrating media and technology across school subjects; modeling strong research practices in an increasingly information-rich environment; analyzing and creating various genres of nonfiction texts; and engaging students in civic participation. This media literacy education framework encourages teachers using the CCSS to consider a variety of nonprint texts beyond “exemplary” materials, reflect on the role of technology tools in the classroom, and balance analysis activities with media creation.