An interactive piece from CNN focusing on the role of education, critical media literacy, and the fight against fake news.
“What we want our students to do is … before they like or share in the social media they think twice – who has written this? Where has it been published? Can I find the same information from another source?” Kari Kivinen, director of Helsinki French-Finnish School and former secretary-general of the European Schools, told CNN.
Much of this we’ve seen before. Education, specifically critical literacy, and critical media literacy is needed in our schools and society.
Part of the challenge is that this practice often fails when it goes up against our value systems. and the very act of routinely questioning everything you read or learn, is antithetical to the narrative shared by many parents and educators.
In much of my research, I view this as a need to build healthy skepticism in students. This perspective is often challenged by colleagues…and is evidenced in the piece.
He cautioned that it is a balancing act trying to make sure skepticism doesn’t give way to cynicism in students.
I ultimately view this healthy skepticism as the same insight that we have when a stranger rings our door bell on the weekend offering to repair our roof, or sell us solar panels. It is the same perspective that we have when a telemarketer calls our phone indicating they have a great new deal for us.
Hopefully we can create a new generation of web literate individuals that can employ this healthy skepticism…while utilizing these techniques as they create digital content online as well.
“It’s very annoying having to fact check everything, not being able to trust anything … or anyone on the internet,” said 15-year-old Tatu Tukiainen, one of the students in Uitto’s class. “I think we should try to put a stop to that.”
SOURCE: CNN
For more insight on this, review this Twitter thread from Mike Caulfield.