Literacy is one of those terms with academic cache like critical thinking or problem-solving. It has a nice intellectual ring to it, a sense of student accomplishment. Every academic standard, unit and lesson plan, school mission, and vision is stuffed… Read More ›
bias
Critical Thinking through Conspiracies
The moon landing is fake. The earth is flat. 5G radio waves cause COVID-19 and suppress the immune system. What do these claims have in common? They are conspiracy theories. Renee Hobbs, Professor of Communication Studies, Director Media Education Lab, University… Read More ›
Supporting Students during This Period of Unrest
In the wake of tragedy, followed by continuing protests around the country, I imagine many of you, like me, are wondering how to best support your students during this time. I have gathered a few ideas from colleagues and social… Read More ›
How to Spot Responsible Journalism
Fake News Frenzy of 2017 There were some days in the past year when I felt the whole “Fake News” phenomenon was overworked in our profession. However, I tripped over an article in ProQuest that made me think about writing and… Read More ›
Information Bias
Bias: Left, Right, Center, Fringe, and Citing Snapchat Several months ago a colleague pointed out a graphic depicting where news fell in terms of political bias. On the chart, the prominent news outlets were placed as right-leaning, left-leaning, center/mainstream, or… Read More ›
News or Not
Fake News and K-12 Information Literacy: Following the November 2016 Presidential election, there was great concern about fake news on Facebook and in Google searches. And then, in what seemed to be perfect timing, a Stanford group released the study “Evaluating Information:… Read More ›