During the COVID 19 pandemic, online activities have greatly increased mainly because going out is risky.

That is why
social media has been our companion to shop, to market business, to entertain, and to keep us informed. And now, it is
widely used for education.

Well, no one could be blamed for a social media dependence. However, the frequency of our media consumption and
exposure makes us prone to common yet serious problems on media and information such as: Cyber addiction,
misinformation, disinformation, identity theft, cyber bullying and other mistreats.

That is the main reason why we need to learn the 3 essential competencies in MIL.

MEDIA LITERACY, INFORMATION LITERACY, AND TECHNOLOGY LITERACY.

Especially today that our generation is widely influenced by media. It is important to be discerning whether the
information we encounter is true or not.

Take a look at this headlines.

Breaking News:

1. Alcoholic drinks reduce corona virus risk.

2. dragons egg found in cotabato city

3. vaccine that can transmute animals to human beings discovered by a scientist.

4. UN forced to admit gates-funded vaccine in causing polio outbreak in Africa

5. skeleton of goliath found in Jerusalem.

Do you believe in this new items?

Do you think they are true?

You’re right, those are all fake news. Remember that not all information online is true. Because anybody that has
access to the world wide web and people with the ability to post and share information can put up anything online
which can lead to misinformation and disinformation.

And with this, we have established that dealing with media, information and technology requires a certain degree of
competence. For instance, as a student you get instructions from your teacher to write a creative report.

What do you think are the things you need to accomplish for your task? Yes, you will need information about the
assigned topic. But how can you ensure you get the most reliable information. And how will you communicate your
report effectively? First, you need a gadget that has a connection to the internet or a book that has sufficient
information about the subject. Next, you need to organize and communicate your information and the most appropriate
and effective communication tool.

Media, technology and information. we are living in the 21 st century and as a student I know these things make you go
crazy because in dealing with them you are bombarded with questions like:

What information do I need?

Where will I find trustworthy information?

How do I obtain it?

What technology should I use?

Since media information and technology are equally essential in our daily lives. We should also become more
responsible in using them with understanding what it means to be literate in this areas. Right?

Again what is Literacy?

-it is commonly defined as the ability to read and write but there’s another complete definition released by UNESCO.

LITERACY – it is the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate, and compute, using printed and
written materials associated with varying contexts.

An example is, Paul uses digital tools and devices to complete his assignments. He navigates the internet to locate
reliable websites for information. He synthesizes the information he finds. Identifying text-based evidence that he’ll go
on to site. He uses a multimedia presentation to communicate his work. He shares his work with an audience. Paul and
his classmates give feedback on one another’s work. Paul’s life is all about taking in information. reflecting on it, sharing
it, connecting with others, and communicating about on what he seen, read, thought about, experienced and felt. What

what Paul experienced were the daily literacy practices of a typical adolescent like you.

The next thing you need to be familiar with will be mentioned frequently in this episode. It is the term reliable source.
Reliable means something can trust. And source means a place, person, or thing where we can obtain something.

There several main criteria for determining whether a source is reliable or not. These are accuracy, authority, and
coverage. Accuracy refers to the verification of the information you already know against the information found in the
source. Authority refers to the trustworthiness of the source, which could be an author or institution. Coverage refers
to the examination of the content of the source, and how it fits your information needs based on its relevance to your
topic.

Next, what is media literacy? Is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media in a variety of forms. It aims to
empower you by providing the knowledge and skills necessary to engages with both traditional and new technologies.
As a media literate person you must be able to access, analyze or evaluate, and create media. To access means being
able to recognize the media needed and it availability for your uses. For example, in John’s class they were instructed by
their teacher to look for an example for a book for their movie assignment. What media will he use? Should he go look
for it in books? On the internet? Or in newspapers? By analyzing and evaluating means having the ability to think
critically about the accuracy, credibility, or evidence of bias in the content presented in various media. This happen
when our character John comes across bizarre information or shocking news on his facebook. First, he checks the
source of information and sees if it is from a reliable source. Then verify its content to further research. To create
means being able to use media tools to produce media content. This can apply to john’s ability to create a video using
the proper visual principles.

