NLP at ISTE: What educators need to know to teach about algorithms and the news

By Cassidy Whaley

The News Literacy Project will lead a presentation at the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) conference today in San Antonio, Texas. Erin Olson, director of state engagement at the News Literacy Project, will speak on “Info Empowered,” a session designed to help educators integrate news and media literacy into their teaching using the News Literacy Project’s free resources.

A recent study by the News Literacy Project found that an overwhelming majority of teens – 94% – think schools should teach news and media literacy. The research also noted that teens urgently need news literacy skills to help them make sense of information, with 8 in 10 of those surveyed reporting that they see conspiracy theories online and 81% of those students say they are inclined to believe at least one.

The News Literacy Project’s ISTE presentation will explore interactive lessons on topics such as algorithms, evaluating credibility and the role of journalism in a democracy. The session will introduce educators to the Checkology^® virtual classroom and The Sift^®, a weekly newsletter that provides educators with classroom-ready material based on current examples of misinformation and viral rumors.

Educators attending the session will engage in hands-on activities, including news literacy quizzes, lesson previews and collaborative planning to align News Literacy Project resources with their classroom goals.

To learn more, visit newslit.org.