Our teens are swimming in a digital ocean 24/7. Between deepfakes that look eerily real and "news" stories written by conspiracy theorists, the digital world can feel like a minefield.

How do we help students tell the difference between a credible source and a clever hoax?

The answer isn’t a list of "internet rules" that will be obsolete by next Tuesday. It’s Media Literacy.

Class Overview

Made With You in Mind

Media literacy includes the ability to analyze, evaluate, and create media in various forms. In this self-paced, independent-study course, we build the critical thinking muscles that help teens realize that every piece of media has a creator, a bias, and a purpose. With that knowledge, they are prepared to resist the lure of persuasive content as they become mindful consumers.

We Focus on Making, Not Just Watching

Technology changes faster than we can write a syllabus. Instead of teaching your teen how to spot a "fake video" (which will look 100% real by next year anyway), we focus on foundational critical thinking skills.

The "secret sauce" of this class? We turn your teens into creators. By building their own Public Service Announcement (PSA), they get a behind-the-curtain look at how media is made, and manipulated. When you know how to use imagery, sound, and editing to influence an audience, you become much harder to influence yourself!

This class is the ultimate "safety gear" for the internet. We help your teens move from passive scrolling to active investigation, giving them the tools to navigate misinformation with confidence.

How does a self-paced, independent-study course work?

Upon purchase, you receive access to six modules in our private classroom for multiple semesters. While the course is designed to last six weeks, your student can jump in when they are ready, be it next week or in two months, and work through the course at their own pace. 

While our teachers are phenomenal, the class readings and assignments do the teaching in this course! The self-motivated student can move through the material at a pace that feels right for them. (This offers a wonderful opportunity for your teen to develop their executive functioning skills, too!) 

Help your teen navigate the noise as they build the critical thinking skills they need for high school and beyond in this self-paced, independent-study course. 

What about feedback?

Adults at home are welcome to give weekly feedback on writing assignments, but the writing growth happens as a result of writing one's way through the material rather than receiving ongoing comments from a reader. We give a detailed checklist for the end-of-course project that will help students and their at-home editors get ideas for useful feedback and changes to make.

Week by Week

Week One

We start with important questions: What is media, and who makes the media you consume? Students dig beneath the surface of content to uncover the perspectives of creators.

Week Two

As consumers, we are far from neutral vessels receiving information presented to us. This week, students notice default thought patterns we consumers bring to the "reading" and bring that thinking to the surface. 

Week Three

The modern scholar needs an ability to read information from an array of inputs: visual, audio, textual, and more. We'll explore the various types of literacy and why skill-building beyond comprehension of text matters. 

Week Four

Students embody the role of media creator as they begin structuring their own public service announcement. We'll dive into topic selection and help them research that topic using credible sources.

Week Five

With research in hand, students will craft the storyboard and script for their public service announcement. It's not enough to expose the problem and call for change; they'll need a compelling story conveyed using text, sound, and imagery. 

Week Six

This is the week to produce the digital composition and consider ways students can share it with an audience. 

Registration Details

Join Us!

Tuition:
$149 per student
Recommended Ages:

13-18

Class Length:
6 weeks
Class Type:
  • Student Interaction Course

Select from the available class dates below to register for that session:

–
Independent Study   Register

More Information

Sample class login

Want to see how our classroom works? Test drive a sample class complete with real class readings, assignments, and instructor comments!

Follow these instructions:

  1. Navigate to class.bravewriter.com. If you are a current student, you’ll need to log out in the upper right corner before proceeding.
  2. Log in using these credentials:
    Username: [email protected]
    Password: Brave1
  3. Next, you will land on our Family Dashboard. You'll find a Parent icon and a Student icon to represent classes where the parent or the student is the primary participant. Click on Parent to view parent participation classes. To find classes with direct student-instructor interaction, click on Student.
  4. Click on the class name of interest and start reading posts!
How Our Classes Work Download a class summary
Other options in Ages 13-18
Other options in College Prep
Other options in Independent Study
Other options in Media Study