Yikes! According to the video “How To Help Students Identify Fake News through the 5 C’s of Consuming” only 25% of students can identify fake news, that’s awful and dangerous or, as the video says- dismaying. The biggest takeaways for me are the last two: corroboration and compare- which makes the students search for similar information on reputable websites. I still have students use the New York Times website for a weekly read and I used to use the The Wall Street Journal for balance until the site was blocked. However, fake news has proliferated to such an extent that teachers must provide students with some tools and skills to delineate truth from falsehoods. This system gives them a fighting chance. Too many students are lulled into believing fake news by extremely conniving and talented fake news purveyors that know how to lure people in. As the video states that getting kids to think critically is the key.
The Steve Inskeep article is of serious interest. It’s funny, many conservatives love to slander NPR for it's bias, and it does have one as all media outlets do, however, I can always count on NPR to at least present “the facts” as they see them. By reading the Wall Street Journal or CNN I can usually corroborate the story if I have my doubts. I have had my students read the same story from different news sources for just this reason. Inskeep even suggest you look up severely biased websites just to stay informed on what they’re peddling...er… thinking! Lonsberry and WHAM radio anyone?!!! I love his suggestion that falsehoods are sincerely held- hoo boy! Is that ever true! Just ask the gun lobby!
Starting next week my seniors will be studying poverty from a variety of sources- liberal, conservative and some in between It is what the Inskeep article suggests...anyway, trust me!
The article “Why Elections Like This Prove That Info Literacy Matters” by librarian Carolyn Foote is fascinating if only you look at the date it was written: November 6, 2016, two days before Trump was elected. She nailed it for all the right (wrong?) reasons. Foote writes, “The polarization and way people are getting siloed online is why it is so extremely important that teachers work with students on using many diverse and quality sources(beyond Google).” People getting siloed, ouch! And that’s exactly what happened before and after the election: many of the people who voted Trump in were “siloed” last year with the new tax laws. How did they like that? Sorry, working stiff, but we need to tax you at a higher rate so the 1% can make even more money! Look who’s getting burned right now by Trump, 800,000 government workers. You have to wonder how many of them voted for Trump because his promise of a wall? (that Mexico was supposed to pay for)
I love Foote’s last concept: Bottom line–information literacy isn’t this hip phrase — it is a real need for our students who need to, and deserve to be, savvy consumers. Amen, Carolyn.
The Snopes.com article is spot on “Snopes" Field Guide to Fake News Sites and Hoax Purveyors” by Kim Lacapria will be a required read for my seniors. Exposing The National Report, Huzlers, Stuppid and the World News Daily Report as garbage is critical. People believe this stuff, not only because it looks real, but because they want to believe it. I have used the Onion to teach satire, but these fake news sites are just out of control. Teach kids to be savvy! No sleepwalking through life!!
Carolyn Foote is so wise. I love how she thinks. Sounds like you're a man on a mission! Good luck with this. Those students are lucky to have you giving the chance to think about all this.
ReplyDeleteI have to tell you I am absolutely overwhelmed by your PD; the variety of choices is amazing. Your knowledge and research on the topics is top notch. I will be referring to Cool Tools the rest of my career. Thank you.
DeleteCharlie A.
Oh my gosh, thank you. That does my heart so much good to hear this. It’s a ton of hard work, as I’m sure you know, since you work really hard with your own teaching.
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