Project Look Sharp :: K-12 & Higher Ed. Media Literacy Lesson Plans

About Project Look Sharp

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PROJECT LOOK SHARP is a media literacy initiative of the School of Humanities and Sciences at Ithaca College, working in collaboration with local school districts, New York State BOCES, the National Association of Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) and other national media literacy organizations. The project is designed to promote and support the integration of media literacy and critical thinking into curricula at all grade levels and across instructional areas, as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of media literacy education in the schools. This curriculum-driven initiative works directly with teachers and support staff to reach students and aims to foster a spirit of collaboration among educators using media literacy. Project Look Sharp provides curriculum materials, strategies and advice for media literacy instruction, and acts as a liaison between educators and the media literacy field at large.

The goals of Project Look Sharp are:

To promote and support media literacy education at the community, state and national levels
To provide teachers with ongoing pre-service and in-service training and mentoring in media education
To work with teachers to create new or revised teaching materials and pedagogical strategies that incorporate media literacy and enhance classroom practice
To develop and publish curriculum materials that infuse media literacy into core content
To evaluate the effectiveness of media literacy as a pedagogical approach to education
To develop a model for including media literacy in the school curriculum at all grade levels and across all instructional areas and to show how media literacy can help teachers address new and existing learning standards

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SERVICES Project Look Sharp offers a variety of services for individual teachers and school districts, teacher education students and faculty, and other professionals working with K-12 school systems. These services include the following:

Media Literacy Summer Institute Each year Project Look Sharp conducts an intensive media literacy institute for teachers, support staff, college faculty and other professionals working with students in an educational setting. Participants receive training in the theory and practice of media literacy, learn applications for digital technology and work individually with a Look Sharp "coach" to develop a media literacy integration project during the following year. Educators receive Continuing Education Units (CEUs)for attendance.

Workshops and Speakers Project Look Sharp personnel are available for large or small group presentations and workshops on a variety of media literacy topics. These range from a general introductory presentation on the use of media literacy in the classroom to topical workshops (e.g., Youth Culture and New Technologies) and trainings for current Project Look Sharp teaching kits.

WEBSITE AND PUBLICATIONS: Project Look Sharp publishes curriculum kits and other media literacy materials for national distribution, each using media literacy as a pedagogical approach for teaching core content in a variety of curriculum areas. The kits and materials are free and available on the website. Print copies may be ordered from our website links which direct you to the Ithaca College Bookstore.