When I think about digital literacy, specifically fake news, my grandparents are the first thing that comes to mind. I love my grandparents with all of my heart, but man, oh man, sometimes I can’t help but laugh when my grandpa shares something he read from the news on his iPad, especially when it is so clearly not accurate or biased entirely.
In complete transparency, it is not his fault. He does not know any better. Older generations and young children are some of the most vulnerable, especially regarding conversations about Fake News and digital literacy. My grandpa never grew up with technology; he was never taught how to identify fake news or fishy headlines. Everything concerning digital literacy is entirely new to him, much like children. The concerning part is that both groups of people have access to the digital world, whether through iPads, phones, or computers. They are exposed to it all. This is why teaching children, starting at a young age, is so important to teach them the importance of digital literacy. It is a lot easier to teach children how to identify fake news, when it is taught at school. I think now, many people could benefit from a lesson on how not everything you read or see on the internet is true, but it is a lot harder to try to tell a fully grown adult that than a child.
I am currently in a grade 5/6 class until Christmas, and I think teaching about digital literacy would be quite interesting, especially because most of them have cell phones that they use regularly (not in class, obviously). I think a fun way to introduce digital literacy would be through a Blooket. The grade 5/6 that I am currently teaching love games, so it would be engaging and entertaining to have them read facts or statements and choose whether or not they think they are true or false. It would open the door to a lot of fun discussion.
After introducing the concept to the students, I would use the TedEd resource below. I like this resource because it is interactive and educational. It teaches students what to look for and how to identify misleading headlines, simultaneously teaching them that not everything they read is true.
Another resource I would use in the grade 5/6 class is the article, Fake News. I remember being shown articles like this in high school, and they were always the best classes because all the students were engaged, and it felt relatable. Students are even more tech-savvy and connected digitally now than I was back in high school. Leading me to believe, that they would buy into a lesson like this even more so! The article is also up to date with memes, which I already know the grade 5/6s would eat that up… It would be a good mixture of fun and educational.
Lastly, I would utilize the comic resource. I love that it is engaging, age appropriate, yet educational. It talks about real-life problems and issues that divide one another and how easily that can happen when networking digitally, but in a child friendly way, through a comic. Students are more likely to want to learn when they can relate, this is very much a conversation that relates to them and that they can connect with since most have access to the digital world.
To conclude, I would like to discuss the goals of the NCTE framework. The article talks states “the internet is one of the primary information sources of the modern era, making it a necessity for learners to understand how to participate and navigate the networked world”. I couldn’t agree with this statement more. It reiterates the importance of teaching digital literacy at younger ages, as the internet is the main source for information in this modern era. I think that this article/framework could be used to help create a mini unit or lesson on digital literacy. As most curriculums have not been updated for 7-10 + years. I can’t imagine, I would find an abundance of indicators that relate directly to digital literacy in the curriculum. However, this framework can act as guidelines to important teaching components.
This post was really informative! I like how you basically planned out a unit on here haha might steal it in the future
You made a great point about the fact that kids at that age will likely be incredibly engaged in lessons on digital literacy (as long as you have some memes they love in there). I don’t know if high school students will be the same, but it probably just depends on the class. I also think you have put together a great plan here!