Media skills - taught in practice

It's a ritual familiar to generations of schoolchildren: the class photo. But unlike in the past, parents' consent is now required. This is usually requested using a brief form. The signature is quickly given or refused, depending on the parents' personal preference. Most schools, communes and cantons that exercise supervision also generally advise extreme restraint when it comes to images of pupils on websites, for example. The legal ice is thin and the problem should not be underestimated.

Images of children on the internet are sensitive, no question about it. But to deal with this issue with a simple form and avoid the possible consequences is a missed opportunity. After all, many schools have numerous projects that could also be used for media education.

Parents would like to take part in interesting project weeks or excursions not only physically on site, but also digitally.

Project weeks, excursions and interesting experiments characterise the everyday lives of teachers and students. Parents would like to participate in these not only physically on site, but also digitally through images and video material. However, this is almost impossible with restrictive and one-dimensional regulations. It would therefore be more effective if the topic of communication and media skills wereintegrated into such a project from the outset.

Applying media skills in the classroom

Let's imagine this: A class has a work assignment, for example repairing a hiking trail. This assignment is accompanied by a blog or a specially created website. It is discussed during the preparation phase:

• What such content must look like in order to be legally compliant.
• How to take exciting photos of people without faces being recognisable.
• Which photos are acceptable for the people depicted and which expose them to ridicule.
• In which cases you need authorisation for publication and from whom.
• Who takes on this work and how to deal with rejection.
• How long a website is online, when it is deleted and what happens to the images afterwards.

This suddenly turns a tired form into an exciting, practical and educational lesson. The children think concretely about what happens if they themselves are depicted in an embarrassing situation. Or what their right to their own image looks like. A project in which normally only a shovel and pickaxe are wielded also serves to provide further training in media skills. And in the best case scenario, the school even benefits from a positive PR effect.