News literacy

What a time we are living in. If you are like me, you are trying to keep updated on the status of the coronavirus and its impact on us. It is also important for us to be cognizant of what information is credible. 

Enter news literacy. News literacy is “the ability to determine what is credible and what is not, to identify different types of information, and to use the standards of authoritative, fact-based journalism as an aspirational measure in deciding what to trust, what to share and what to act on.” (News Literacy Project)

Now is an opportunity for us to teach ourselves and our students about news literacy because information matters. Truth matters. Keep reading to find out more about news literacy and to discover some teaching strategies and lessons you can use with your students. 

​
​According to Peter Adams, Senior Vice President, News Literacy Project, young people have a right to news literacy education for three reasons.

As we prepare our students to navigate the information landscape, below are some resources that you can use.

• News Literacy Presentation - This is the presentation that Kyle, Hannah and I did at our February 28 Institute Day. In it, you will find an overview of the importance of news literacy along with teaching examples and strategies to be used in the classroom.
• Informable - Is a free mobile app created by the News Literacy Project that is designed to test and strengthen your news literacy knowledge using four “brain training”-style modes. The game highlights four key areas.
  1. ​Checkable or Not? Is each example fact-based or opinion-based? 
  2. News or Opinion? Are these examples of news or opinion? 
  3. Evidence or Not? Does each item provide strong evidence for the claim it makes? 
  4. Ad or Not? Are these items advertising or something else (news, opinion, personal endorsement on social media, etc.)?

The Sift - Is a free, weekly newsletter from the News Literacy Project. Each issue highlights the big story for the week, provides the truth behind recent online rumors, offers teachers five topics to discuss and a reading list to use with students. They also provide timely discussion questions and ideas for use in the classroom. Their most recent issues have focused on coronavirus misinformation.

​If you have any questions regarding news literacy, Hannah, Kyle and I are available to help!