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Digital LiteracyGood Teaching

Five News Literacy Resources for Back-to-School

by Erin Olson
written by Erin Olson

As a new wave of students enters the classroom, educators have an exciting opportunity. This year, equip students with lifelong critical thinking skills by incorporating news literacy into your lesson plans.

In today’s media landscape, marked by rapidly advancing artificial intelligence technology and emotion-inducing current events, the ability to verify information and analyze sources is more important than ever. News-literate students think for themselves, assess the quality of information they are consuming and are prepared to actively participate in civic life. They can distinguish between news and opinion, original social media accounts and branded content, and genuine video and AI-generated deepfakes.

The News Literacy Project is here to streamline the process of building news literacy into your curriculum, lessons and activities. NLP’s free resources, from virtual lessons to newsletters to infographics, will deepen students’ knowledge of how to think (not what to think). This back-to-school season, save time and energy by starting with these key tools.

1. Subscribe to The Sift®. 

The Sift is a free weekly newsletter for educators delivered during the school year that offers a rundown of the latest topics in news literacy, including trends and issues in misinformation, social media, artificial intelligence, journalism, and press freedom. It provides discussion prompts, teaching ideas, and classroom guides.

2. Assign “Introduction to Algorithms.”

Be one of the first to explore a newly revamped lesson on NLP’s free e-learning platform, the Checkology® virtual classroom. “Introduction to Algorithms,” hosted by journalist Mia Sato and a pesky character called “Algo,” will help students understand the role of algorithms in their lives and boost their news literacy training with key information about how search engines and social media platforms work. This award-winning platform also offers 19 additional lessons, and dozens of activities and challenges, that address topics like misinformation, conspiratorial thinking, and press freedom. Most lessons and activities require between 15 and 60 minutes.

Click here to learn more about Checkology.

3. Download the “Breaking news checklist.” 

The “Breaking news checklist” gives six straightforward tips for navigating fast-moving news stories. When big news breaks, it can be hard to cut through the noise and find accurate information. Misinformation thrives during times of war, natural disasters and upheaval, and bad actors often spread falsehoods for cheap engagement on social media. Display and discuss this infographic in your classroom to help students process the latest current events and avoid rumors, falsehoods, and bad actors.

4. Download “6 things to know about AI.”

“6 things to know about AI” provides an overview of how artificial intelligence technology works and offers six news literacy takeaways to keep in mind as these tools evolve. Although the technology is not new, dramatic advances in generative AI continue to transform our information landscape. This infographic will help students carefully consider what they accept as authentic. Hang or distribute the infographic to guide a discussion about AI with students.

5. Bookmark the Educator Resource Library.

An essential for any news literacy educator, NLP’s resource library includes lesson plans, classroom activities, quizzes and infographics to make the job easier. You’ll find frameworks for news literacy curricula, video interviews with journalists and podcast listening guides to seamlessly build critical thinking skills into any unit.

Want More News Literacy Resources?

One more thing… Want to download all of these must-have news literacy resources and more in a convenient check list? Check out the Back-to-School Guide, which groups NLP’s most timely tools for educators to build a foundation for future-ready students.

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ELAREnglish Language ArtsReading

Five Ways Educators Can Leverage Virtual Author Talks to Boost Literacy This School Year

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

Did you know that only 43% of children aged 8-18 enjoy reading? That number is down from 58% in 2016 (source). What’s more, both American 9- and 13-year-olds who read for fun on a daily basis has dropped to the lowest level since the mid-1980s (source). The good news is that virtual author talks offer a way to spark students’ interest in reading. Let’s explore a possible resource that can enhance literacy in classrooms. At the end of this blog, I’ll also remind you about AI narrated audiobooks that are currently available. What’s more, this blog will introduce you to a free-for-US-schools tool for human-narrated audio books.

Here are five ways educators can harness virtual author talks to enhance literacy in their classrooms this school year.

1. Integrate Author Talks into Your Curriculum

“How can educators effectively integrate author talks into their curriculum to maximize the benefits for their students?” you might ask. One way is to use services like BookBreak.org.

BookBreak is a platform created and developed by the industry-leading Library Speakers Consortium, which has many years of experience working with authors and publishers in delivering amazing online programs. It makes it easy to bring authors into the classroom and that can boost student engagement with literature:

Screenshot by author of The Library District, Las Vegas-Clark County
Screenshot by author of The Library District, Las Vegas-Clark County

“BookBreak brings 2-4 bestselling elementary and middle school authors to schools each month via live stream. Events are geared toward specific grade cohorts such as K-2nd, 3rd-5th and 6th-8th. Each grade level has the opportunity to hear from an age-appropriate author at least once per month throughout the school year. Recordings of the talks are also available on our platform. The live events are 10-15 minutes long for elementary school and 15 to 25 minutes long for middle school.”

Here are three ways to blend this software into your classwork:

  • Schedule author talks to coincide with relevant units in your language arts curriculum.
  • Use the author’s books as part of your reading assignments before the virtual visit.
  • Develop writing prompts inspired by the author’s work or writing style.

For example, a 5th-grade teacher at Edgewood ISD incorporated a virtual talk with a historical fiction author into their American Revolution unit. Students read one of the author’s books set in that era, then had the chance to ask the author about their research process and character development.

2. Foster A Range of Perspectives Through Author Selection

“By featuring authors from diverse backgrounds, we can ensure that students see themselves in the stories they read. This can foster a deeper connection and understanding of literary works.” Virtual platforms like BookBreak prioritize a wide range of voices and experiences:

  • Choose authors from various cultural backgrounds to reflect your student population.
  • Balance male and female authors throughout the year.
  • Include authors who write about diverse topics and themes.

A middle school English teacher at Edgewood ISD reported increased engagement from her students. This happened when they had the opportunity to interact with authors who shared their cultural backgrounds. “Seeing themselves represented in successful authors really motivated my students to pursue their own writing,” she noted.

