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"Our students are speeding along the information superhighway without a license. Before letting them loose, let’s at least make sure they’ve passed the drivers’ test." -Sam Wineburg, "Our Democracy is at Risk" (Civic Online Reasoning)
"Our students are speeding along the information superhighway without a license. Before letting them loose, let’s at least make sure they’ve passed the drivers’ test." -Sam Wineburg, "Our Democracy is at Risk" (Civic Online Reasoning)
The National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) defines media literacy as "the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, create, and act using all forms of communication," including "all electronic or digital means, and print or artistic visuals used to transmit messages." Facing History CEO Desmond K. Blackburn argues, "Media literacy needs to be understood as a fundamental life skill that impacts all other areas of academic study, not just a new standalone subject that can be conveyed to students through a single course. Rather, it’s a vital lens through which all subjects can and must be taught."
The National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) defines media literacy as "the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, create, and act using all forms of communication," including "all electronic or digital means, and print or artistic visuals used to transmit messages." Facing History CEO Desmond K. Blackburn argues, "Media literacy needs to be understood as a fundamental life skill that impacts all other areas of academic study, not just a new standalone subject that can be conveyed to students through a single course. Rather, it’s a vital lens through which all subjects can and must be taught."
Throughout the Teachers for Global Classrooms program, I've been introduced to many excellent resources and tools that have shaped my thinking and strengthened my toolkit for teaching digital media literacy skills. Below you will find some of those resources that I found most useful and impactful.
Throughout the Teachers for Global Classrooms program, I've been introduced to many excellent resources and tools that have shaped my thinking and strengthened my toolkit for teaching digital media literacy skills. Below you will find some of those resources that I found most useful and impactful.
What is the value of a teacher?
What is the value of a teacher?
In this TEDTalk, Alan November argues that while digital technologies can be powerful resources for making thinking visible, sharing work with an authentic audience, and thinking critically, we often aren't using it right. We overestimate students' critical thinking skills on the web, and often use new digital tools to do "old work."
I have to admit that, often pressed by time, I fall into the trap of overestimating my students’ online research skills. For me, this talk was an important reminder of just how imperative it is to make time for digital literacy lessons that can help students "build their own ecology of learning."
Getting Started with Civic Online Reasoning
Getting Started with Civic Online Reasoning
I found Civic Online Reasoning to be an especially helpful source in getting started, with resources on everything from click restraint to lateral reading and identifying the source of photos. There are 3 questions at the "heart" of the COR curriculum to get you started:
"Since information is always influenced by its author, analyzing who's behind the information should be a priority when evaluating online content. But too often, students attempt to evaluate information based on elements other than the source, such as the contents of a website, its appearance, or the evidence it supplies. In this lesson, students learn why the source of information is so important and practice analyzing information based on who's behind it."
"To avoid falling prey to digital rogues, we must hone our ability to evaluate the relevance and reliability of evidence. This lesson will help students develop skills for critically evaluating varied forms of evidence online."
"Claims and evidence flow rapidly and with relative freedom online. We aid in the spread of misinformation if we don’t ensure that a claim or evidence is accurate before we share it. Luckily, the Internet also allows us to check claims and evidence by consulting other sources. Although verifying claims and evidence takes time, it’s an important habit to develop to ensure that the information we read, use, and share is reliable and accurate."
Additional Resources for Assessing Source Information, Evidence, and Claims:
Additional Resources for Assessing Source Information, Evidence, and Claims:
5-Factors_poster.pdfIsItLegit_infographic.pdfHow-to-know-what-to-trust-DIGITAL_092320.pdfMisinformation_Nov2021.pdfAnalyzing Propaganda.pdf
I appreciate that the fact-checks are published by middle and high school students, and that they teach other students skills like lateral reading and reverse image searching to debunk viral misinformation that students are likely encountering through social media.
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