Jordan Media Institute – Amman
Around 150 teachers and Ministry of Education administrators so far have completed training workshops at the Jordan Media Institute, on principal media and information literacy skills.
The training consists of five core units; an introduction to media and information literacy; researching information and sources; news, fact-checking, and media ethics; images and photo-stories; the internet and social media.
Abdullah al-Khatib, a teacher from Theeban district who participated in the training, said that the new training material and information was presented “in an excellent manner - simple and fluid.” He emphasized that all members of society, including schoolchildren, ought to be taught the contents of the training. He went on to praise the Jordan Media Institute for its ability to present the materials in a new way that was engaging, interactive, and effective.
Mohammed al-Khrisat from as-Salt district, who works as a digital media officer, expressed that the course changed his way of thinking by activating detail-oriented critical thinking skills. The course also provided participants with an understanding of
media ethics.
Suleiman Abu Shareb, a teacher from the Giza district, reports that the course addressed the technological reality of our current era. We are living through a digital revolution, he says, in which users require basic skills in order to keep up with the developments of this revolution. According to Abu Shareb, cyberbullying was one of the most important and applicable topics covered by the course. He says that this behavior can have a major impact on students, especially when it exposes them to verbal or physical abuse.
This project is in accordance with the national initiative for spreading media and information literacy in schools, universities, youth centers, and civil society. It targets teachers and students in Jordanian public schools for building their media and information literacy skills.
After the training program is completed, 30 teachers will be selected who have excelled in media and information literacy. They will go on to receive further instruction in order to lead trainings for school children in the coming year.