Screenshot by author of Scholastic's Storyvoice website
Screenshot by author of Scholastic’s Storyvoice website

3. Use Pre- and Post-Talk Activities to Deepen Learning

Maximize the impact of virtual author talks by framing them with thoughtful activities:

  • Before the talk: Have students research the author and prepare questions. They can read excerpts or summaries of the book as well as other works to gain deeper insight. Character analysis can also be an important component.
  • During the talk: Guide students in taking notes on the author’s insights and advice. Handwritten notes, concept maps, graphic organizers can scaffold student thinking.
  • After the talk: Facilitate a class discussion about what they learned and how it applies to their own reading and writing.

Example: An elementary school librarian at Edgewood ISD created a “Meet the Author” bulletin board where students posted their favorite quotes and lessons from each virtual talk, creating a visual reminder of their literary connections.

Consider giving students a reverse outline or advance organizer that they can add to throughout the virtual talk. Some other ideas include:

  1. Read aloud, then get feedback from others (Repeated Reading)
  2. Discuss with others (Classroom Discussion, Reciprocal Teaching, Jigsaw Method)
  3. Clarify vocabulary and meaning (Vocabulary Programs)
  4. Jot down important ideas and information (Outlining, Summarization, Concept Mapping)
  5. Annotate your text, write in the margins (Underlining and Highlighting)
  6. Interrogate text (ask questions and make a quiz for Retrieval Practice)
Screenshot by author of Jefferson County Library District website
Screenshot by author of Jefferson County Library District website

4. Leverage Recording Features for Flexible Learning

“We’ve found that the recorded author talks on platforms…are just as valuable as the live events. They allow our teachers to revisit the content with their students, pause and rewind when needed, and even share with students who may have missed the live event. It’s been a game-changer for our district’s literacy initiatives,” says Brad CLoud, Director of Instructional Technology, Edgewood ISD. Virtual author talk platforms often offer recordings of their sessions. This makes it possible to do the following:

  • Use recorded talks as part of lesson plans.
  • Assign specific talks for independent work. This gives students time to engage with the content at their own pace.
  • Create a tailored list of author talks students can listen to for inspiration and research.

“Being able to view the author visits after the fact is crucial, as ALL teachers are busy and can’t always catch a visit in real time,” one user mentioned.

5. Extend the Impact Beyond the Classroom

One big benefit of virtual author talks? They facilitate collaboration between teachers and campuses. Consider these points:

  • Foster collaboration with other teachers to create cross-curricular projects.
  • Share highlights from the talks in school publications that engage parents with their children as they read.
  • Create displays featuring books by visiting virtual authors.

Some libraries may find that virtual book talks enhance their role as a collaborative learning space. These often enable them to set up author-themed reading corners. Those have the potential to become popular spots for students.

Leverage Virtual Author Talks to Boost Literacy

Use virtual author talks to enhance student literacy, engage interest, and encourage young readers. You may end up changing the reading statistics for the next generation with the power of author voices.

Supplemental Resources

Below you will find an AI-generated guided activities table, as well a curated list of virtual author talk platforms.

Guided Activities Table

Activity NameDescriptionTeacher’s RoleStudent EngagementLearning Outcome
Author Bio Scavenger HuntStudents research the visiting author and create a visual biographyProvide research guidelines and resourcesCollaborative research and creative presentationImproved research skills and author familiarity
Question Craft WorkshopStudents learn to formulate thoughtful questions for the authorGuide students in developing open-ended questionsPeer review of questionsEnhanced critical thinking and inquiry skills
Virtual Book ClubStudents read and discuss the author’s book prior to the talkFacilitate discussions and provide reading promptsActive participation in book discussionsDeeper comprehension and analysis of literature
Writing in the Author’s StyleStudents create short pieces mimicking the author’s writing styleAnalyze the author’s style with the class and provide writing promptsCreative writing and peer feedbackImproved writing skills and style analysis
Post-Talk Reflection JournalStudents write about their takeaways from the author talkProvide reflection prompts and feedbackPersonal reflection and connection to their own reading/writingSelf-awareness of reading preferences and writing goals
Generated with Perplexity.AI

Virtual Author Talk Platforms

Title with Embedded URL to WebsiteDescriptionPricingUse Scenario
BookBreakA platform that brings 2-4 bestselling authors to schools each month via live stream, catering to specific grade cohorts. It aims to ignite enthusiasm for reading and writing by providing comprehensive planning resources and ensuring diversity in featured authors.Not explicitly stated, but offers free access to high-poverty schools when other schools join the program.Ideal for schools looking to integrate author talks into their curriculum, especially those seeking to enhance literacy and engagement among students.
Las Vegas-Clark County Library District Virtual Author TalksOffers free virtual author talks with critically-acclaimed writers, available for viewing from home. Past talks are archived for later access.FreeSuitable for public libraries and individuals interested in attending virtual author talks from the comfort of their homes.
StoryvoiceFeatures live read-alouds by award-winning children’s authors and illustrators. The platform allows for interactive sessions and is accessible via share-screen or individual devices.Not explicitly stated, but implies free access.Ideal for classrooms and families looking for interactive live reading sessions with popular children’s authors.
Library Speakers ConsortiumProvides live online author talks in partnership with the Library Speakers Consortium, featuring multiple bestselling authors each month.Not explicitly stated.Suitable for libraries and educational institutions seeking to connect with a variety of authors through live online events.
Authors Who Skype FreeA list of authors who connect virtually and in personVaries by authorIdeal for educators hoping to connect with specific authors listed.

But wait, there’s one more FREE option!

Although not a virtual author talk source, Bookshare.org provides easy-to-read audiobooks and ebooks for readers, no matter what their ability. Get this…Bookshare is 100% free through an aware from the Office of Special Education Programs!

