Abstract:

At a time when "fake news" has become a buzzword (Hanley & Munoriyarwa 2021; Eike 2020) and social media is shaping political discourse (Saaida 2023), media literacy is no longer just a desirable but an essential skill for everyone. For this reason, the German Standing Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK) believes that the development of comprehensive media literacy through media education is a task for society and that media education should therefore be included as a compulsory subject in schools (KMK 2012). As a central place for thinking about media at school, German literature and language classes make an essential contribution (KMK 2022). At the same time, these classes also influence children's political awareness, as the basic skills of reading, writing, critical thinking, and text analysis are essential for understanding and questioning political content (KMK 2012). But how can teachers prepare the next generation for a world where truth and fiction are increasingly difficult to distinguish online? The key lies in the increased integration of media literacy into teacher education programs. Media literacy trains educators in media literacy and sharpens critical thinking. It can also promote political awareness.

In a case study of prospective teachers of German, we found that 77% of the students had been exposed to media literacy in their studies but could not properly assess its importance. Nor could they make a connection between media literacy and political literacy. Accordingly, two-thirds of the students rated their own media literacy as satisfactory or worse (Tkotzyk, 2023). This is alarming. Based on the participants' statements, it is very likely that these students will promote neither media literacy nor political literacy in their future classrooms.

Based on the above mentioned case study, we developed a seminar for prospective teachers designed to practice the use of digital media (i.e. TikTok, ChatGPT) for classroom instruction, with an additional focus on promoting political awareness. By looking at some best practice examples from our seminar, this paper wants to spark a discussion about the indispensable role of media literacy in the classroom and beyond, where critical thinking and political clarity are more than just buzzwords, but the cornerstone of an informed and engaged citizenry.

Keywords:

Media Literacy, Teacher Preparation, Political Literacy, Media Competencies, 21st Century Skills.