Media Literacy Week events planned
Indiana University Columbus has planned a number of events to observe National Media Literacy Week (medialiteracyweek.us), available both in person and on zoom. Sessions from Oct. 23- 26 will cover current topics including generative AI, media representations of social movements, building critical thinkers through education, and health misinformation.
“It’s exciting to share so many events this year covering relevant, media literacy issues,” said Pamela Morris, Ph.D., event coordinator and IU Columbus associate professor of communication studies. “With so many sources of information in our current landscape, we all need to be savvy media consumers. Education is one of the best ways to counter media bias and misinformation.”
Middle- and high-school students and educators are encouraged to attend in person or online, as well as those in library science, the media, higher education, and anyone with an interest in media literacy or becoming a better media consumer.
Highlights include
- Oct. 23 at 4:30 p.m., Keynote: A Tale of “Two Media”: The Black Freedom Struggle Encoded Across Platforms with Lisa Lenoir , IU Bloomington and on Zoom
- Oct. 24 at noon , Building Critical Thinkers: Educators and Media Literacy, Columbus Learning Center Summerville Room and Zoom
- Oct. 24 at 6:30 p.m., Free Speech, Hate Speech and Conflict with Pamela Morris and Carole Nowicke, Bartholomew County Public Library Red Room and Zoom
- Oct. 25, 10 a.m. to noon, IU Columbus student tables on media literacy, Columbus Learning Center Main Street
- Oct. 26 at 1:30 p.m., Social Media Misinformation: Health, Wellness, and Questioning Your Sources, Columbus Learning Center Summerville Room and Zoom
For a complete listing of all Media Literacy Week events, zoom links and registration (where needed), visit go.iu.edu/4QLw.
Media Literacy Week is sponsored locally by Indiana University Columbus and nationally by the National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) with a mission to highlight the power of media literacy education and its essential role in education today.
Ivy Tech highlights tech programs
Ivy Tech Community College will host a special event spotlighting the academic programs in its School of Advanced Manufacturing, Engineering, and Applied Science from 3-6 p.m. Oct. 24 at the college’s Columbus and Franklin campuses.
At the event, prospective students can meet individually with experienced faculty and helpful staff to discuss:
- Career opportunities in high-demand fields such as robotics, agriculture, welding, engineering, and aviation.
- Earning Ivy Tech certifications and degrees and transferring to a 4-year university.
- Tuition rates, financial aid, and scholarship opportunities.
Individuals are encouraged to RSVP at link.ivytech.edu/octoberspotlight to ensure an opportunity to meet with faculty and staff. Campus addresses are 4475 Central Ave. in Columbus and 2205 McClain St. in Franklin.
Nominees sought for Folger Award
Nominations are now being accepted for the 2024 Edna V. Folger Outstanding Teacher Award.
This annual award is designed to raise awareness about the immeasurable influence educators have on their students, and to recognize the image of educators as important community role models. SIHO Insurance Services, the Community Education Coalition, and the IUPUC Center for Teaching and Learning sponsor the award.
Any full-time elementary or secondary school teacher or educator working in a public, private, or parochial school in Bartholomew County is eligible to receive the award. Classroom, special education, or specials teachers; certified educators; counselors; and administrators are all eligible.
Nomination instructions are available from the IUPUC Center for Teaching and Learning, the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. Administrative Offices, and in the main office of schools throughout Bartholomew County. Nomination forms may also be downloaded at iupuc.edu/ctl/folger-award. Any individual or group may nominate a classroom teacher or educator to receive this award. Nominations should include biographical information, reasons for nomination, letters of recommendation and support materials. The deadline for nominations is 4 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 19.. The award will be presented at the 2024 Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting.
SIHO Insurance Services, the IUPUC Center for Teaching and Learning, and the Community Education Coalition sponsor this award.
Purdue launches Broadband Team
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue University is taking a leading role to help ensure all Indiana families and businesses have access to affordable broadband internet service — which is crucial for success in the 21st century — while also helping to ensure data accuracy that will help the state of Indiana in deploying the $868 million in federal funding from the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program for high-speed internet improvements.
Purdue President Mung Chiang announced on Oct. 9 the launch of the Purdue Broadband Team, a collaborative effort between Purdue, the Indiana Broadband Office, and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs. Coordinated by Purdue’s Office of Engagement, the Purdue Broadband Team will include Purdue Extension, 4-H, the Purdue Center for Regional Development and the Purdue for Life Foundation.
“The lack of affordable high-speed broadband affects economic development and quality of life in various communities in our state,” Chiang said. “Continuing our long-standing tradition as Indiana’s land-grant institution, Purdue is honored to play a small and hopefully useful role as the state government plans the next-level broadband deployment.”
The Purdue Broadband Team is part of Chiang’s “ABCD” plan to better serve the state through four initiatives: Airport for the Greater Lafayette region, Broadband for rural counties, (hard-tech) Corridor for central Indiana, and Purdue@DC, which brings unique capabilities to our nation’s capital.
The Purdue Broadband Team focuses on raising awareness of available tools but does not have oversight on the speed test outcomes or challenges submitted. And while it is obviously not a service provider or infrastructure builder, it will work with communities in education about the ways to use broadband for businesses and families
The announcement was made as Chiang continued toward his goal to visit all 92 Indiana counties. During his tour, Chiang has seen firsthand and heard from residents, community leaders and business owners what impact insufficient broadband can have on a community. By visiting every region of the state, he says he hopes to send a message that Purdue is a resource for addressing challenges, including bridging the digital divide.