You can see a sample of their book selection via their website. What’s more, you can find a collection of human-narrated books (also, read TCEA’s blog entry on AI narrated books):

Bookshare has thousands of human-narrated audiobooks. You can listen to them in either MP3 or DAISY Audio formats on a variety of devices. Browse reading lists of their texts:

See how to qualify and complete membership in the United States.

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Digital Citizenship

A Free Resource for News Literacy Lessons

by Lori Gracey
written by Lori Gracey

The ability to discern what is fact and what is opinion seems to be more in demand today than ever. Regardless of politics, it is important to develop news literacy. And that is a skill that must be taught; it is not developed naturally on its own. So how can educators ensure that their students have news literacy practice that is reliable and unbiased? Fortunately, Checkology has the answer.

What Is Checkology?

Checkology was created by the News Literacy Project, a nonprofit organization. It was designed to help “learners develop the ability to identify credible information, seek out reliable sources and apply critical thinking skills to separate fact-based content from falsehoods.” The lessons are aligned to a variety of state and national standards, including Common Core, Texas, and ISTE. Checkology also offers a completely free e-learning platform that houses the lessons and includes the following features:

  • Unlimited classes and student accounts
  • Numerous interactive, expert-led lessons
  • Dozens of practice, extension, and fact-checking activities to supplement the core lessons in a course
  • Preset courses to make it easy to get started
  • In-platform student supports (hints and vocabulary)
  • The Check Center, an opportunity to learn and practice digital verification skills
  • A comprehensive word wall, offering quick access to a glossary of news literacy terms
  • Class and assignment settings for flexibility in your learning environment
  • Educator ability to assign co-teachers to each section of students, enabling that teacher to also access and evaluate student work
  • Evaluation tools allow educators to see and access all work that a student submits through its lightweight learning management system (LMS).

news literacy

Checkology’s video-driven content is designed for middle school and high school students, but the platform has been successfully used with students from fifth grade through community college, as well as with adult learners. Each lesson, challenge, and exercise has a difficulty ranking meant to assist educators as they create a customized course for their students.

Getting Started

The Checkology website is open now for you to register. Learn how to get started with these resources.

Does Checkology Work for News Literacy?

Checkology has retained an outside evaluation consultant to develop a pre-platform assessment and individual post-lesson assessments to measure student growth for specific learning objectives. (When students first log in to the platform, they will be prompted to begin the pre-platform assessment. Students will not see the results and are not scored.) Student growth is impressive. After completing the lessons, nearly nine in 10 students could correctly identify the five freedoms protected by the First Amendment and two-thirds of them could correctly identify the traits of quality journalism. The study also showed that the number of students demonstrating an understanding of the watchdog role of the press more than doubled.

news literacy

Final Thoughts on News Literacy and Checkology

Checkology provides a strong educator help center with short video tutorials and other resources. In addition, their student privacy policy is available and very clear. If you are looking for news literacy lessons for younger students or just want to add to those from Checkology for secondary students, check out what Common Sense Education offers as a part of their digital citizenship curriculum. And the TCEA blog has a number of other free tools. Whatever resources you use, please make sure you are helping students to develop and practice this critical skill!

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news literacy
Digital LiteracyGood Teaching

Digital Tools for News Literacy

by Andrew Roush
written by Andrew Roush

Today, we have more sources of information, more ways to access that information, and more knowledge in general than probably any other time in history. This large amount of information, however, can be tough to understand. It can be hard to judge news sources, analyze data, and do it all in rapidly changing circumstances.

That’s why digital literacy, and news literacy in particular, are crucial skills for all people, and a vital piece of preparing and educating students.

What Is News Literacy?

Understanding how journalists work and hows news is reported has always been an important skill for an engaged and informed populous. But the digital age poses new opportunities — and new challenges. As Richard Hornik of the Center for News Literacy at Stony Brook University outlines:

The Digital Age poses four serious information literacy challenges for civil society:

1) The amount of information we are flooded with daily makes it difficult to sort out what’s reliable.

2) New technologies to create and share information make it easy to create content that only appears authoritative and then to spread it virally.

4) The conflict between speed and accuracy has been exacerbated by Digital Age demands for delivering information as fast as possible, but accelerating that process increases the chance it will be wrong.

4) Humans prefer information that supports our beliefs, and the Internet and social media make it much easier for us to select only the information that supports our ideas, reinforcing rather than challenging them.

Richard Hornik, “Why News Literacy Matters, A NEW LITERACY FOR CIVIL SOCIETY IN THE 21st CENTURY”

News literacy is meant to combat these challenges. Teaching students how to read, judge, analyze, and make decisions based on new media “teaches students to think for themselves, seek out credible information and sources, look the world full in the face and not turn away from what might make them uncomfortable,” according to the News Literacy Project, a nonprofit that provides resources for educators.

Timely Tools

In recent years, digital tools have been developed to help teach and assess students’ ability to judge sources and tell fact from fiction (or simply exaggeration or inaccuracy).

Checkology, from the News Literacy Project, is a popular tool for teaching the subject. Complete with lessons, games, and practice exercises that students can pursue in independent learning, asynchronous environments, and anywhere they can access the browser-based and tablet-compatible product. It even comes with emoji-filled discussion boards, Spanish language translation, and more.

Learn more about Checkology here and here. You can also access the News Literacy Project’s newsletter, The Sift, here.

New Options with Newslea

Ed tech company Newslea has developed content libraries that focus on delivering news and information from vetted sources for students and teachers, with editions that focus on ELA, social studies, science, as well as Essentials, which has a cross-curricular focus. They’ve recently added Newslea SEL, to create and curate content meant to develop social-emotional learning.

Newslea can automatically differentiate texts based on reading level, and comes with reading comprehension quizzes, annotation tools, and writing prompts, as well as various collections and lessons. The Text Sets feature offers “thematically curated texts as well as lesson plans and activities that can give students a more holistic picture of a topic.”

