In Portugal, a Media and Information Literacy Training for Future Teachers
11 March 2025
How do media consumption, visual literacy, misinformation and hate speech influence our present and shape our vision? How can teachers help their students to deal with a more and more complex media landscape? The 4Change team, Portuguese partner of the GET project and facilitator of the Media and Information Literacy (MIL) training, asked these and other questions to the participants.
In over two hours they shared ideas, concerns, and reflections on the importance of developing critical thinking skills in children and young people with 40 students from IPVC’s Initial Teacher Training program.
With this short training on Media literacy, we wanted to bring a few key ideas for future teachers to pass on to their students: the first idea is that the media are a construction; they are not the reality – each piece of information is built by someone’s perspective and with an agenda or an intention behind.
Sandra Oliveira
MIL training session’s objectives
The training session, realized within the Get project, promoted:
The critical use of media, enabling participants to analyze complex realities, distinguish fact from opinion, and make informed decisions.
The creative use of media to foster citizenship, well-being, and inclusion in digital society.
Protection against disinformation, hate speech, and privacy violations, as well as ensuring quality information and freedom of expression—both fundamental to democratic societies, as highlighted by UNESCO.
Participants’ reactions
Most students emphasized the importance of addressing these issues and appreciated the participatory, practical approach used in the session. The 4Change team applies non-formal education methods, using key issues and practical exercises to create a dynamic and engaging learning experience. This approach shapes a true Education for Global Citizenship.
When we understand that the media is always conveying an idea transmitted by someone, we can then easily explain what a stereotype is and why hate speech is easily amplified by the media. This also explains disinformation and ‘fake news’, as well as most of the security and privacy issues.
Alexandra Dias da Silva
Initiatives on Global Citizenship Education and MIL
In collaboration with IPVC’s Escola Superior de Educação, an associated partner of the GET project, the GET Portugal team is working with students to explore global citizenship education. The MIL training is an integral part of this initiative, with materials being tested and implemented in various educational settings. Training sessions will continue in both initial and continuing education courses, not only at ESE-IPVC but also in other training programs across Portugal’s region.
The project is co-funded by DEAR (Development Education and Awareness Raising) Programme of the European Commission. This website was created and maintained with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the project partners and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