What is information Literacy? It is the ability to recognize when information is needed, and to locate, evaluate, and
effectively communicate information in its various formats. An information literate person can recognize, locate,
evaluate, and communicate information. To recognize means having the ability to identify information when needed
and to use it efficiently. This is evident when you know exactly what specific information you are looking for. Like John,
he has the task to search for a movie review. That is where his research revolves. He first looks for an example of a
movie review and use it well in making his school project.
To locate means having the ability to find reliable sources of information or locate them when needed. To evaluate
means having the ability to assess whether the information is true or fake. In locating reliable sources, you must also
evaluate the information and its reliability. This happens when you can locate the information you need on a reliable
website. To communicate means having the ability to share information effectively. From the information you gathered
you must have the competence to share or communicate information. This is comparable to your skills in organizing
information and sharing it with an audience.

What is technology or digital literacy? It is the ability of an individual either working independently or with others, to
use technological tools responsibly, appropriately, and effectively. A technology literate person is skillful,
knowledgeable, and can engage in online activity. Skillful means being able to use digital tools. And to be
knowledgeable means knowing the basic principles in computing devices. The skills and knowledge about something is a
pair we cannot separate. For example, in order for you to accomplish your task you need to know how to edit videos
through your laptop. You became skilled in editing videos by observing your older brother using his digital tools. To be
engaged with technology means having the ability to act responsibly in online activities. With your skill in using the
laptop and other technological tools you will also be able to engaged in other online activities and makes sure to always
be a responsible digital citizen.

Those are the definitions of media literacy, information literacy and technology literacy. And the characteristics that a
media, information and technology literate person possess. Now, from 1-10 where 1 is the lowest score and 10 as the
highest how will you rate yourself as a media literate person, information literate person, and technology literate
person?

Now that you know what media, information, and technology literacy are. It’s time to dig deeper and discover the
similarities and differences between media literacy, information literacy, and technology literacy. First, let’s focus into
the similarities and differences between media literacy and technology literacy. Media and technology literacy are quite
similar. Both require visual literacy, knowledge building, cultural competence. But media literacy generally focuses
more on consumers being engage with media, uses forms of communication, and produces ways of communicating.
While technology literacy is about participation in digital media in an ethical way, it applies new found knowledge from
digital environments, and collaboration therein.

Now let’s talk about the next. The comparison between information literacy and technology literacy. Information and
technology literacy meet halfway in the ability to find and use information but they differ because information literacy
focuses analyzing, utilizing, organizing/managing, and gathering available information. While technology literacy is more
about one’s ability in using technological tools in a digital environment to communicate information.

Here’s now the comparison of media literacy and information literacy. Media and information literacy meet in
information management both have to do with our information engagement through different type of media and other
information providers in how we interpret and make informed decisions as media and information user. They are
different because media focuses on the media content and the effects of the media industry on society. While
information is more on library science or the competence to be effective and ethical during the circulation of the
information.

Why is it important that you become a media, information and technology literate individual?

Because with these literacies you’ll become more responsible and more careful.
  In consuming and producing media contents
 In collecting and sharing information
 In utilizing digital tools while participating in a digital environment

Wrapping up media and information literacy indeed aim to enable individuals to think critically about the media and
information we can zoom by engaging in a process of inquiry. The aim according to unesco’s definition about media and
information literacy is to allow individuals to become engaged citizens and responsible decision makers. As well as to
become skillful creators, producers of information and media messages in their own right. Thus MIL supports our
freedom of expression and our access to information. however, these rights must be exercise responsibly especially
today that there is a dramatic increase in access to information and communication online. We must become
responsible digital citizens.

That ends our discussion in MIL always remember think wisely, create smartly, and share information responsibly.