GLOBALIZATION THROUGH MEDIA

Young people, schoolchildren spend a lot of time in front of the screen. They use technology for many purposes. A big part of this time is spent on social media. This began to raise a lot of conce...

Young people, schoolchildren spend a lot of time in front of the screen. They use technology for many purposes. A big part of this time is spent on social media. This began to raise a lot of concerns. Young people learn the principles of safety in various areas of life, but they have no chance to gain knowledge about safety in virtual spaces. One of the goals of the project was to teach children to think critically about content online, as not every country offers a curriculum that incorporates knowledge of online safety and source criticism. A further goal of the project was to strengthen students’ democratic values and understanding of the importance of freedom of the press. As the three participating countries face very different challenges in terms of freedom of the press and democratic processes, the project has given students the opportunity to reflect on these issues. This project allowed for students to exchange thoughts and experiences. Students collaborated in mixed-country teams, which developed their language skills and intercultural competencies. One of the project aims was for the students to develop their interpersonal communication skills in an international context.

In order to overcome shyness and get acquainted, we played games. These broke the distance and integrated the group. We had the pleasure to host a reporter from a professional television. Also, we watched a presentation about the role of the media in a democratic state. Students prepared presentations on the given topic, created radio broadcasts, TV-programs and recorded them. They created an action plan of the selected channel and implemented it. Students participated in workshops, i.e. the same truth, different points of view. Daily gymnastics, walks and games in the gym strengthened bonds and inspired students to break their own limitations. Sightseeing trips were an excellent form of learning about the culture and history of a given region. Students and teachers had the opportunity to meet the families of the host's students and spend time together. Thanks to the observation of photos published by the media, students could compare and critically observe materials that were published. We had the opportunity to participate in the lessons in each region. We observed some of the methods related to the teaching process. Students prepared surveys on given topics and discussed the results.

During the project, students worked in mixed-country groups creating different kinds of media segments reporting on news by TV-shows, podcasts, posters, presentations; and a newspaper front page. The students learnt to analyze and Students attended workshops about the role of media in different aspects. Students attended lessons and did workshops together with media specialist. Students created and posted content about the project in dissemination platforms such as social media channels on TikTok, Facebook, Youtube and Instagram. The E-newspaper was set up by students to write articles where they played different roles of people working on a newspaper. Students created fake news posters and guidelines on how to spot fake news, which were distributed throughout the three participating schools and other schools in the municipality. They also held presentations on media use, media education, and the history of social media. The students collected data through surveys which were discussed and presented. Participating partners put together a teacher’s guide to use in media training as an extracurricular activity. This guide can be used by anyone, including teachers not familiar with the project.