Van Buren Elementary School educators Melissa Ruff, an innovation specialist, and Tiffany Redieske, a grade 2 teacher, have earned the PBS Media Literacy Educator Certification, recognizing PreK-12 educators who demonstrate an ability to help learners think critically about media consumption and creation.

With support from PBS Wisconsin Education, Ruff and Redieske were participants in the 2021-22 PBS Media Literacy Educator Cohort. This cohort included 22 educators who were selected from a statewide call for applications. Through monthly virtual workshops and asynchronous collaboration, the group worked on building skills and submitting evidence for eight micro-credentials related to media literacy, including critically evaluating online sources and media, creating an online code of conduct for students, and making media for classroom use.

“As educators and students worldwide continue to navigate new virtual learning environments, it is essential that we help our young people think critically about where they are getting their media, how that media was created, and what methods we can use to assess the accuracy and bias of that media,” said Jessie Nixon, education engagement specialist at PBS Wisconsin Education. “I am so proud of the Wisconsin educators who have made media literacy a priority in their teaching.”

The PBS Media Literacy Educator Certification by KQED received the 2019 Award of Excellence from Tech & Learning magazine and was a finalist in the 2020 EdTech Awards in the Badging & Credentialing category.

PBS Wisconsin Education is now accepting applications from Wisconsin PreK-12 educators for the 2022-23 PBS Media Literacy Cohort. To learn more, visit https://pbswisconsineducation.org/medialiteracy/about/.

PBS Wisconsin is a service of the Educational Communications Board and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

PBS Wisconsin is a place to grow through learning on WHA-TV, Madison; WPNE-TV, Green Bay; WHRM-TV, Wausau; WLEF-TV, Park Falls; WHLA-TV, La Crosse; and WHWC-TV, Menomonie-Eau Claire.

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