The News Never Stops

Of course, there are many other sources, tools, and articles to help you expand and improve your teaching around news and media literacy. Here are some useful links from around the ed tech web:

More from TCEA

Photo by Sollok29 via Wikimedia Commons.

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Educational Trends

Ed Tech News Roundup: Screen Time, LEGO, and Enchiladas

by Andrew Roush
written by Andrew Roush


Howdy, folks! Welcome to another in a series of biweekly ed tech news roundups. We hope you enjoy this one, and if you have a story you’d like to see included, let us know.

Metrics and Measures

Every strategy, technique, or tool has an effect. To understand that effect, we use goals, metrics, and measurements. These are omnipresent tools for educators, but they are also changing.

  • In an effort to boost language skills in learners from disadvantaged backgrounds, Detroit is one of five cities launching a new program that gives young children recording devices known as talk pedometers. Instead of counting steps, these tools count how many words a child hears and speaks during the day, a metric tied to linguistic success. [Detroit Free Press]
  • There’s a decent chance that you’ve used Google’s suite of tools before. Today, Google is in nearly every school — Google, in fact, claims that 90 million teachers and students have used it. Now, the tech giant is quantifying their impact even more with a new “transformation report.” [EdSurge]

Screen Time

Almost everyone spends time on a mobile device, but that time is not created equal. Some things can be more useful than others. Even college choices are being made by students skimming social media.

  • A new meta-analysis of screen time in children and adolescents finds that overall screen time doesn’t change academic performance. But when types of screen usage were broken out, researchers found that “time spent on television viewing and video games was associated with poorer academic achievement.” [CNN]
  • When those adolescents consider post-secondary education, research indicates that students, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds, are taking to social media to check out the stats on their future schools. [Diverse: Issues in Higher Education]

LEGO Firsts

LEGO is breaking ground on projects to make the benefits of the building system available to all.

  • With the help of FIRST Robotics League, LEGO is launching the FIRST LEGO League Junior, a new competition for four-to-six year-olds using LEGO’s Duplo bricks to learn about architecture, civil engineering, infrastructure, sustainability, and urban planning. [STEAM Universe]
  • LEGOs are a simple toy to use, but LEGO sets aren’t always universal. People with special needs may not be able to access instructions that they can use. Now LEGO has made their toys more accessible with Braille and audio instructions for the visually impaired. [Washington Post]

…And Finally

The enchiladas served on Wednesdays in San Antonio’s North East ISD are beloved by students and alumni. NEISD showed their own appreciation with a digital video to connect with Tex-Mex mavens by sharing their recipe in a Facebook video.

Enchilada Recipe – North East ISD

For years we have been getting asked about our famous enchilada recipe and today in honor of ENCHILADA WEDNESDAY, we are releasing a step-by-step video guide so you can enjoy them any day of the week. Now, EVERY DAY is ENCHILA-DAY! #theNEISDway

Posted by North East Independent School District – NEISD on Tuesday, September 24, 2019

 

Photo: Kendall Ruth

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news literacy
Digital LiteracyLibraries

News Literacy for Educators (with 15 Tools)

by Guest Blogger
written by Guest Blogger

Following the 2016 presidential election, America saw a steep rise in fake news and news designed for misinformation. As school librarians, we are also seeing a shift in how students consume news and information and their news source preferences. Now, more than ever, we need to integrate news literacy and media literacy into the teaching and learning students are engaged in through our libraries and curriculum.

What Is News Literacy?

According to the SchoolofJournalism.org

News literacy is the acquisition of 21st-century, critical-thinking skills for analyzing and judging the reliability of news and information, differentiating among facts, opinions and assertions in the media we consume, create and distribute.

We can’t talk news literacy without also addressing bias. We all have some level of bias acquired through our different experiences. Each of our individual biases is formed from a multitude of components including where we live, where we are from, culture (our own and our perceptions of others), pop culture, religion, and, of course, politics. What’s important for us to incorporate into our campuses about bias is helping our students and staff identify their own biases, understand that news sources contain bias, and then help them develop the skills to choose news sources in a more balanced way.

Why Teach News Literacy?

Many students want to have a better understanding of current events and news sources, but just don’t know where to begin. While doing a mini-lesson on news literacy with a group of 12th-grade students, they were asked, “What do you wish teachers/adults understood about how you get your news?” Here are a few telling responses:

“Sadly enough, sometimes I avoid watching the news, afraid of being subject to fake or heavily-biased news.”

“I do not watch the news that much except for on Snapchat. I wish we were actually taught about the current events.”

“I wish they understood that we don’t really know how or where to get the news. We also don’t really keep up with it as much as we should.”

In order to prepare students for the tumultuous news landscape of their present and future, we must hold frequent, candid conversations about evaluating sources for credibility, identifying bias, and striving for a balanced news diet. To develop these skills that are so essential to their growth as ethical global citizens, it is important for students to regularly interact with news, critically evaluate information, and engage in civil discourse.

