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Module 3: Information Literacy, Media, and Technology


Does anyone else have the little “song” from the Fake News and Media Literacy podcast stuck in their heads? Although it’s not one I can teach to my students, it will definitely help me when I’m analyzing the validity of the content I read, share, believe, and teach.

          A theme I noticed within the readings, resources, and podcast this week is the importance of viewing multiple sources about the same topic. Valenza states, “Even news that is vetted by editors and publishers sometimes emerges from that process a bit processed, perhaps leaning in a particular direction” (2016, para 5). Resources that are accurate and reviewed can still be biased.

          With the increased access to technology and multiple ways to access information, whether it’s real news or fake news, kids need to be taught how to decide what’s right. I can honestly think it’s hard for me to do this at times because I haven’t always had this information all at my fingertips, so I wasn’t taught how to properly sort them out. Common Sense addresses the importance of News and Media Literacy. “In our connected world, we encounter new information all the time, and there is no greater power than the ability to filter, discern, and wield that information. Thinking critically means knowing where news stories come from, what purpose they serve, and how credible they are” (Campos, 2022).

References

Campos, D. V. (2022, June 24). News & Media Literacy 101. Common Sense Education. https://www.commonsense.org/education/articles/news-media-literacy-101

Liturgists, The. (Hosts). (2017, March 7). Fake News & Media Literacy. [Audio podcast episode]. In The Liturgists Podcast. Anchor. https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL2ZlZWRwcmVzcy5tZS9UaGVMaXR1cmdpc3RzUG9kY2FzdA/episode/aHR0cDovL3BvZGNhc3QudGhlbGl0dXJnaXN0cy5jb20vZS9tZWRpYS1saXRlcmFjeS0xNDg4ODkyNDg1Lw?sa=X&ved=0CAUQkfYCahcKEwjg-dDOnN7yAhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQEg&hl=en

Valenza, J. (2016, November 26). Truth, truthiness, triangulation: A news literacy toolkit for a “post-truth” world. School Library Journal. https://blogs.slj.com/neverendingsearch/2016/11/26/truth-truthiness-triangulation-and-the-librarian-way-a-news-literacy-toolkit-for-a-post-truth-world/

Comments

  1. Becky DayJune 26, 2022 at 4:49 AM

    You hit one major issue- people do not take time to view multiple sources and check out the validity of the news. I have gotten into the habit of looking up multiple articles when I want to learn about something. As a parent of a 22 month year old, I have been researching many topics over the last two years.

    Back in the dark ages when I was young, we had to try to find multiple sources from books, encyclopedias and magazines. We had to learn to find different resources because the digital age hadn't fully dawned. It seemed strange to the third graders in my classes that I wanted them to keep looking up material to make sure that the information was correct. When I explained that you want to make sure the author has the right information, they seemed surprise that a book may have wrong information. Hopefully more teachers and librarians will make use of the materials from Common Sense Media to teach children and teens about News and Media Literacy.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Christine BakerJuly 28, 2022 at 5:52 PM

    The internet has made our lives both easier and more difficult at the same time. When I was growing up the internet was new but children now need to be taught how to validate sources and think critically. When I was listening to the podcast I had a thought that adults need more information about checking sources because they make important decisions, like who they vote for, bases off of this misinformation.

    ReplyDelete

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