Creative Media Work - Making and Understanding Media Yourself (7-12)

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Media education and the promotion of media literacy cover a wide range of subjects, as reflected in the extensive MediaParents courses. Topics such as media habits, social media and advertising look primarily at teaching responsible and safe media use and consumption.

Another area – Media Arts Education - uses media as a tool for producing one's own media products in order to support a critical and responsible use of media. Digital media are used here as a tool for design and expression. Through independent experimentation with media, children can participate in their social environment and they learn how media can be used, for example, to publish information and their own opinions. They change from being mere media consumers to active producers. In families, this can promote social interaction and active, creative activity among the children. At the same time, the children's need to do something with digital media is fulfilled. Digital meets analogue in creative media work.

As a future MediaParent consultant, you will know at the end of this module what learning experiences children can have through creative media work and you will be able to give parents lots of inspiration for use at home.

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There are many opportunities, such as taking photographs, making videos or stop-motion films, where digital media are used actively and creatively.

What do children learn through creative media work?

Through their own and creative use of digital media, children can experience them directly. They learn not only how media work, but also what they intend and how they work. The fact that media only show a section of reality can be directly experienced when taking photographs independently, for example. When a simple animated film is produced by the children themselves, they understand, for example, that not everything shown on TV or YouTube is real.

Photo, audio, video, stop-motion, making and coding for children

On the links “MEDIA ARTS EDUCATION: An Introduction” and “Why Media Arts Education Matters” you will find exciting background information and practical application possibilities for active and creative media use in diverse areas such as photo, audio and video production. The blog is primarily aimed at educators. However, the knowledge is equally useful for you as a future MediaParent consultant.

For inspiration on practical implementation, watch the videos "What is Media Arts" and "Media Arts Can Transform Learning and Education".

Digital-analogue outdoor activities

Many of the possibilities shown can easily be combined with outdoor activities in the fresh air. Photography in particular can be wonderfully combined with any family trip, and the production of stop-motion films can simply be moved to the garden. Digital scavenger hunts, also known as geocaching, also ensure that the children will certainly not get bored. In the video “Apps That Inspire Kids to Play Outside” you will find more tips to give parents for their digital-analogue leisure activities to take home.

Exercise

There are no limits to creative media work and the possibilities are almost endless. We can only give you a few initial ideas here.

What other creative activities with media can you think of that are particularly suitable for children between the ages of 6 and 12? Create an individual collection of ideas for creative media work in the family.
Try to describe in your own words what children learn through the active and creative use of media and which competences can be promoted.

What you learn in this course

You will be able to reflect how creative media work is defined and what is meant by it.
You will be able to explain the advantages of creative media work in promoting media literacy.
You will be able to escribe which learning opportunities result from creative media work.
You will be able to describe ideas for creative media work and develop own ideas.
You will be able to formulate recommendations for implementation at home.

Get ready: Tips for MediaParent consultants

As a future MediaParent consultant, you have certainly been able to develop a lot of your own ideas for creative media work in this module. Encourage this wealth of ideas at your parents' evening.

Bring different apps, such as Stop-Motion Studio or Pic Collage, and let the parents try them out themselves. This is fun and reduces inhibitions to use them in everyday life.