Fact or Fiction? News and Media Literacy (Grades K-12)

The goal for the News and Media Literacy: Fact or Fiction? course is to examine why students need effective media literacy and research skills to succeed in school, careers, and as an informed citizen. We will discuss why a free press and independent news reporting are vital for preserving American democracy. To accomplish these goals, you will engage with Information and timely research, reflective questions, and opportunities for peer discussion on crucial course topics. You will also explore games, create and develop classroom-centered activities, and identify resources to help students develop critical thinking, understand how propaganda influences our thinking, and become more media literate when doing online research. 

Throughout the course, you will investigate what constitutes media literacy and the right of American citizens to freedom of speech. You will explore the concepts of reliability, credibility, and bias and learn about misinformation, disinformation, and propaganda techniques used to bias individuals online and offline. You will also investigate a variety of influences on teaching and learning such as student personal identity (racial, gender, ethnic, etc.), cultural influences on learning; the impact on student achievement of factors such as teacher personal identity, cultural influences, and biases; and issues that impact equity for all students in the classroom.

You will explore the role of journalists and journalistic reporting in the U.S. and globally and a journalist’s role as a “watchdog” organization to keep the citizenry informed about their actions in their country and world. You will develop targeted instructional techniques to help students understand the impact of targeted advertising on their health, mental wellbeing, and future success. You will also explore how advertisers such as Big Tobacco, the Fast Food Industry, and Big alcohol target minority populations with their advertisements when educators understand how to teach students to interpret media sources they encounter. We will help students synthesize information from multiple sources and consider multiple viewpoints and perspectives to form and support arguments and perspectives. As a result, students will be able to create written and oral presentations that present logical arguments supported by clear and compelling evidence and the principles of effective argumentation. Finally, you will learn to help students think clearly and critically.

Throughout the course, you will be able to reflect on your current practice, explore and reflect on key concepts and ideas and expand your use of effective instructional resources. You will also identify ways to better support students in the classroom to identify their own biases and perspectives. You will also help students evaluate the reliability and truthfulness of the information they find online and offline. This will help students become stronger critical thinkers who seek to understand the viewpoints and perspectives of others.

ADDITIONAL NOTES: TNKL courses receive letter grades. 

Website: www.TeachnKidsLearn.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeachnKidsLearn

Course Location:  www.teachnkidslearn.com

HOW TO ACCESS YOUR COURSE MATERIALS: 

Within 1-2 business days of your Ashland registration, you will receive an email from your course content provider, Teach & Kids Learn, containing instructions on how to access your course materials. A note, their emails are sometimes forwarded to junk or spam folders. 

You'll work with TNKL, using their LMS, to complete the course, at which time, your instructor will post your final grade here to your AU transcript. You'll receive an email notification from Ashland PDS when the grade posts, with instructions on how to view and order transcripts. 

Ashland Professional Development: pds@ashland.edu