Alarmed By Fake News States Push Media Literacy In Schools

[Marion Morrison]

Its a shame it has taken so long.The march of the imbeciles has gone too far for civilised society.

It's bad news for Fox News.

Why is that?

They make stuff up to suit their agenda.They cater to low education fuckwits and that demographic is about to be educated.

In what?

In recognising when they are being played.

You do know Fox news has a leftist slant, no?

Btw, it's "recognizing".

 

[Coyote]

Its a shame it has taken so long.The march of the imbeciles has gone too far for civilised society.

Oh hush, indoctrinated lemming. David Gilmour was writing songs about your indoctrination in 1979, it never got any better.

Indoctrination songs go further back then that

 

[frigidweirdo]

They will be teaching only left wing sources as being accurate, with such sites as politifact, factcheck, etc. It will make things worse. Looking at the states doing it and those proposing to, tells a story in and of itself.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Alarmed by the proliferation of false content online, state lawmakers around the country are pushing schools to put more emphasis on teaching students how to tell fact from fiction.

Lawmakers in several states have introduced or passed bills calling on public school systems to do more to teach media literacy skills that they say are critical to democracy. The effort has been bipartisan but has received little attention despite successful legislation in Washington state, Connecticut, Rhode Island and New Mexico.

Several more states are expected to consider such bills in the coming year, including Arizona, New York and Hawaii.

“I don’t think it’s a partisan issue to appreciate the importance of good information and the teaching of tools for navigating the information environment,” said Hans Zeiger, a Republican state senator in Washington who co-sponsored a bill that passed in his state earlier this year. “There is such a thing as an objective source versus other kinds of sources, and that’s an appropriate thing for schools to be teaching.”

Advocates say the K-12 curriculum has not kept pace with rapid changes in technology. Studies show many children spend hours every day online but struggle to comprehend the content that comes at them.

For years, they have pushed schools to incorporate media literacy — including the ability to evaluate and analyze sources of information — into lesson plans in civics, language arts, science and other subjects.

Their efforts started getting traction after the 2016 presidential election, which highlighted how even many adults can be fooled by false and misleading content peddled by agenda-driven domestic and foreign sources.

“Five years ago, it was difficult to get people to understand what we were doing and what we wanted to see happen in education and the skills students needed to learn,” said Michelle Ciulla Lipkin, executive director of the National Association for Media Literacy Education. “Now there is no question about the vitalness of this in classrooms.”

A study published last year by Stanford University researchers also brought the issue into focus. It warned that students from middle school to college were “easily duped” and ill-equipped to use reason with online information.

The researchers warned that “democracy is threatened by the ease at which disinformation about civic issues is allowed to spread and flourish.”

In June, Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy signed a bill establishing an advisory council to develop recommendations that will include instructing students on evaluating what they see and read online.

Jennifer Rocca, a high school librarian in Brookfield, Connecticut, was among several supporters who urged lawmakers to pass the legislation.

Her digital literacy course, a requirement for freshmen, challenges students to evaluate the credibility of online sources so they can spot falsehoods and biased information. She requires students to cite their sources when conducting research and explain why each would have the authority to be credible.

Without stronger statewide standards, Rocca said she worries that some school districts will not do enough to develop skills that are critical for students and society.

“You should be expected to navigate the internet and evaluate the information no matter where you go to school,” she said.

Many of the state bills are based on model legislation backed by a coalition of groups, including Media Literacy Now and the Digital Citizenship Institute. Advocates say the laws are a good first step that must be paired with updates to teacher education programs, funding for professional development and other changes throughout the education system.

The efforts have run into concerns about school funding shortfalls, and supporters say they are mindful of adding mandates on districts and teachers. That’s why the laws have so far stopped short of dictating changes and instead called for voluntary actions.

New Mexico Rep. Antonio “Moe” Maestas, D-Albuquerque, said media literacy is an elective in the state’s secondary schools curriculum — unlike financial literacy, which is required. He said he would like to see that changed in coming years and “intertwined throughout the entire curriculum regardless of what you are teaching.”

Last summer, Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo signed two bills calling on state education officials to work with media literacy organizations to consider incorporating the subject into the basic education program.

The new law in Washington requires the state school superintendent to create a website with links to successful media literacy practices. The office also must conduct a survey to understand how librarians, teachers, principals and technology directors are integrating those subjects into their curriculum.

