Cable's Leaders in Learning: In Their Own Words

Interview with Sue Lockwood Summers. [MP3, 9 MB]

Through her involvement with the non profit organization PRIIME TIIME TODAY (PTT: Parents Responsibly Involved In Media Excellence and Teens Involved In Media Excellence), Sue Lockwood Summers has been a leader in increasing media literacy for students throughout Colorado. Her work with PTT and Turner Educational Services (now Turner Learning), has helped spread the media literacy message beyond the borders of Colorado to students and parents around the country. Summers has developed and taught graduate-level media literacy courses for teachers as well. In addition, she has authored three books and numerous articles, all designed to help adults raise media-savvy kids. She annually develops a curriculum for teachers to educate youth on how to analyze and evaluate what they see, hear, and read in the media and how to apply critical thinking skills to make appropriate choices in their lives. By working closely with organizations such as the Denver Post and the Colorado Trust, PTT has successfully formed alliances to spread the word about media literacy. PTT has sponsored media literacy contests and created original interactive materials for community use, including student-created public service announcements. As a result of PTT's work, Colorado teachers have become more familiar with media literacy and have learned how to merge relevant topics into their curricula.