25 Sep AMeLiE – Advanced Media Literacy Education to Counter Online Hate-Speech
25 Sep, 2020
Facebook: @AMeLiE.EU
Instagram: @amelieprojecteu
AMeLiE addresses the issue of online hate speech, a topic that is increasingly discussed in public debate. The aim of the project is to train teachers and representatives of school communities (school managers, digital facilitators, but also parents) on the specific methodology of addressing online hate speech in the classroom. The methodology goes a step further in the direction of “digital citizenship”, in line with the next Digital Education Action Plan and the Digital Decade, going beyond basic computer skills and focusing on advanced media literacy skills for those in educational roles.
The project offers an innovative approach and provides tools involving the whole educational community, in order to reach not only teachers, but also families, who need to be involved in the process of awareness of these issues and then transmit to “digital natives” that the Internet is not a reality separated from the world (Bookmarks: A manual for combating hate speech online through human rights education, Council of Europe).
The project is based on three Intellectual Outputs:
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- a blended training course for teachers including ca. 40 worksheets available upon registration on the Online Platform;
- a Virtual Network of schools hosted on the online platform which currently has 240+ members (teachers, trainers) and is growing every day. The Virtual Network was initiated through Coaching Circles with selected teachers and the activities culminated with the competition for School awareness-raising campaigns “Kind Speech Day” available under “School campaigns” on the online platform.
- Policy Recommendations for policy makers and educational institutions (expected date: December 2022).
Completed activities
AMeLiE is structured on a three-level training (partner trainers -> initial teachers and representatives of the schools involved -> more teachers involved through a peer-learning path). In particular:
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- in November 2021, 12 trainers with different backgrounds, but above all experts in media literacy of the partner organisations were trained on the specific methodology of AMeLiE and on innovative techniques for training and teaching;
- in the second phase, a core group of 25 teachers from the associated partners schools tested the methodology and used the worksheets in their classroom;
- in the third phase, teachers invited their colleagues or people from the school community, thus reaching more than 240 people who are now part of the “Virtual Network” of schools against online hate-speech and can use the worksheets.
- Kind speech day competition – interested schools organised Kind speech day communication campaigns, which are now being evaluated by an international July and will be awarded at an award ceremony in Prague on 29th September 2022.
- International workshop in Prague on 28-29th September 2022.
- Policy recommendations gathering the experience from piloting the AMeLiE methodology in pilot countries and drawing conclusions for improving policy and practice on addressing online hate speech and improving media literacy.
In addition to the partner countries (Italy, Greece, Romania and Germany), ALL DIGITAL, through its pan-European network of digital competence centres, has directly involved trainers and teachers from Serbia and Bulgaria, thus, reaching two more countries beyond the project.
The project, offering innovative pedagogical tools and approaches, intervenes at transnational level in the professional development of teachers, creating the conditions for promoting correct, aware and responsible behaviour in the virtual world. Because “Virtual is real” (from the Manifesto of Parole Ostili).
PARTNERS
- European Grants International Academy (EGInA), Italy – Coordinator
- ALL DIGITAL, Belgium
- Fundatia EOS – Educating for an Open Society, Romania
- Hellenic Open University (HOU), Greece
- Stiftung Digitale Chancen (SDG), Germany
- Parole Ostili, Italy