Supporters are helping lawmakers in several states draft similar bills to be introduced in 2018.

“The combination of social media and misinformation really captured people’s awareness and attention in the last year,” said Erin McNeill, president of Media Literacy Now, a nonprofit based in Watertown, Massachusetts. “It took a long time to get media literacy into the public consciousness.”


Spread of fake news prompts literacy efforts in schools

Ah, the old victim playing.

This will, of course, hurt the right a lot more, because the right, like Trump, like to make things up a lot more.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

If we can teach them to read, that will be the end of liberalism.

Sean Hannity doesn't work and never has worked for CNN!

 

[Tommy Tainant]

They will be teaching only left wing sources as being accurate, with such sites as politifact, factcheck, etc. It will make things worse. Looking at the states doing it and those proposing to, tells a story in and of itself.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Alarmed by the proliferation of false content online, state lawmakers around the country are pushing schools to put more emphasis on teaching students how to tell fact from fiction.

Lawmakers in several states have introduced or passed bills calling on public school systems to do more to teach media literacy skills that they say are critical to democracy. The effort has been bipartisan but has received little attention despite successful legislation in Washington state, Connecticut, Rhode Island and New Mexico.

Several more states are expected to consider such bills in the coming year, including Arizona, New York and Hawaii.

“I don’t think it’s a partisan issue to appreciate the importance of good information and the teaching of tools for navigating the information environment,” said Hans Zeiger, a Republican state senator in Washington who co-sponsored a bill that passed in his state earlier this year. “There is such a thing as an objective source versus other kinds of sources, and that’s an appropriate thing for schools to be teaching.”

Advocates say the K-12 curriculum has not kept pace with rapid changes in technology. Studies show many children spend hours every day online but struggle to comprehend the content that comes at them.

For years, they have pushed schools to incorporate media literacy — including the ability to evaluate and analyze sources of information — into lesson plans in civics, language arts, science and other subjects.

Their efforts started getting traction after the 2016 presidential election, which highlighted how even many adults can be fooled by false and misleading content peddled by agenda-driven domestic and foreign sources.

“Five years ago, it was difficult to get people to understand what we were doing and what we wanted to see happen in education and the skills students needed to learn,” said Michelle Ciulla Lipkin, executive director of the National Association for Media Literacy Education. “Now there is no question about the vitalness of this in classrooms.”

A study published last year by Stanford University researchers also brought the issue into focus. It warned that students from middle school to college were “easily duped” and ill-equipped to use reason with online information.

The researchers warned that “democracy is threatened by the ease at which disinformation about civic issues is allowed to spread and flourish.”

In June, Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy signed a bill establishing an advisory council to develop recommendations that will include instructing students on evaluating what they see and read online.

Jennifer Rocca, a high school librarian in Brookfield, Connecticut, was among several supporters who urged lawmakers to pass the legislation.

Her digital literacy course, a requirement for freshmen, challenges students to evaluate the credibility of online sources so they can spot falsehoods and biased information. She requires students to cite their sources when conducting research and explain why each would have the authority to be credible.

Without stronger statewide standards, Rocca said she worries that some school districts will not do enough to develop skills that are critical for students and society.

“You should be expected to navigate the internet and evaluate the information no matter where you go to school,” she said.

Many of the state bills are based on model legislation backed by a coalition of groups, including Media Literacy Now and the Digital Citizenship Institute. Advocates say the laws are a good first step that must be paired with updates to teacher education programs, funding for professional development and other changes throughout the education system.

The efforts have run into concerns about school funding shortfalls, and supporters say they are mindful of adding mandates on districts and teachers. That’s why the laws have so far stopped short of dictating changes and instead called for voluntary actions.

New Mexico Rep. Antonio “Moe” Maestas, D-Albuquerque, said media literacy is an elective in the state’s secondary schools curriculum — unlike financial literacy, which is required. He said he would like to see that changed in coming years and “intertwined throughout the entire curriculum regardless of what you are teaching.”

Last summer, Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo signed two bills calling on state education officials to work with media literacy organizations to consider incorporating the subject into the basic education program.

The new law in Washington requires the state school superintendent to create a website with links to successful media literacy practices. The office also must conduct a survey to understand how librarians, teachers, principals and technology directors are integrating those subjects into their curriculum.

Supporters are helping lawmakers in several states draft similar bills to be introduced in 2018.