Resources

  • FactCheck: FactCheck.org is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. They are a nonpartisan, nonprofit “consumer advocate” for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. They monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by major political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews, and news releases.
  • Politifact: PolitiFact is a fact-checking website that rates the accuracy of claims by elected officials and others who speak up in American politics. PolitiFact is run by editors and reporters from the Tampa Bay Times, an independent newspaper in Florida. They use a number of scales they’ve created: Truth-O-Meter to gauge accuracy of statements, Flip-O-Meter to rate whether an elected official has been consistent on an issue, and Promise Meters to gauge progress made on campaign promises.
  • AllSides: AllSides is a news service aimed at cutting through one-sided bias and hyper-partisanship. They offer news stories on current topics “from the center.e ” “from thleft.” and “from the right” on a scale that rates the bias.
  • Snopes: Founded in 1994, Snopes is the oldest and largest fact-checking site on the internet. It is a common source for checking hoaxes, urban legends, email scams, and sensational, clickbait social media posts.
  • Britannica Insights: This is a Chrome extension tool to highlight Britannica School resources alongside your student’s search results. Free for Britannica School subscribers (18 states that have subscriptions). Doesn’t influence search results, but showcases those trustworthy sources that we always WANT students to use alongside their Google results. Once you click in, you will have all of the great features of Britannica, including adjustable leveling, videos, and other resources. Especially effective on historical events and people to help students gain context for their search.
  • TEDEd How to Choose Your News: Video discusses the history of news, how trust was broken with traditional news sources, and how the Internet has changed the way news is shared. Can lead to some great discussion with students on how the media landscape has changed. Explains the phenomenon of circular reporting and how fake news spreads so quickly and easily.
  • Source Deck Activity: This is a great research activity that I think would lend itself well to a news literacy conversation. Screenshot a variety of information sources and include the citation for each. Based on the snapshot and source information, students must evaluate the source and its relevance. Blog post on Britannica Learn with starter slides went up today.
  • Common Sense Media: I have loved their digital citizenship curriculum for years. They have compiled some great resources and lessons to help turn students into fact-finding web detectives. They are currently updating and adding new lessons to this collection.
  • NewseumED: NewseumED offers a wealth of resources for educators on media literacy, including lesson plans, artifacts, and case studies. They also offer virtual classes and professional development for educators.
  • Choices Program by Brown University: Non-profit at Brown University developing curricula on current and historical international and public policy issues. Students dig deep into multiple viewpoints on contested issues. Free lesson resources and complete curriculum available to purchase.
  • Checkology: A resource from the News Literacy Project that provides a virtual classroom with interactive lessons to help students learn to evaluate and interpret news. Activities to help them determine what news/information to trust, share, and act on. Topics include detecting/dissecting viral news rumors, investigating the impact of personalization algorithms, evaluating bias, and interpreting the First Amendment. Several sample lessons are available for free, with a paid subscription for the full curriculum.
  • Media Bias/ Fact Check: Media Bias/Fact Check (MBFC) is an independent online media outlet. On their About page, MBFC says they are dedicated to educating the public on media bias and deceptive news practices. This site can be used to look up news sources found online and through social media postings to help students understand where that particular news source rates on their bias and fact checking.
  • Above The Noise: This is a YouTube channel with great short videos about news literacy. Teachers can use the videos and have their students join the discussion on KQED Learn to investigate controversial topics and share their voices. 
  • Factitious: This is a great “game” to introduce students to bias and the importance of looking at news sources. This could easily be incorporated into a news literacy lesson and used in conjunction with many of the other resources listed here.  
  • Break Your Own News Image Maker: This is just a fun resource for students to make their own images like the ones you see in this blog post. It can also lead to discussions about the validity of images, image sources, reverse image searches, and how headlines are used as to gaslight and as misinformation.

Nancy Jo Lambert is a Google Certified Trainer and high school teacher librarian in Frisco ISD at Reedy High School. She is a presenter advocating for libraries by telling the story of the learning happening in her library. She holds positions in the Texas Library Association, American Library Association, American Association of School Librarians, Texas Association of School Librarians, and is the president of the TCEA LIB-SIG. She has been published in professional journals and won numerous awards and grants and was named TCEA Library Media Specialist of the Year the American Association of School Librarians Social Media Superstar Curriculum Champion in 2019. 

Tiffany Whitehead, the Mighty Little Librarian, is an obsessive reader, social media user, and technology geek. She is the Director of Library at Episcopal High School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Tiffany earned her undergraduate degree in Elementary Education and School Library Certification from Southeastern Louisiana University and her graduate degree in Educational Technology Leadership from Northwestern State University. She has served as the President of ISTE’s Librarians Network and was recognized as one of ISTE’s 2014 Emerging Leaders. Tiffany is National Board Certified in Library Media and was named one of the 2014 Library Journal Movers & Shakers. She was the 2016 recipient of the Louisiana Library Media Specialist Award and the 2019 ISTE Librarians Network Secondary Award Winner. 

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digital literacy
Digital Literacy

Promoting Digital Literacy

by Guest Blogger
written by Guest Blogger

How are you promoting digital literacy and responsible technology use to your students? In Houston ISD, we’ve launched a new campaign. We encourage students to work in different groups taking on different roles, seeing where they feel their skills fit best. We want them to explore new tools and new possibilities with new people. This is about experimenting with technology, sharing messages they feel resonate, and being creative! We are about the message, the process, the learning, the sharing – all of it comes together to form the Digital Media Literacy campaign in HISD.

Our new campaign, which you can access online, has four target goals. Those goals include:

Goal #1 – Facilitating Student Choice

literacyStudents prepare short (60- to 90-second) public service announcement (PSA) style videos about critical elements of digital citizenship (phishing, sharing online, security awareness, netiquette, etc.). Students self-select a topic from an available list, including Fake News, Cyberbullying, Login Logic, and others. For example, the Fake News topic includes:

Interesting, but is it true? Often readers believe just because something comes from a nice-looking website it has to be true. The problem with that belief is some people take advantage of others who don’t work to verify the sources for what they read. Fake news websites (also called “hoax sites” or “click bait”) deliberately publish hoaxes, propaganda, and untrue stories to trick people into visiting their website. Often the site owners get paid every time somebody clicks on a link leading to their page. These sites are different from sites with news satire, since fake sites try to profit from misleading people – not from providing entertainment. Be a careful, critical reader always looking to verify sources! This will help keep false stories from spreading around the internet.

Goal #2 – Developing Student Voice

Given the abundance of tools and apps that can amplify student voice online, students have many choices. To help students make better choices about how they use their voice in online spaces, a list of convenient tools, ranging from video to animation to stop or live action, are highlighted. Some of the tools mentioned include Animoto, Biteable, PowToon, WeVideo, and more. Once their project is complete, they can submit it via a web-based form.

