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?

And how do we help teens navigate a world increasingly populated with AI content?

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 reader response 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.

It's the course to help you

  • recognize AI and deal with its increasing role in media
  • build critical thinking skills to note bias, intent, manipulation, and persuasion at work 

How does a reader response course work?

This course will follow a six-week schedule where students read and write on their own. The instructor comes in to provide thorough feedback on the final project. 

Students can expect:

  • Freedom to read, write, and post on their schedule (within the confines of the course dates).
  • Limited instructor response. Students move through material on their own until the final project. At that point, they'll receive detailed reader feedback from a trained writing coach.

We've scaffolded the learning so a student flies mostly solo, with that instructor support right when students need it—at the end!

Why Choose Reader Response?

These courses offer the same high-quality materials found in our 100% teacher-led courses, reimagined for the self-motivated student. Full of robust learning, each course guides your student along, step by step, to create writing that is meaningful to them. 

  • Executive Functioning Practice: A "low-stakes" way for teens to practice planning and managing a project independently—a vital skill for adulthood.
  • Total Flexibility: Our easy-to-use digital classroom is open 24/7 during the course dates. Your teen can choose to interact with other writers in the classroom or fly solo.
  • Meet Charter School and Other Standards: These courses offer a chance for a writing coach to provide feedback on the final project and note writing growth. Grades available upon request!

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:
$229 per student
Recommended Ages:

13-18

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

There are currently no upcoming sessions scheduled for this class.

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!
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