“The combination of social media and misinformation really captured people’s awareness and attention in the last year,” said Erin McNeill, president of Media Literacy Now, a nonprofit based in Watertown, Massachusetts. “It took a long time to get media literacy into the public consciousness.”


Spread of fake news prompts literacy efforts in schools

Ah, the old victim playing.

This will, of course, hurt the right a lot more, because the right, like Trump, like to make things up a lot more.

Its because they havent got a case on any subject.

 

[Marion Morrison]

Its a shame it has taken so long.The march of the imbeciles has gone too far for civilised society.

Oh hush, indoctrinated lemming. David Gilmour was writing songs about your indoctrination in 1979, it never got any better.

Indoctrination songs go further back then that

Where do I sign up for the John Birch Society?

Something tells me this was to poke fun @ McCarthy.

That's a far cry from state school indoctrinating.

 

[depotoo]

No victim. Just truth. Sadly, the victims will be the students, as you are right, they will be lied to.

They will be teaching only left wing sources as being accurate, with such sites as politifact, factcheck, etc. It will make things worse. Looking at the states doing it and those proposing to, tells a story in and of itself.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Alarmed by the proliferation of false content online, state lawmakers around the country are pushing schools to put more emphasis on teaching students how to tell fact from fiction.

Lawmakers in several states have introduced or passed bills calling on public school systems to do more to teach media literacy skills that they say are critical to democracy. The effort has been bipartisan but has received little attention despite successful legislation in Washington state, Connecticut, Rhode Island and New Mexico.

Several more states are expected to consider such bills in the coming year, including Arizona, New York and Hawaii.

“I don’t think it’s a partisan issue to appreciate the importance of good information and the teaching of tools for navigating the information environment,” said Hans Zeiger, a Republican state senator in Washington who co-sponsored a bill that passed in his state earlier this year. “There is such a thing as an objective source versus other kinds of sources, and that’s an appropriate thing for schools to be teaching.”

Advocates say the K-12 curriculum has not kept pace with rapid changes in technology. Studies show many children spend hours every day online but struggle to comprehend the content that comes at them.

For years, they have pushed schools to incorporate media literacy — including the ability to evaluate and analyze sources of information — into lesson plans in civics, language arts, science and other subjects.

Their efforts started getting traction after the 2016 presidential election, which highlighted how even many adults can be fooled by false and misleading content peddled by agenda-driven domestic and foreign sources.

“Five years ago, it was difficult to get people to understand what we were doing and what we wanted to see happen in education and the skills students needed to learn,” said Michelle Ciulla Lipkin, executive director of the National Association for Media Literacy Education. “Now there is no question about the vitalness of this in classrooms.”

A study published last year by Stanford University researchers also brought the issue into focus. It warned that students from middle school to college were “easily duped” and ill-equipped to use reason with online information.

The researchers warned that “democracy is threatened by the ease at which disinformation about civic issues is allowed to spread and flourish.”

In June, Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy signed a bill establishing an advisory council to develop recommendations that will include instructing students on evaluating what they see and read online.

Jennifer Rocca, a high school librarian in Brookfield, Connecticut, was among several supporters who urged lawmakers to pass the legislation.

Her digital literacy course, a requirement for freshmen, challenges students to evaluate the credibility of online sources so they can spot falsehoods and biased information. She requires students to cite their sources when conducting research and explain why each would have the authority to be credible.

Without stronger statewide standards, Rocca said she worries that some school districts will not do enough to develop skills that are critical for students and society.

“You should be expected to navigate the internet and evaluate the information no matter where you go to school,” she said.

Many of the state bills are based on model legislation backed by a coalition of groups, including Media Literacy Now and the Digital Citizenship Institute. Advocates say the laws are a good first step that must be paired with updates to teacher education programs, funding for professional development and other changes throughout the education system.

The efforts have run into concerns about school funding shortfalls, and supporters say they are mindful of adding mandates on districts and teachers. That’s why the laws have so far stopped short of dictating changes and instead called for voluntary actions.

New Mexico Rep. Antonio “Moe” Maestas, D-Albuquerque, said media literacy is an elective in the state’s secondary schools curriculum — unlike financial literacy, which is required. He said he would like to see that changed in coming years and “intertwined throughout the entire curriculum regardless of what you are teaching.”

