1st Media Literacy Week in Rhineland-Palatinate: 81 events over 7 days

More than 80 events throughout the state, with a current focus on all forms of online learning: Education Minister Stefanie Hubig, Birgit Pikowsky - Director of the State Pedagogical Institute - and Marc Jan Eumann, Director of the Media Authority RLP jointly launched the first 'Media Literacy Week Rhineland-Palatinate' on June 22. The WMK, with its more than 80 offerings between Altenkirchen and Zweibrücken, in daycare centers and senior citizens' clubs, already demonstrates how committed and creative the many actors in the state are in responding to the current challenges in digital communication and education.

1st Media Literacy Week in Rhineland-Palatinate: 81 events over 7 days
www.wmk-rlp.de/

The experience of the pandemic shows: The great need for digital media and the major challenges it poses can no longer be turned back. But the past few months are above all good evidence of how a crisis can be managed well with community spirit, commitment, forward thinking and creative responses from many stakeholders. This is also demonstrated by the surprisingly extensive program of more than 80 registered events for the Media Literacy Week, which will take place for the first time in Rhineland-Palatinate from June 22 to 28, 2020: After the initiators in the Ministry of Education, the State Pedagogical Institute and the Media Authority Rhineland-Palatinate had called for good practical experiences of digital education from the time of the strong contact restrictions to be included in the program of the Week of Media Competence at the beginning of June, there was an abundance of further program contributions in a short time.

Education Minister Dr. Stefanie Hubig: "Due to the Corona crisis, digitalization has experienced an enormous boost in recent months - the latest information in a live ticker from the net, home office with video tools and, last but not least, digital learning and teaching came strongly into focus. But unfortunately, exploding fake news and conspiracy theories spreading online made it abundantly clear once again against the backdrop of the crisis that media literacy is more important than ever. That's why I'm pleased that, despite Corona, the first Rhineland-Palatinate Media Literacy Week can start this year. I would like to thank everyone who prepared and accompanied it and who are now bringing the week to life with their numerous projects." 

The Week of Media Competence is aimed at learners and teachers of all ages, with many meaningful contributions and practical reports coming from the school sector. Dr. Birgit Pikowsky, Director of the Pädagogisches Landesinstitut: "After a phase in which almost exclusively distance learning was possible, we are now facing another challenge: to support schools in dovetailing face-to-face and distance learning well. A wide range of offers from the Pädagogisches Landesinstitut for the Media Literacy Week help to classify the experiences of the last few months and to exploit the potential of combining face-to-face and distance learning."

Dr. Marc Jan Eumann, Director of Medienanstalt RLP, also referred to the experiences of recent months: "We see ourselves strengthened in seeing media literacy as a cross-generational issue as well. Digital education is the basis for giving people of all ages good opportunities for digital participation. Many of the offerings of Media Literacy Week help maintain communication between generations in the 'new normal.'"

During the press conference on June 22, three multipliers were on hand to give examples of their experiences: Heike Schwarm, teacher at GS Idarbachtal in Idar-Oberstein and consultant for elementary schools, referred to her experience with distance learning specifically for language support using eBooks and PowerPoint videos. Andreas Wagner from Friedrich-Wilhelm-Gymnasium Trier gave a practical insight into his Moodle courses in music. Andreas Schmidt, who has been working as a digital ambassador in the Gau-Algesheim municipality since 2019, provided information about the activities of the digital ambassadors during the Corona period and during the WMK.

In March 2020, the three cooperation partners and initiators of the WMK, the Ministry of Education, the Pädagogisches Landesinstitut and the LMK Medienanstalt RLP, had called for events to be registered for the Media Literacy Week. From the beginning, partners such as the Rhineland-Palatinate Consumer Center, the State Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information, and SWR were involved. In the meantime, numerous open channels and media centers, media authority projects such as klicksafe and Ohrenspitzer, as well as medien.rlp, Stiftung Lesen (Reading Foundation), the Volkshochschulverband (Adult Education Association) and the Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz (Rhineland-Palatinate State Philharmonic Orchestra) have registered on the interactive map on the wmk-rlp.de website. Most of the week's program takes place online, but on-site events are also planned in compliance with the prescribed protective measures.

The complete program of the Media Literacy Week is available on the campaign website wmk-rlp.de in tabular form and in individual presentations.