iPads, MakerEd and More in Education

Disinformation is false information spread deliberately to deceive. This is a subset of misinformation, which also may unintentional. […] misinformation refers to inaccuracies that stem from error, disinformation is deliberate falsehood promulgated by design.

So, if disinformation is…deliberate falsehood promulgated by design…, maybe we should unpack and study the design of such information in order to be better prepared and aware to take action when we encounter such falsehood.

The digital age has heightened our vulnerability to falsehood, but recognizing such weaknesses can help guard against them

News literacy is a hot topic in the national media, not just in education. The lexicon is changing. Popular news outlets now routinely use phrases such as “different narrative,” “right version,” “fake news,” “alternative facts,” and “wrong information” to describe one another’s reporting. Six in ten Americans get their news from social media, and according to UNESCO’s Five Laws of Media and Information Literacy, that is not a bad thing so long as news consumers are equipped to read intelligently: with skepticism and empathy. In this edWebinar, Michelle Luhtala, Library Department Chair at New Canaan (CT) High School and Jackie Whiting, Library Media Specialist at Wilton High School, CT, share close reading exercises and activities for learners in grades 6-12.

Today on the podcast we’re talking about news literacy, and the challenge of teaching students to navigate the relentless flow of information they get through social media and websites and YouTube and ... podcasts.

What are the stakes of making sure the next generation can sort fact from propaganda or spin? Here’s how a 10th grader in Southern California puts it:

“If misinformation gets spread and if enough people believe it, it could cause problems and a lot of people will be confused about what’s true and what’s not true—it’s really important to know what facts are real.”

That’s Valeria Luquin, a 15-year-old who has recently gone through a journalism course that went over the basics of news literacy. The course used materials created by a nonprofit called the News Literacy Project, which provides a set of online materials and offers professional development for teachers.

Do students need to learn about fake news? And more generally, should they learn how news is created and how to evaluate its credibility?

Thousands of schools all over the world believe the answer is yes.