Last summer, Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo signed two bills calling on state education officials to work with media literacy organizations to consider incorporating the subject into the basic education program.

The new law in Washington requires the state school superintendent to create a website with links to successful media literacy practices. The office also must conduct a survey to understand how librarians, teachers, principals and technology directors are integrating those subjects into their curriculum.

Supporters are helping lawmakers in several states draft similar bills to be introduced in 2018.

“The combination of social media and misinformation really captured people’s awareness and attention in the last year,” said Erin McNeill, president of Media Literacy Now, a nonprofit based in Watertown, Massachusetts. “It took a long time to get media literacy into the public consciousness.”


Spread of fake news prompts literacy efforts in schools

Ah, the old victim playing.

This will, of course, hurt the right a lot more, because the right, like Trump, like to make things up a lot more.

 

[Coyote]

Its a shame it has taken so long.The march of the imbeciles has gone too far for civilised society.

Oh hush, indoctrinated lemming. David Gilmour was writing songs about your indoctrination in 1979, it never got any better.

Indoctrination songs go further back then that

Where do I sign up for the John Birch Society?

Something tells me this was to poke fun @ McCarthy.

That's a far cry from state school indoctrinating.

It was 1962, and poking fun

But too much so-called indoctrination really isn't. We need to be careful labeling.

 

[koshergrl]

It's just a way for them to push ideology. One of my daughter's teacher's was teaching them about *fake news*. I wouldn't trust that snake to teach my girl how to wash a dish. Guess what news is always fake? News that prints stuff they don't agree with.

Teachers should be teaching their fucking subjects.

 

[Marion Morrison]

It's just a way for them to push ideology. One of my daughter's teacher's was teaching them about *fake news*. I wouldn't trust that snake to teach my girl how to wash a dish. Guess what news is always fake? News that prints stuff they don't agree with.

Teachers should be teaching their fucking subjects.

And critical thinking.

 

[Coyote]

A good teacher teaches her students how to figure out what is factual and what isn't - critical thinking. She doesn't tell them outright, but gives them the tools and promotes discussion.

 

[frigidweirdo]

No victim. Just truth. Sadly, the victims will be the students, as you are right, they will be lied to.

They will be teaching only left wing sources as being accurate, with such sites as politifact, factcheck, etc. It will make things worse. Looking at the states doing it and those proposing to, tells a story in and of itself.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Alarmed by the proliferation of false content online, state lawmakers around the country are pushing schools to put more emphasis on teaching students how to tell fact from fiction.

Lawmakers in several states have introduced or passed bills calling on public school systems to do more to teach media literacy skills that they say are critical to democracy. The effort has been bipartisan but has received little attention despite successful legislation in Washington state, Connecticut, Rhode Island and New Mexico.

Several more states are expected to consider such bills in the coming year, including Arizona, New York and Hawaii.

“I don’t think it’s a partisan issue to appreciate the importance of good information and the teaching of tools for navigating the information environment,” said Hans Zeiger, a Republican state senator in Washington who co-sponsored a bill that passed in his state earlier this year. “There is such a thing as an objective source versus other kinds of sources, and that’s an appropriate thing for schools to be teaching.”

Advocates say the K-12 curriculum has not kept pace with rapid changes in technology. Studies show many children spend hours every day online but struggle to comprehend the content that comes at them.

For years, they have pushed schools to incorporate media literacy — including the ability to evaluate and analyze sources of information — into lesson plans in civics, language arts, science and other subjects.

Their efforts started getting traction after the 2016 presidential election, which highlighted how even many adults can be fooled by false and misleading content peddled by agenda-driven domestic and foreign sources.

“Five years ago, it was difficult to get people to understand what we were doing and what we wanted to see happen in education and the skills students needed to learn,” said Michelle Ciulla Lipkin, executive director of the National Association for Media Literacy Education. “Now there is no question about the vitalness of this in classrooms.”

A study published last year by Stanford University researchers also brought the issue into focus. It warned that students from middle school to college were “easily duped” and ill-equipped to use reason with online information.

The researchers warned that “democracy is threatened by the ease at which disinformation about civic issues is allowed to spread and flourish.”

In June, Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy signed a bill establishing an advisory council to develop recommendations that will include instructing students on evaluating what they see and read online.

Jennifer Rocca, a high school librarian in Brookfield, Connecticut, was among several supporters who urged lawmakers to pass the legislation.

