October 26 - October 30, 2026 · 5 days
Media Literacy and Critical Thinking: Strategies for the Classroom
A practical Erasmus+ training course that equips teachers to bring media literacy and critical thinking into the classroom - from deconstructing media messages to recognising disinformation - grounded in the methodology of Romania's Center for Independent Journalism.
- Teachers
- 5 days
- Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- English
Ask about this course Prefer email? office@activeyourope.ro
Erasmus+ Accredited Provider 2023-2027 
80 € / participant / day
Typically covered by your school's KA1 grant
5
courses in our catalogue
2023-27
Erasmus+ KA1 accreditation
6
EU projects delivered
Upcoming sessions
Join an open session with teachers from across Europe, or ask us about a tailor-made edition for your school.
What you will learn
Practical, classroom-ready skills you can apply the week you return.
- Understand what media literacy is
Define media literacy and explain how media shapes attitudes, emotions and behaviour.
- Analyse and deconstruct media messages
Use the core tools of media education to break down any media message, including misleading content.
- Evaluate credibility critically
Check for bias, distinguish fact from opinion and assess how reliable a source really is.
- Integrate media literacy into your teaching
Design media-literacy activities and weave them into your existing curriculum.
- Guide responsible media use
Help students become responsible, confident media consumers and creators.
- Grow through peer collaboration
Share strategies and learn with fellow teachers for ongoing professional development.
- Spot false and misleading information
Recognise the different forms of false and misleading information and help students counter them.
About this course
Digital education calls for adapted teaching techniques, sustained student attention and a different approach to assessment than the traditional classroom. This course equips teachers with the tools to guide students through a complex media landscape - with a clear focus on media literacy in the face of disinformation.
The aim is practical: to help teachers become confident in media literacy education, so their students grow into critical, informed consumers and creators of media.
Built on the E.P.I.C. project
This course draws on the practical experience Active Yourope gained delivering E.P.I.C. - Education for Correct Information (2024), a media-literacy programme that reached around 800 young people aged 14-19 in Dolj county, funded through the Efectiv Civic programme (developed by the Foundation for the Development of Civil Society with the Romanian-American Foundation). Its methodology is grounded in the curriculum of the Center for Independent Journalism (C.J.I.), one of Romania’s most experienced media-literacy institutions.
Methodology
The course is highly interactive, built on collaborative learning and critical engagement with real content. It mixes in-person sessions, hands-on workshops where teachers analyse media messages with media-education tools, case studies, role-play and multimedia resources to suit different learning styles. Assessment combines practical demonstration of skills, reflective writing and contributions to group discussion - so teachers leave with both the understanding and the classroom-ready skills to teach media literacy effectively.
Course modules
From foundations to a finished action plan for your classroom.
Module 1 Understanding Media Literacy
- What media literacy is and why it matters: media, mass media and media education
- The European Commission's framing - to access, understand, critically evaluate and create media
- Active versus passive media consumption, and how media shapes attitudes and behaviour
Module 2 Analytical Tools Mastery
- Deconstructing any media message with the five-element framework: author, audience, content, format and purpose
- The three types of information disorder: misinformation, disinformation and malinformation
- The common forms of false content: false context, fabricated, impostor, manipulated and misleading
Module 3 Guiding Students in Media Literacy
- Teaching media responsibility
- Encouraging critical consumption of media
- Supporting students as responsible media creators
Module 4 Developing Critical Thinking Skills
- Distinguishing facts from opinions, and weighing the factual basis and expertise behind a claim
- Understanding persuasion, advertising, propaganda and manipulation - including stereotypes and the anatomy of conspiracy theories
- Verifying information through vertical and lateral reading, fact-checking platforms and reverse-image tools
Module 5 Curriculum Integration
- Creating media-literacy lesson plans
- Integrating media literacy into existing curricula
- Engaging students with media-literacy activities
Module 6 Professional Collaboration and Development
- Effective media-literacy strategies
- Overcoming obstacles in media-literacy education
- Collaborative approaches and peer learning
A clear fee, fully transparent
One simple number - and for most schools, your Erasmus+ grant takes care of it.
80 € / participant / day
Includes the full training programme, materials, certificates and Europass support. No hidden costs.
Typically fully covered by your school's Erasmus+ KA1 grant
Course fee → covered by the course-fee budget line of your grant
Travel & stay → covered by distance-band travel and individual support allowances
How Erasmus+ funding works for your school → Bring this course to your whole team
We run tailor-made closed-group editions for staff teams - your school chooses the dates, the duration and the emphasis, and we build the programme around you.
Plan a closed-group courseFrequently asked questions
Quick answers before you write to us.
Who can apply and how is it funded?
Teachers, trainers, educators and school staff from Erasmus+ programme countries can attend through their organisation's Erasmus+ KA1 project or accreditation. The grant your school receives is designed to cover the course fee, travel and subsistence - for most participants there is no out-of-pocket cost.
What certification do I receive?
Every participant receives a certificate of participation from Active Yourope, and a Europass mobility certificate is granted if you request it.
What does the fee include?
The fee is 80 € per participant per day and covers the full training programme, materials and certificates. It does not cover accommodation or travel - those are covered by your grant's travel and individual support allowances.
Do I need prior media or journalism experience?
No. The course starts from the fundamentals and is designed for teachers of any subject - you do not need a background in media or journalism.
Ask about this course
Write to us and we reply within two working days.