SUBJECT: Media and Information Literacy

SUBJECT CODE: SCMILIT

SUBJECT TEACHER:

LESSON 9:
MEDIA AND INFORMATION LITERATE INDIVIDUAL

OVERVIEW
The purpose of being a media and information literate is to engage in a digital society where one needs to
be able to use, understand, inquire, create, communicate and think critically. It is important to have the capacity
to effectively access, organize, evaluate, and create messages in a variety of forms.

OBJECTIVES
At the end of this lesson, YOU are expected to:
1. discuss the implication of media and information to an individual and the society.
2. identify and discuss the overall impact of media and information to an individual and society as a whole;
3. synthesize the overall implication of media and information to an individual and society as a whole;
and
4. present a debate on the said effects of technology on specific sectors.

DISCUSSION

1. Improved Quality of Life

There is no denying the extent of how the media and information age has drastically improved the lives
of people. Communication has been made easier. Information has become widely accessible. Conducting
research has become more convenient. All these and more are enjoyed by media literate individuals and
prove just how much the quality of life has improved thanks to media and information.

● People or the netizens can evaluate the information

● Raise awareness
● Prevents foolishness
● Business/ job opportunities
● Easy life
● Improved information literacy skills
● Enhance communication skills

2. Greater Political Participation

The media and the government have a long-standing relationship in the fields of public service. While the
government serves the people by leading the nation towards progress, the media serve them by informing
public about subjects they need or they want. Through the media reports of government activities and issues,
the publics are informed of the political affairs in the country and are further encouraged to take a more active
role in the government.

● Politically engaged
● Politically active
● Politically smart
● Politically concern
● Responsible citizen

3. Better Economic Opportunities

The media industry has grown in number on today’s information age both in content and in the
workforce. The open content contribution nature of the new media has made it possible for ordinary individuals
to offer their materials for consumption often for free, free but has gained popularity, and advertisers will offer
to buy digital ad space on a web page.

Even Youtube, a free video host, pays video contributors if their videos get enough views or of their
channels have a high subscriber rate. Paid content, on the other hand, creates direct revenue. Free or not,
media and information give contributors platform for earning additional income.
It is true that the influx of media offerings has led to the creation of more jobs in the media. The
convergence of various media platforms has created hybrid mediums that require experts to run. New jobs
like social media managers or multimedia specialists have been created because of this growth. Even IT
based jobs which were once rarities in the media are now a necessity. As media and information grow, so
does jobs that require media and information literate individuals, and when jobs grow, so does the economy.
Employment or the lack thereof still persists as an economic problem in most developing countries like the
Philippines. The media industry in the age of information plays a vital catalyst role to address that.

● Economically aware
● Knowledgeable
● Great change of employment
● Great change of self-employment
● Have a nice choice of business
● Advertisements

4. Improved Learning Environment

Many believe that media and information have made learning easy, accessible, and inexpensive. With
these are true, the improvement in the learning environment brought by media and information goes beyond
convenience, availability, and cost.
Learning in schools meant understanding –or at least attempting to- subjects for the sake of passing
and getting good grades. One’s education is given importance because it is pre-requisite to a good job which
is then equated to a good life. Traditional learning environments have caused people in general to lose appetite
for knowledge. Luckily, media and information have cleansed society’s palate and have reinvented learning
as a whole.

Media does not force feed information to unwilling receivers, instead, media has made information sought
after. The media also made learning a choice instead of a necessary evil. After all, no one is commanded
“google” a topic or enroll in a certain online course, people who do to choose to do it. Since the media is
source information and information age is characterized by the abundance of data, media and information
have been closely linked to the improvement of the learning environment in the present age. A media and
information literate individual take advantage of this further his or her lifelong learning process.

● Easy way of learning

● Technologically smart
● Broader knowledge
● Technology literate
● Increase educational interest
● Fun learning

5. More Cohesive Social Units

The concept of unit cohesion stems from a military concept
of bond soldiers have that makes them more effective in working together to complete a mission. Media and
information literate individuals are said to be more cohesive social units than those who are not.

By keeping them informed, as well as connecting them in ways that weren’t possible before, media
and information literates become more cohesive social units. This creates a bond that does not only have
relational implications but also creates social impacts.

The media is said to have the power to affect social change. While this is true, it is not the media that
does the heavy lifting to create change in society, it is the individuals in the society who developed a clamoring
need for change because of media. The media may play a hand towards a holistic development of the society,
but without media and information literate individuals sharing the same goal, development would not occur.

● Socially active
● Easy communicating process
● Be able to identify different groups of people in a society
● Socially aware
● Raise of respect for cultural and linguistic diversity
● Discover and explore beautiful places
● Interest
● Job purposes

REFERENCES
 ● Liquiwan, B. C. (2016). DIWA Senior High School Series: Media and Information Literacy Module.
Makati: DIWAS LEARNING SYSTEM, INC.
● Commission on Higher Education. (2016). Teaching Guide for Senior High School: Media and
Information Literacy. C.P. Garcia Ave., Diliman, Quezon City. Pages 97-104.

PERFORMANCE TASK: GROUP DEBATE

DIRECTIONS: The teacher will facilitate the debate among the students. The mechanics of the debate must
be followed, and that you will be given ample time to prepare for the discussion.
Before the Debate
1. The topic of the debate will be: “Is Technology Making Us Smarter or Dumber?”
2. The class will be divided into two (2) groups (Group 1 & 3 and Group 2 & 4 will combine). Group A
(1 & 3) has the affirmative role (defends “pros” of the topic) and Group B (2 & 4) has the negative
role (defends “cons” of the topic).
3. Each team must prepare and do advance research regarding the topics they are assigned to. The
teams are no longer allowed to do additional research while the debate is on-going.
4. Before each debate the team will choose one speaker who will present his/her ideas and opinions
of the topic. The speakers should change for each debate (pros/cons).

During the Debate: Each speech will be 1 minute long.

1. Speech 1: The first affirmative speaker introduces the topic and states the affirmative team's
first argument.
2. Speech 2: The first negative speaker states their first argument.
3. Speech 3: The second affirmative speaker states their second argument.
4. Speech 4: The second negative speaker states their second argument.
5. Speech 5: The negative team states two rebuttals for the affirmative team's two arguments and
summarizes their own two reasons.
6. Speech 6: The affirmative team states two rebuttals for the negative team's two arguments and
summarizes their own two reasons.
7. Speech 7: The negative team states two rebuttals for the affirmative team's two arguments and
summarizes their own two reasons.
8. Speech 8: The affirmative team states two rebuttals for the negative team's two arguments and
summarizes their own two reasons.
9. Speech 9: The negative team states their closing arguments
10. Speech 10: The affirmative team states their closing arguments.

Disqualification is for:
● not speaking to the topic,
● interrupting the debate by not asking questions or not answering them,
● breaking the ethical code of the debate (using offensive language and colloquial slang).