Her digital literacy course, a requirement for freshmen, challenges students to evaluate the credibility of online sources so they can spot falsehoods and biased information. She requires students to cite their sources when conducting research and explain why each would have the authority to be credible.

Without stronger statewide standards, Rocca said she worries that some school districts will not do enough to develop skills that are critical for students and society.

“You should be expected to navigate the internet and evaluate the information no matter where you go to school,” she said.

Many of the state bills are based on model legislation backed by a coalition of groups, including Media Literacy Now and the Digital Citizenship Institute. Advocates say the laws are a good first step that must be paired with updates to teacher education programs, funding for professional development and other changes throughout the education system.

The efforts have run into concerns about school funding shortfalls, and supporters say they are mindful of adding mandates on districts and teachers. That’s why the laws have so far stopped short of dictating changes and instead called for voluntary actions.

New Mexico Rep. Antonio “Moe” Maestas, D-Albuquerque, said media literacy is an elective in the state’s secondary schools curriculum — unlike financial literacy, which is required. He said he would like to see that changed in coming years and “intertwined throughout the entire curriculum regardless of what you are teaching.”

Last summer, Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo signed two bills calling on state education officials to work with media literacy organizations to consider incorporating the subject into the basic education program.

The new law in Washington requires the state school superintendent to create a website with links to successful media literacy practices. The office also must conduct a survey to understand how librarians, teachers, principals and technology directors are integrating those subjects into their curriculum.

Supporters are helping lawmakers in several states draft similar bills to be introduced in 2018.

“The combination of social media and misinformation really captured people’s awareness and attention in the last year,” said Erin McNeill, president of Media Literacy Now, a nonprofit based in Watertown, Massachusetts. “It took a long time to get media literacy into the public consciousness.”


Spread of fake news prompts literacy efforts in schools

Ah, the old victim playing.

This will, of course, hurt the right a lot more, because the right, like Trump, like to make things up a lot more.

The truth?

Some teachers might try indoctrination of some sort.

The BIGGEST problem here is that the political system is so partisan that it leaks to all other areas of life. You don't see this in other countries because there's more choice.

Until the US changes the way people vote in the representatives, you're going to constantly have partisans on BOTH SIDES who will push people to be on their side. It's destroying the US.

Yet people like you actually SUPPORT keeping the system because you think it somehow benefits you, without seeing how it's destroying what's around you.

 

[Tommy Tainant]

It's bad news for Fox News.

Why is that?

They make stuff up to suit their agenda.They cater to low education fuckwits and that demographic is about to be educated.

In what?

In recognising when they are being played.

You do know Fox news has a leftist slant, no?

Btw, it's "recognizing".

No it isnt. I take no cognisance of your backward colonial spelling.

 

[depotoo]

Actually, it worked for many years. Others are attempting to destroy its very foundation. That is the problem.

No victim. Just truth. Sadly, the victims will be the students, as you are right, they will be lied to.

They will be teaching only left wing sources as being accurate, with such sites as politifact, factcheck, etc. It will make things worse. Looking at the states doing it and those proposing to, tells a story in and of itself.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Alarmed by the proliferation of false content online, state lawmakers around the country are pushing schools to put more emphasis on teaching students how to tell fact from fiction.

Lawmakers in several states have introduced or passed bills calling on public school systems to do more to teach media literacy skills that they say are critical to democracy. The effort has been bipartisan but has received little attention despite successful legislation in Washington state, Connecticut, Rhode Island and New Mexico.

Several more states are expected to consider such bills in the coming year, including Arizona, New York and Hawaii.

“I don’t think it’s a partisan issue to appreciate the importance of good information and the teaching of tools for navigating the information environment,” said Hans Zeiger, a Republican state senator in Washington who co-sponsored a bill that passed in his state earlier this year. “There is such a thing as an objective source versus other kinds of sources, and that’s an appropriate thing for schools to be teaching.”

Advocates say the K-12 curriculum has not kept pace with rapid changes in technology. Studies show many children spend hours every day online but struggle to comprehend the content that comes at them.

For years, they have pushed schools to incorporate media literacy — including the ability to evaluate and analyze sources of information — into lesson plans in civics, language arts, science and other subjects.

Their efforts started getting traction after the 2016 presidential election, which highlighted how even many adults can be fooled by false and misleading content peddled by agenda-driven domestic and foreign sources.

