Media Literacy
Media Literacy
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Ethics and Tips for Navigating the Online Space
Ethics and Tips for Navigating the Online Space
The digital space was once the "wild west," where people were anonymous, information was not vetted, and misinformation ran rampant. While anonymity has largely gone to the wayside with the advent of mobile phones and social media, the problem of determining fact from fiction and the ethics of an online space is bigger than ever. This page is a resource page of key concepts for students and educators to help parse fact from fiction when navigating online.
Digital Use in the Classroom
Digital Use in the Classroom
At Ren we have a simple set of expectations for acceptable use. We expect students and families to follow these guidelines, and use their best judgement. In the event that these are not followed, we address issues on a case by case basis.
Community:
Community:
The internet can be such a useful tool for collaboration but it can also be used as a weapon. It is the entire class' job to create a safe environment (not just the teachers). We have to commit to working together, treating each other with respect, and being open. Participating can make one feel vulnerable, but you and your peers have important things to share. The opportunity collaborate and share openly and honestly only exists if we all commit to creating a safe community in person and online.
Privacy (your own and others!):
Privacy (your own and others!):
Be mindful of what you share, especially when it is someone else's info that you know, but that is not yours to share. The internet keeps a written record and it can be a dangerous place to share private information because you cannot be sure who is accessing that information, nor how your opinions and knowledge may change in the future. No one is perfect, but try to be mindful.
Correct usage:
Correct usage:
While in the classroom, the internet should be used as a tool for learning. It can be a great resource to efficiently run with your creativity and to absorb critical information, but it should not be used as a distraction during class time.
Sources:
Sources:
It is critical to learn what is a reliable source and what is not. Carefully analyze the websites you look at. Cross reference and determine source bias. This is a skill that needs to be developed, so don't expect perfection; in our classroom we will practice vetting sources this fall.
A link to a lesson guide on teaching Digital Literacy. This kind of lesson is crucial to introduce before asking students to navigate an online space critically. We passively engage online all the time, but we can fall prey to complacency, "click bait" false equivalencies and other forms of propaganda easily unless we are made aware of the online landscape.
Key Vocabulary:
Key Vocabulary:
- fake news [feyk nooz] (noun)
False information or propaganda published as if it were authentic news
- social media [soh-shuh l mee-dee-uh] (noun)
Websites and other online means of communication that are used by large groups of people to share information and to develop social and professional contacts
- evaluation tool [ih-val-yoo-ey-shuh n tool] (noun)
A process or procedure to judge or assess the trustworthiness of something
- credibility [kred-uh-bil-i-tee] (noun)
The trustworthiness or reliability of something
- bias [bahy-uh s] (noun)
prejudice; consciously or subconsciously favoring one person or point of view more than others
- accuracy [ak-yer-uh-see] (noun)
The condition or quality of being true, correct or exact; freedom from error or defect
- reliability [ri-lahy-uh-bil-i-tee] (noun)
The ability to be relied on or depended on, as for accuracy, honesty or achievement
Sources: Dictionary.com, freethesaurus.com
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