Goal #3 – Connecting with an Authentic Audience

The work students create today reaches a world-wide audience, far beyond our district and/or state. Students rely on a rubric to help clarify the main aspects of their video creation. Some of the tips the rubric includes for students are:

  • Stay on topic!
  • Get permission before using someone else’s graphics, content or picture.
  • Give credit when you use someone else’s content.
  • Stay within the 60- to 90-second time limit.
  • Keep your subjects in focus and frame your shots well.

Goal #4 – Exploring Real-World Skills

As you can imagine, this project serves as an opportunity for teachers to facilitate student learning as they explore together what available technology tools will meet the needs they have for best telling their stories. Will they use Biteable, Powtoons, iMovie, PowerPoint, Sway, or something new? Who takes the role of narrator, actor, set designer, animator, story board artist, video editor?

Scaffolding Students’ Growth as Critical Consumers, Content Creators

If we say that we want students to be critical information consumers and content creators who use the internet to express themselves and collaborate with peers, that gives us a good idea of what types of behaviors we expect to see online. The tricky part is getting students to listen to this type of messaging. What we see working best is when we (the adults in the room) aren’t the ones sharing this information – but when other students do.

Curious about what we’re doing?  Visit the website.

About the Author, Samantha Rosenthal

literacySamantha Rosenthal is an Education Technology Specialist for Houston ISD. She’s committed to the idea that technology can level the playing field for all students across Houston’s 300+ square mile district. Samantha works to promote digital literacy and awareness of online safety and security among students, teachers, and parents within HISD and beyond. You can follow Samantha @rsamantha725.

 

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Digital CitizenshipDigital LiteracySocial Media

Resources for Teaching Students to Fact-Check

by Emily Horn
written by Emily Horn

Teaching students to evaluate, analyze, and think critically about information is absolutely essential. With advancements in technology, communication, and artificial intelligence, it’s easier than ever before for falsified information, photos and videos, and news to spread like wildfire, presented to the world as fact through social media and other avenues. Let’s take a look at some resources for fact-checking, vetting, and analyzing information. But first, let’s look at why it’s so important for students to learn how to assess source credibility. 

What Is Fact-Checking? 

Fact-checking is the process of assessing the credibility, accuracy, and validity of information. The goal is to determine whether information is true or false and whether or not a source is trustworthy and credible. It’s become so important to intercept misinformation that Duke Reporter’s Lab reported a total of 378 fact-checking projects operating in 2022, up from 186 in 2016, and down from 391 in 2021.

Why Is Fact-Checking Important? 

There is a lot of information out there about misinformation and disinformation, its spread, and its impact. With our students being subjected to so much so often, as in daily – especially via social media – teaching them ways to fact check and identify credible sources is more vital now than ever before. We can be a part of changing statistics and helping our students be better informed. And we can do the same for ourselves!

Statistics on Misinformation and Fake News

If you want to dive into 18 gut-wrenching statistics on fake news and misinformation, take a look at this recent article (January 27, 2023) published by TechJury. It references sources from PEW Research, Business Insider, The Economist, and more. They offer some key statistical takeaways, mostly from 2020-2022, with two sources cited in the article from 2016.

Another study, conducted by Poynter Institute for Media Studies, MediaWise, YouGov Inc., with support from Google, found the following: 

  • 62% of respondents think they see false or misleading information online every week.
  • 39% of respondents across countries say they have unintentionally shared false or misleading information.
  • 55% of respondents say they have shared false or misleading information because they say they thought it was true. A third say they shared impulsively.
  • The largest share of respondents in the US are only somewhat confident (36%) that they can identify information as false or misleading. 

Additionally, a 2016 study by Stanford University on student ability to evaluate information showed that 7,804 students across 12 states had difficulty discerning sponsored content from actual news. They also had trouble “identifying where information came from.” The study consisted of five “tests” for middle school students, high school students, and university students. The authors of the study mentioned that, at every level, students lacked preparation and may focus on content rather than on sources when it comes to determining reliability. A more recent 2022 study by Stanford University showed that student ability to identify questionable websites increased twofold with just six, 50-minute lessons. 

That said, let’s look at some resources to use with students to boost their skills when it comes to recognizing false information. 

Resources for Student Fact-Checking 

1. Civic Online Reasoning (COR)

News Literacy Project
Screenshot by Emily Horn | Civic Online Reasoning

This is the curriculum that was tested in Stanford’s 2022 research study, which demonstrated that six, 50-minute lessons can positively impact students’ ability to discern credible information. The curriculum is based on three questions:

  1. Who’s behind the information?
  2. What’s the evidence?
  3. What do other sources say?

There are lessons (lateral reading, sponsored content, news vs. opinion…), assessments (website reliability, home page analysis, article evaluation…), and collections (for the history classroom, for the science classroom, classroom posters, click restraint…). This resource is of great quality and extremely relevant! Highly recommend. 

2. News Literacy Project 

I love this resource! The News Literacy Project has been around since 2008. As a nonprofit (like TCEA), it has a nonpartisan mission for news literacy and a vision for everyone to know how to identify credible news sources and information. New Literacy Project has a lot of resources for educators, including: 

News Literacy Project
Screenshot by Emily Horn | News Literacy Project

Checkology: “Checkology is a free e-learning platform with engaging, authoritative lessons on subjects like news media bias, misinformation, conspiratorial thinking and more.” For more information, read this.

The Sift Newsletter: “The Sift, NLP’s free weekly newsletter for educators — delivered during the school year — explores timely examples of misinformation, addresses media and press freedom topics, and discusses social media trends and issues. It also includes links, discussion prompts, and activities for use in the classroom.” 

Resource Library: “NLP’s resource library includes lesson plans, classroom activities, posters and infographics, quizzes, training materials and videos for educators teaching news literacy.” (Grades 4-12+)

Professional Learning: “The News Literacy Project’s professional learning emphasizes teaching educators essential news literacy concepts they can integrate into the curriculum to provide their students with the abilities, knowledge, and confidence to navigate an increasingly complex and ever-changing information landscape.”