“Five years ago, it was difficult to get people to understand what we were doing and what we wanted to see happen in education and the skills students needed to learn,” said Michelle Ciulla Lipkin, executive director of the National Association for Media Literacy Education. “Now there is no question about the vitalness of this in classrooms.”

A study published last year by Stanford University researchers also brought the issue into focus. It warned that students from middle school to college were “easily duped” and ill-equipped to use reason with online information.

The researchers warned that “democracy is threatened by the ease at which disinformation about civic issues is allowed to spread and flourish.”

In June, Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy signed a bill establishing an advisory council to develop recommendations that will include instructing students on evaluating what they see and read online.

Jennifer Rocca, a high school librarian in Brookfield, Connecticut, was among several supporters who urged lawmakers to pass the legislation.

Her digital literacy course, a requirement for freshmen, challenges students to evaluate the credibility of online sources so they can spot falsehoods and biased information. She requires students to cite their sources when conducting research and explain why each would have the authority to be credible.

Without stronger statewide standards, Rocca said she worries that some school districts will not do enough to develop skills that are critical for students and society.

“You should be expected to navigate the internet and evaluate the information no matter where you go to school,” she said.

Many of the state bills are based on model legislation backed by a coalition of groups, including Media Literacy Now and the Digital Citizenship Institute. Advocates say the laws are a good first step that must be paired with updates to teacher education programs, funding for professional development and other changes throughout the education system.

The efforts have run into concerns about school funding shortfalls, and supporters say they are mindful of adding mandates on districts and teachers. That’s why the laws have so far stopped short of dictating changes and instead called for voluntary actions.

New Mexico Rep. Antonio “Moe” Maestas, D-Albuquerque, said media literacy is an elective in the state’s secondary schools curriculum — unlike financial literacy, which is required. He said he would like to see that changed in coming years and “intertwined throughout the entire curriculum regardless of what you are teaching.”

Last summer, Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo signed two bills calling on state education officials to work with media literacy organizations to consider incorporating the subject into the basic education program.

The new law in Washington requires the state school superintendent to create a website with links to successful media literacy practices. The office also must conduct a survey to understand how librarians, teachers, principals and technology directors are integrating those subjects into their curriculum.

Supporters are helping lawmakers in several states draft similar bills to be introduced in 2018.

“The combination of social media and misinformation really captured people’s awareness and attention in the last year,” said Erin McNeill, president of Media Literacy Now, a nonprofit based in Watertown, Massachusetts. “It took a long time to get media literacy into the public consciousness.”


Spread of fake news prompts literacy efforts in schools

Ah, the old victim playing.

This will, of course, hurt the right a lot more, because the right, like Trump, like to make things up a lot more.

The truth?

Some teachers might try indoctrination of some sort.

The BIGGEST problem here is that the political system is so partisan that it leaks to all other areas of life. You don't see this in other countries because there's more choice.

Until the US changes the way people vote in the representatives, you're going to constantly have partisans on BOTH SIDES who will push people to be on their side. It's destroying the US.

Yet people like you actually SUPPORT keeping the system because you think it somehow benefits you, without seeing how it's destroying what's around you.

 

[skews13]

No victim. Just truth. Sadly, the victims will be the students, as you are right, they will be lied to.

They will be teaching only left wing sources as being accurate, with such sites as politifact, factcheck, etc. It will make things worse. Looking at the states doing it and those proposing to, tells a story in and of itself.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Alarmed by the proliferation of false content online, state lawmakers around the country are pushing schools to put more emphasis on teaching students how to tell fact from fiction.

Lawmakers in several states have introduced or passed bills calling on public school systems to do more to teach media literacy skills that they say are critical to democracy. The effort has been bipartisan but has received little attention despite successful legislation in Washington state, Connecticut, Rhode Island and New Mexico.

Several more states are expected to consider such bills in the coming year, including Arizona, New York and Hawaii.

“I don’t think it’s a partisan issue to appreciate the importance of good information and the teaching of tools for navigating the information environment,” said Hans Zeiger, a Republican state senator in Washington who co-sponsored a bill that passed in his state earlier this year. “There is such a thing as an objective source versus other kinds of sources, and that’s an appropriate thing for schools to be teaching.”

Advocates say the K-12 curriculum has not kept pace with rapid changes in technology. Studies show many children spend hours every day online but struggle to comprehend the content that comes at them.

