As we welcome technology into our classroom, not only is digital citizenship something that we need to teach our students, but how to figure out if information they find true or is it fake. Websites do a fantastic job at making their information websites look creditable when in reality they are filled with tons of misinformation. I think that there are many was that we can ensure that we are reaching the NCTE framework and alot of resources out there to use.
Not only do these sites give us untrue information, they can have viruses attached to them or lead us to pictures or articles that are not appropriate for our students. In the article How do we teach students to identify fake news, they give us 4 main suggestions: move beyond traditional -and often ineffective-information evaluation checklists, prioritize helping students helping students develop investigative techniques, teach students to identify biases, and bring real-world fake news examples that we encounter everyday into the classroom. As students get older it is important for them to figure out on their own if they are on a safe, creditable site and we can help them learn some core basics to look for. They also provided a poster to hang in your classroom, which I thought was a pretty good resource to use when teaching about fake news.
EdCan-Network_Facts-on-Education_Fake-News-1
I was relating this to if I was teaching in a grade 4 classroom and we were doing a science research project about plants and animals and their habitats. Part of their project would be to research a habitat and then be able to tell the animals and plants that could be found in that area. I went to look for some resources and I found articles like the ones that we looked at during class that we looked at, they were different then these ones that you could use with students before starting their research so they are aware that everything you see on the internet isn’t always true. I found this checklist that you could have as a poster in your classroom and it could be printed for each student to have and reference. Before they use information for their research, they would have to go through the checklist and show that they did in order to continue.
I could totally relate to the article posted It’s easier to call a fact a fact when it’s one that you like, I think adults and kids are both guilty of finding facts that we believe are already true to prove our point if they are or not. Or if it says something really interesting that could be on the fence of real or fake, we often retreat to the real side.
I think if we find resources that are fun and exciting to get students attention they will see the importance in it. I like little online quizzes like Can you spot the fake new headline? I am sure there are some that are more age appropriate for the age of your students that would get them engaged. I found this one on CBC kids and if you scroll towards the bottom it has other tools on digital citizenship and other online resources. Kahoot also had a good selection of quizzes about this subject area or you could make up your own on here as well.
Hi Angela, I completely agree it is so easy to fall for fake news when it is something we like. I enjoyed how you mentioned bringing in real resources for our students that are fun and exciting. I learn better when it is something engaging or something I like, I think it is good that we do this for our students.
Hi Angela. I really like how you’re approaching the importance of teaching students how to spot fake news! It’s so true that we’re all susceptible to believing information that aligns with our existing beliefs, and that’s something we need to help students recognize. I fall for this all the time too :(.I love the idea of using fun, engaging resources like quizzes and interactive tools to get students excited about learning these important skills.