3. PBS Learning: Be MediaWise 

PBS Be MediaWise
Screenshot by Emily Horn | PBS Be MediaWise

PBS offers resources and lessons for grades 6-12 on media literacy and fact-checking which are part of the Poynter Institutes’s Teen Fact-Checking Network. When you go to the site, you will need to change your city in order to proceed. You can share Be MediaWise lessons to your Google Classroom, to students using a link, or to your social media. Lessons offered range from ChatGPT and out-of-context quotes to checking scientific claims and how misinformation spreads. They also offer supporting materials like background reading, handouts, activities, discussion questions, and/or vocabulary.  

4. Five Websites for Fact-Checking 

There are numerous websites available to help students and teachers fact-check information. Here are a few of the top sites for fact-checking:

“When misinformation obscures the truth and readers don’t know what to trust, Snopes’ fact-checking and original, investigative reporting lights the way to evidence-based and contextualized analysis. We always link to and document our sources so readers are empowered to do independent research and make up their own minds.”

“Fact-checking journalism is the heart of PolitiFact. Our core principles are independence, transparency, fairness, thorough reporting and clear writing. The reason we publish is to give citizens the information they need to govern themselves in a democracy.”

“We are a nonpartisan, nonprofit “consumer advocate” for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. We monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews, and news releases. Our goal is to apply the best practices of both journalism and scholarship and to increase public knowledge and understanding.”

“AllSides™ is a media solutions company that strengthens our democratic society with balanced news, media bias ratings, diverse perspectives, and real conversation. We expose people to information and ideas from all sides of the political spectrum so they can better understand the world — and each other.”

“This tool allows you to easily browse and search for fact checks. For example, you can search for a politician’s statement, or for a topic. You can also restrict results to a specific publisher. You can search by keywords and see a list of matching claims and the corresponding fact checks. Keywords can be anything from specific topics to full politician quotes. Basically anything you would also put into the regular Google Search bar.

How do you plan to equip students and build their judgment when it comes to discerning the accuracy and validity of information and the credibility of sources? If you have any resources or activities to add, please showcase them in the comments, and thanks for reading! 

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License: CC0 Public Domain Sam Kal has released this “Flat Earth Map” image under Public Domain license.
Good TeachingScienceSocial Studies

TCEA Responds: Science Denial, Flat Earth, and the Power of Questioning

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

Dear TCEA Responds:

I wanted to do a demo today to clarify misconceptions about why the Earth has seasons. What I ended up with was kids arguing with me in many classes that the Earth is flat and what I’m teaching is wrong. I couldn’t even finish my lesson because they would not stop interrupting me. 

Thanks in advance for your ideas,

Jim

flat earth
Screenshot of meme by author

Dear Jim:

As a high school senior, the crowning assignment of my English class involved writing a paper. The research paper assignment, which you may be familiar with, had to address an important topic. No topic is more important than the story of human evolution. So that was the topic I wrote about. At my Catholic High School in Texas, it wasn’t controversial at all to share the fact, but the theory was another matter. There is no such thing as a casual reading of evolution when considered in the context of society. Though the facts seemed incontrovertible, the theory of how they got to be facts caused endless debate. 

Evolution remains a controversial topic and an untruth for many. Even among professionals, it is a belief rather than a fact.

flat earth
Screenshot of meme by author

The Power of Culture

One of my favorite episodes of “Friends” pits Ross against Phoebe over evolution. Like some in the listening audience, I marvel at Ross’ approach. He bungles a clear elucidation of the facts of evolution, the scientific theory, and more.

Phoebe takes a gleeful approach to demolishing Ross’ argument. For many of us who recognize evolution as a theory that explains incontrovertible facts, the argument isn’t worth the effort. What does Ross gain in this argument with Phoebe? It doesn’t matter because it’s comedy.

In your classroom, Jim, you can’t leave well enough alone. This isn’t Sunday school where beliefs are taught, but rather, the scientific method and the observation of phenomena. At Ecology for the Masses, freshwater ecologist Sam Perrin writes:

There are two reasons why we shouldn’t take the “there’s no point even trying with these people” approach. There is a chance they will understand the basis of an important scientific concept. And even if that doesn’t work, talking about evolution is a great chance to tell scientific stories. Talk about how whales or horses started, how human pubic lice evolved, why ducks and geese are…evil. They might go away with a few fun stories to spread around. (edited for readability)

Reading Johnjoe McFadden’s book, “Life is Simple: How Occam’s Razor Set Science Free and Shapes the Universe,” highlights a simple fact. Science denial has been around for a long time. Let’s explore five reasons why dealing with disinformation is hard.

“You have to disentangle the details. You have to hold up every one independently, and ask, “How do we know *this* detail?” Where are all these details coming from? Where did *that specific* detail come from?”
― Eliezer Yudkowsky as cited in “Life is Simple: How Occam’s Razor Set Science Free and Shapes the Universe”

Dealing with Disinformation

Science denial often presents as a problem of disinformation. You can see it in this chart by Wendy Cook in the 2020 Debunking Handbook:

dealing with disinformation chart can be applied to science denial

In Wendy’s approach, a simple formula is suggested. The “truth sandwich” formula has one presenting each component below:

  • Fact. Lead with clear facts that are easy to remember (“sticky”).
  • Myth. Share what was false.
  • Fallacy. Explain what was false is wrong, and how it differs from facts. 
  • Fact. Share the facts again in a clear, easy-to-remember approach. (source: Journalist Field Guide via CAAD)

As Sam Perrin points out, the fun stories help convey the facts in a memorable way. Why is science denial, accepting and promoting disinformation, so easy?