For years, they have pushed schools to incorporate media literacy — including the ability to evaluate and analyze sources of information — into lesson plans in civics, language arts, science and other subjects.

Their efforts started getting traction after the 2016 presidential election, which highlighted how even many adults can be fooled by false and misleading content peddled by agenda-driven domestic and foreign sources.

“Five years ago, it was difficult to get people to understand what we were doing and what we wanted to see happen in education and the skills students needed to learn,” said Michelle Ciulla Lipkin, executive director of the National Association for Media Literacy Education. “Now there is no question about the vitalness of this in classrooms.”

A study published last year by Stanford University researchers also brought the issue into focus. It warned that students from middle school to college were “easily duped” and ill-equipped to use reason with online information.

The researchers warned that “democracy is threatened by the ease at which disinformation about civic issues is allowed to spread and flourish.”

In June, Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy signed a bill establishing an advisory council to develop recommendations that will include instructing students on evaluating what they see and read online.

Jennifer Rocca, a high school librarian in Brookfield, Connecticut, was among several supporters who urged lawmakers to pass the legislation.

Her digital literacy course, a requirement for freshmen, challenges students to evaluate the credibility of online sources so they can spot falsehoods and biased information. She requires students to cite their sources when conducting research and explain why each would have the authority to be credible.

Without stronger statewide standards, Rocca said she worries that some school districts will not do enough to develop skills that are critical for students and society.

“You should be expected to navigate the internet and evaluate the information no matter where you go to school,” she said.

Many of the state bills are based on model legislation backed by a coalition of groups, including Media Literacy Now and the Digital Citizenship Institute. Advocates say the laws are a good first step that must be paired with updates to teacher education programs, funding for professional development and other changes throughout the education system.

The efforts have run into concerns about school funding shortfalls, and supporters say they are mindful of adding mandates on districts and teachers. That’s why the laws have so far stopped short of dictating changes and instead called for voluntary actions.

New Mexico Rep. Antonio “Moe” Maestas, D-Albuquerque, said media literacy is an elective in the state’s secondary schools curriculum — unlike financial literacy, which is required. He said he would like to see that changed in coming years and “intertwined throughout the entire curriculum regardless of what you are teaching.”

Last summer, Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo signed two bills calling on state education officials to work with media literacy organizations to consider incorporating the subject into the basic education program.

The new law in Washington requires the state school superintendent to create a website with links to successful media literacy practices. The office also must conduct a survey to understand how librarians, teachers, principals and technology directors are integrating those subjects into their curriculum.

Supporters are helping lawmakers in several states draft similar bills to be introduced in 2018.

“The combination of social media and misinformation really captured people’s awareness and attention in the last year,” said Erin McNeill, president of Media Literacy Now, a nonprofit based in Watertown, Massachusetts. “It took a long time to get media literacy into the public consciousness.”


Spread of fake news prompts literacy efforts in schools

Ah, the old victim playing.

This will, of course, hurt the right a lot more, because the right, like Trump, like to make things up a lot more.

The truth?

Some teachers might try indoctrination of some sort.

The BIGGEST problem here is that the political system is so partisan that it leaks to all other areas of life. You don't see this in other countries because there's more choice.

Until the US changes the way people vote in the representatives, you're going to constantly have partisans on BOTH SIDES who will push people to be on their side. It's destroying the US.

Yet people like you actually SUPPORT keeping the system because you think it somehow benefits you, without seeing how it's destroying what's around you.

As long as we have a Supreme Court that says the bullshit that eminates from Fox News and AM talk radio can pass for news, we will need as many of these programs in our school system as we can to make sure our kids can separate that fiction from reality.

 

[depotoo]

Talk about brain washed people...

 

[IsaacNewton]

Get rid of Fake Fox News and you eliminate 80% of fake news. Con talk radio accounts for 15% more and the con websites like Alex Jones accounts for the rest. Trump is a crucial contributor to the lies all of these outlets put out.

 

[skews13]

Talk about brain washed people...

 

[depotoo]

No, I don’t.

Talk about brain washed people...

 

[Hossfly]

Get rid of Fake Fox News and you eliminate 80% of fake news. Con talk radio accounts for 15% more and the con websites like Alex Jones accounts for the rest. Trump is a crucial contributor to the lies all of these outlets put out.

What lies? List them. Why would anyone lie about documented and photographed events?