Skip to main content

Literacy Intersections (Module 3)

During a meeting with other teachers this week, someone mentioned a new policy change in our school district that she had been informed of via email. Immediately, I jumped on Facebook to see if that information had been posted in our teacher’s Facebook group so I could see it for myself. This was just one example of how often I use social media as a news source, which has been commonplace for most people these days. Even my own students, who are ten years old, tell me about things they learned on social media, especially YouTube and TikTok! While this form of informational diet can be quick and easy, it is not always the most professional. A school librarian should focus his or her information diet around credible and reliable sources. The Framework for 21st Century Learning highlights the importance of information, media, and technology skills and their connection to life skills. This framework is a generalization of all the major literary skills that students, and people, need to be successful in our modern digital world. Even though it is a starting point for librarians, it details some of the skills that need to be incorporated into school media instruction such as how to access and analyze information. This skill is especially prevalent in today’s news world where any information that a person does not agree with is automatically labeled “Fake News.” The Liturgists Podcast titled “Fake News and Media Literacy” goes into detailed examples of what is and is not fake news. They hosts offer a hilarious 90s style rap that can be used by school librarians (clean version) to help teach students how to identify credible news sources. Honestly, this song is extremely catchy and could be played on public radio and TV to help all adults learn to question the validity of their news sources. I know I personally will be monitoring my information diet to ensure the information I digest is valid and accurate, no matter what source I may use.

Comments

  1. mpgwynJanuary 26, 2023 at 5:28 PM

    I completely relate to getting news from Facebook! It's such a useful tool for us in our profession. And my students too get a lot of their information from TikTok too.
    It is frustrating to have the term of "Fake News" tossed around so casually. In fact, my teenaged son uses that term for anything he hears that he doesn't like, so I"m not sure our students even have a clue what it means.
    I agree that the "standards" for our information diet should be high, but like you I often go for what is quick and easily accessed. Hopefully this class will encourage me to challenge myself to be more careful and conscious of the information I consume.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lauren January 26, 2023 at 6:45 PM

    Hi Sam,

    I enjoyed reading your post! For school and district news and events I use Facebook a lot as well. Oftentimes the groups are very active and updated frequently. I definitely love TikTok for learning new things as well. I don’t really use it for news but a lot of times the videos will peak my interest in something which leads to me doing actual research using other sites. Similarly with youtube, I don’t really use it for news but I find that it is a wonderful resource for learning new hands on skills. I am a very visual learner so if I just read directions it might as well be a foreign language. A youtube video allows me to watch and then do, rewinding and pausing as needed.

    I agree that it is critical for librarians as well as all school staff to stress information literacy. Our students have grown up online and their comfort level with technology almost makes it harder for them to discern quality information from the “kinda sus” stuff as the kids would say LOL. Many of my students tend to take google results as the Gospel truth. Many are surprised to learn that Google is not actually a source you cite, it is a source to find sources.

    I also like the Liturgists rap and would love to incorporate the student friendly version into my class. I teach high schoolers so they would groan but they would secretly love it.

    Thanks again for sharing your thoughts.

    Lauren Jordan

    ReplyDelete
  3. Aaron MednickJanuary 27, 2023 at 8:22 AM

    I loved how you used your students as examples (I forget to do this often!). My own mention a great deal of information they learn on tiktok. I have never joined the platform, but can imaged like many others that it is a breeding ground for misinformation. I wonder if schools have a place in assisting students at home with their information diets. Many times it is easy to spot the kids that are on social media and technology way too much. This would be an interesting topic of research!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ladines the LibrarianJanuary 28, 2023 at 8:23 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Reading Rainbows (and Rachel)January 28, 2023 at 9:26 AM

    Much like you, I'm often hearing about things my kids have learned on TikTok or YouTube, and when I do, I make sure to ask them how they know what they saw is true. I try to use those moments as teachable moments to show kids, "Hey, it's important to always evaluate what you see online, especially if it seems to be too good to be true." It's especially entertaining when other students jump in and ask for credibility before I can; I love hearing them say, "You know you can't believe that just because you saw it on TikTok!" Our students definitely make for some teachable moments with information and media literacy!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Ladines the LibrarianJanuary 29, 2023 at 7:14 AM

    I enjoyed reading your blog post and could relate to many things you said. So many of my students (and my biological children) believe everything they see and read on social media is the absolute truth. I also enjoyed the podcast and can see how I can use the information in my school. I feel like the catchy song could be used with students, but I could also use it with my staff members (obviously- it would need a little editing for language). Even though it doesn't teach how to identify fake news, it would make them laugh and get them interested in the discussion. I did find the checklist shared would be good to create a written checklist that could be shared with students and staff. The material in this model has been a good reminder that I need to monitor my information diet and sources more carefully. Thanks again for your post.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Inclusive Resource - Natural Reader (Module 7)

Libraries and media centers are seen as the heart and soul of school and therefor need to be the most inclusive. The library should feel like a home to all students so that they are comfortable and have equal access to all the resources the library has to offer. Students of all abilities should be able to attend library classes and use the available resources. According to A Summary of the Evidence on Inclusive Education, “Placing students with disabilities within mainstream classes without accompanying structural changes to, for example, organization, curriculum and teaching and learning strategies, does not constitute inclusion” (2016, pg. 3). This demonstrates that inclusion is ideal for all students, but only when proper accessibility is put in place.  One such tool for including learning in the library setting is Natural Reader – an online program that converts text to spoken audio for students to listen to the information. This tool helps students who have vision disabilit...
6 comments
Read more

Final Takeaways - Technology in the School Library

 Over the course of this semester, I feel I have begun to touch the surface of the multitude of ways that librarians can (and should) incorporate technology into their daily lessons and spaces. The first few modules of this class helped me understand the ISTE standards, how to incorporate technology into student learning, and informational literacy. However, it was the last few modules that will really stick with me since they have sparked my creativity and have inspired me to try new things in my future library. The following takeaways will help guide me to create the type of tech-forward media center I would have loved to have as a student: 1. Librarians can use social media to connect to their students, staff, and community. It can also be a great advocacy tool for showcasing all the amazing learning opportunities that take place in the library outside of the typical book borrowing. Used correctly, appropriately, and consistently, social media platforms can form relationships ...
Post a Comment
Read more