Media Detective
In-person Teacher Training
iRT offers an interactive, multimedia, in-person teacher training for the Media Detective Program.
Topics include
Introduction to the research on the effectiveness of media literacy training for the purpose of substance abuse prevention
The theoretical model underlying the program
A guided discussion of the purpose, objectives, alignment of activities within the theory and objectives, and implementation strategies of each lesson.
Guided discussion of the material
Modeling of and interactive participation in many of the lesson activities
Multiple opportunities for deconstructing advertisements and media messages
“The most important thing I learned was that just because it looks good does not mean it is good.”
It is important to note that the results of any research-based trial are achieved through teachers being faithful to the program. This means that teachers complete the training and also teach all ten lessons, over a period of approximately ten days. Fidelity to the program relates directly to the achievement of the intended goals of the program. It is highly recommended that all teachers who intend to teach Media Detective to children in their classes complete the training.
The Media Detective Teacher Training is an in-person workshop that was evaluated in a randomized controlled trial. The study of the effectiveness of the teacher training was written by Drs. Scull and Kupersmidt, and found that participating teachers:
Reported stronger beliefs in the importance of providing media literacy education to students
Reported more familiarity with media literacy education than teachers who did not receive the training
Improved their critical thinking skills related to media literacy
The results of the study were published in the Journal of Media Literacy Education.
Please contact the iRT Training Department if you are interested in learning more about using the Media Detective program or scheduling a Training Workshop for your school or school system. For more information, visit irtprevention.com.
