Digital Citizens Unite! A Panel on Navigating the Age of NEW Media
Wednesday October 25, 6-7 pm PST
Location: Renton Highlands Library 2801 NE 10th St, Renton, WA 98056
**Online attendance available. Register at: https://form.jotform.com/232786178725166
Join us for an engaging panel discussion on what it means to thrive as a digital citizen in the age of confusing and unreliable information environments. Gain insights, ask questions, and leave empowered to take charge of your digital presence and make more informed choices.
This event is cohosted by Action for Media Education, the King County Library System, and the University of Washington's Center for an Informed Public. Check out the KCLS reading list on Media Literacy, which has books you can borrow from the public library.
Maliha Masood
Author, and teacher
Open Window School
Maliha Masood is a Pakistani born writer and educator. She is the author of two books, Zaatar Days, Henna Nights and Dizzy in Karachi, based on her travels in the Middle East and South Asia. Maliha has ten years of experience as a research analyst in the IT sector at Microsoft and tech startups. She studied Public Policy as a grad student at Harvard University and earned a Master’s degree in Law and Diplomacy from Tufts University in Boston. Maliha has taught World History at Ingraham High School and Political Science at Bellevue College and is currently a summer enrichment instructor at Open Window School where she teaches Debate and Literature. Her work has been featured on PBS, NPR and the Wing Luke Museum.
Mert Can Bayar, Ph.D. (He/Him) 
Postdoctoral Scholar, Center for an Informed Public
University of Washington (http://mertbayar.com/)
Dr. Bayar recently joined the Center for an Informed Public from Binghamton University’s Political Science Department. He studies public opinion and democracy, focusing on conspiracy theories and evolving attitudes on democracy and autocracy. Bayar’s research sits in an interdisciplinary space between political psychology and comparative political behavior with an emphasis on the politics of conspiracy theories and the competing understandings of democratic citizenship. Bayar will be focusing primarily on the CIP’s rapid-response research in the elections space.
Sarah Nguyễn, MLIS (She/They)
Ph.D. Candidate, Information School
University of Washington (https://shorturl.at/fqzRZ)
Sarah Nguyễn is a doctoral candidate at the University of Washington's Information School, where they also received a Master's in Library and Information Science. She investigates critical information infrastructures, information disorder, and collective memory among immigrant diaspora and multilingual communities.
Christie Fierro
Director, Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning
Renton Technical College
Christie Fierro is the Director of the Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning at Renton Technical College and the Washington ELearning Council AI Taskforce Lead. With over fifteen years in adult learning and a focus on equity and inclusion, she is a recognized expert in educational technology. Her leadership in Open Educational Resources has notably helped students across Washington save over $11 million in textbook expenses. She holds a Masters in Communication and Organizational Leadership and a Post-Masters Certificate in Instructional Design. Among her accolades are the Online Learning Consortium's Best in Strand Award, the President’s Volunteer Service Award by Barack Obama, and the Tahoma Award from Tacoma Community College’s President. Christie is excited to discuss the transformative potential of generative AI in education at this event.
Michael Danielson
Chair of Action for Media Education and teacher
Seattle Preparatory School
Michael Danielson has taught at Seattle Prep for 22 years. He has taught Media Literacy and Digital Citizenship for decades, but most recently in a semester course for 9th graders. He is also the EdTech director helping to train teachers and students in the best use of technology. Michael has written for the Center for Media Literacy and is the current chair of Action for Media Education.
Why is Media Literacy Important?
In today's world, we are inundated with media messaging more than ever before. A 2022 study by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that average screen time among teens outside of school had more than doubled during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to pre-pandemic numbers, now at 7.7 hours a day compared to 3.8 hours a day pre-pandemic. Take a second to reflect on how your use of media has changed in recent years. How are different forms of new media, especially social media, affecting children and adults? Given the rise of online misinformation and fake news, skyrocketing anxiety, depression and body dysmorphia related to social media, and increasing political tensions and divisions, what are the strategies, tools, and habits we need to cultivate in order to thrive in this new media landscape?
This resource guide is meant to provide resources from experts on these important questions. Here you will find information on Media Literacy, Fake News, Resources for Educators, Resources for Parents, and Digital Citizenship.
Source: National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE)
IGen: Why Today's Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy—and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood by 
Why We're Polarized by 
How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by 
Alone Together: Why We Expect More From Technology and Less From Each Other by 
Antisocial Media: How Facebook Disconnects Us and Undermines Democracy by 
The Filter Bubble: What the Internet Is Hiding from You by 
How the Internet Happened: From Netscape to the iPhone by 