Source: News Literacy Project

Five Reasons for Science Denial 

Why is it so hard to handle societal-based claims that are contrarian or deny science? Here are five reasons why from Beth Daley:

  • Social identity. What we believe and what we share flows from whom we identify with. If those we identify with disagree with an aspect of science, we do as well.
  • Mental shortcuts. Thinking is hard. It’s easier to assume something is true because it’s what we want, and we don’t have to think about it, even if it is false.
  • Beliefs about what you know. We all have beliefs that are certain. It’s that certainty that is the problem. Scientists are more tentative about what is held to be true since new evidence can change that truth.
  • Unconscious bias. If you have a bias, failing to identify it can skew your reasoning when examing evidence. That means your bias can lead you to the conclusion you want rather than the conclusion the facts point to.
Screenshot of meme by author

How to Face Science Denial

What does one do in the face of science denial? How can you transform your didactic class into one focused on critical thinking? Some ways to deal with these reasons include:

  • Listen and find common ground.
  • Ask yourself, “How do I know this is true?” and check into facts.
  • Avoid acceptance of information you believe to be true. Adopt a scientific attitude that relies on evidence-based science.
  • Inventory your biases and assess information sources in light of those biases.

Give students a way of considering how their thinking and biases interact.

System 1 thinking is a near-instantaneous process. It is automatic, intuitive, and with little effort. It’s driven by instinct and our experiences. System 2 thinking is slower and requires more effort. It is conscious and logical.

Even when we think that we are being rational in our decisions, our System 1 beliefs and biases drive many of our choices. Understanding the interplay of these two systems in our daily lives can help us become more aware of the bias in our decisions – and how we can avoid it. (source)

A complementary approach involves modeling critical thinking. You can have students inventory their biases, beliefs, and taboos. Then ask how those may limit their openness to evidence-based facts. 

Back Pocket Questions

Consider taking an approach that spurs conversation rather than shuts it down. One way is to use Back Pocket Questions, discussed in the video above. One document worth encouraging students to keep in mind is a back pocket questions chart. 

Here’s one version shared with me (source unknown):

flat earth
Screenshot by author

Most importantly, build a relationship with students. Often, students’ lack of critical thinking reflects a low level of trust in the classroom in general.

Many people don’t trust the society around them, most notably the representatives of that society. That trust often falls even further when it comes to elite representatives of that society, which include government officials, members of academia, and scientists like me.

By claiming that Earth is flat, people are really expressing a deep distrust of scientists and science itself.

So if you find yourself talking to a flat-Earther, skip the evidence and arguments and ask yourself how you can build trust. (source)

A final proof that the Earth is round via Twitter’s Ayna Lile

More Reading

Learn more about open-ended and back-pocket questions.

As shared on Twitter by Eric Alper

Feature Image Source

Flat Earth Map (Public Domain)

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Digital Citizenship

Resources for Building a Digital Citizenship Program

by Jenna Conan Simpson
written by Jenna Conan Simpson

Digital citizenship is more important than ever. For years, children and teens have been getting devices and using social media at younger ages. This trend has now been exacerbated by the significant uptick in technology use due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, media literacy has become increasingly crucial with the rise of fake news and polarization online. So, what can we do?

What Is Digital Citizenship?

Digital citizenship is not just internet safety (although that is important!). Together with safety, digital citizenship encompasses media balance and digital wellness, privacy and security, digital footprint, news and media literacy, cyberbullying and digital drama, online relationships and communication, and digital rights and responsibilities. Developing digital citizens means that students are not just taught what not to do, but they are also empowered to make responsible choices online and to use digital media for good. 

Teaching Digital Citizenship

Our students have grown up surrounded by technology. As a result, they are digital natives. They often are pros at navigating apps and social media, but do not have a thorough understanding of the impacts devices or platforms have on them or the consequences of certain digital behaviors. Although we hope that parents teach their children digital citizenship skills at home, even many adults struggle with navigating the digital world. To successfully prepare our students for the future, we must teach digital citizenship in schools. Many future-ready skills, such as critical thinking, communication, and collaboration, play an important role in developing responsible digital citizens. 

Incorporating and Promoting into Your Curriculum

Rather than treating digital citizenship like “just another thing” to squeeze into the curriculum, there are ways that it fits within topics we already address. For example, we can tie media literacy in with research in English or history classes or address cyberbullying and online relationships as part of our social-emotional learning (SEL) or advisory curriculum. Technology and STEM courses, such as computer science, offer many opportunities to address digital citizenship topics. Hosting a schoolwide Digital Citizenship Week (the official week takes place every October) is also a great way to get the whole school community involved in promoting and learning about important concepts together. Another important way to promote digital citizenship is to get families involved. Many parents appreciate resources about how to approach digital age parenting, and these resources can be provided as part of a broader digital citizenship program.

digital citizenship

Creating a Program

Administrators, library media specialists, tech coaches, counselors, teachers, students, and parents can all be involved in creating a digital citizenship program. For example, administrators can champion digital citizenship and ensure a space for it in the school’s curriculum. Additionally, library media specialists and tech coaches can find the curriculum and plan activities, including partnering with teachers to implement the program with students. Also, counselors can embed concepts and lessons into the school’s SEL and wellness initiatives. Students can act as technology leaders and be mentors for younger students, as well as provide input about what their peers need. Even more, parents can learn more about digital citizenship and act as partners by promoting digital citizenship values at home. Each stakeholder plays a valuable role in building responsible digital citizens.

Free Curricula: 

Paid Curricula:

Free Resources:

Free News and Media Literacy Resources:

Jenna Conan Simpson is presenting two sessions at TCEA 2022: Edtech Equipped: Preparing Preservice and New Teachers for Today’s Classrooms and No More Scantrons: Authentic Assessment Strategies for Any Classroom. Don’t miss her! Haven’t registered for convention yet? There’s still time.

Want to know even more about digital citizenship? Here are more TechNotes articles for you to peruse.

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