This free webinar for educators, presented by the News Literacy Project and hosted by edWeb, explores strategies for teaching students news literacy — particularly through examples of science and health misinformation.

Tuesday, Feb. 13  
5-6 p.m. ET/2-3 p.m. PT

Science and health misinformation is contagious – don’t let it go viral among your students!

As we continue to heal from a global pandemic, falsehoods presented as fact remain an issue in digital spaces such as social media. It is hard for young people to know what to believe, and misinformation confuses us all about the best steps to take for our own and our community’s health. Further, long histories of unfair and biased reporting and inhumane research practices have left certain communities often targeted by misinformation (with a distrust of news organizations and scientists, as well). Join us to learn about some of these past examples of misinformation’s impact on targeted communities. Then, explore steps you can take to help students avoid misleading claims and build confidence in making health decisions rooted in fact.

In this edWebinar, Brittney Smith of the News Literacy Project will host a panel conversation with special guests. They will discuss how to recognize when communities are being treated unfairly and share free resources for teaching your students tips to avoid falling for science and health misinformation. Relevant interdisciplinary lessons from the Checkology®️ virtual classroom — including “Be Health Informed” and “Harm & Distrust” — will be introduced, along with ideas for incorporating the lessons into your curriculum during Black History Month and beyond.

This edWebinar will be of interest to K-12 teachers as well as school and district leaders. There will be time for questions at the end of the presentation.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity – reserve your spot today!

(Can’t make it at this time but still interested? Register anyway, and we’ll email you the recording.)

Session 2: 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT Thursday, Nov. 16

When a friend or loved one shares a viral hoax, fabricated photo or conspiracy theory, how do you respond? With the holiday season and a presidential election ahead of us, we can expect to encounter rumors and falsehoods along with heated debate. We each have an opportunity within our networks of influence to build understanding and trust in our democracy. This webinar offers strategies for productive, civil conversations – especially when discussing misinformation.

Experts from the News Literacy Project, the National Institute for Civil Discourse and the League of Women Voters will talk about how and why misinformation manipulates emotions and exploits biases, provide strategies for civil conversation and resources to help you debunk falsehoods in a productive way and discuss opportunities to help your community find reliable election information.

We’re hosting two different sessions of the same webinar – pick the date and time that works best for you.

Meet the Presenters

DeMario Phipps-Smith is the senior manager of community learning for NLP, where he leads news literacy training for adults around the country.

Dr. Carolyn Lukensmeyer is the former executive director of the National Institute for Civil Discourse, the founder of the nonprofit AmericaSpeaks and a leader in the field of deliberative democracy.

Chelsey Cartwright is the program manager for the League of Women Voters Democracy Truth Project, where she works to counter mis- and disinformation and to advance a better public understanding of the democratic and electoral process.

Register for Nov. 16.

This free webinar for educators, presented by the News Literacy Project and hosted by edWeb, explores strategies for teaching students news literacy — particularly through leveraging hip-hop as a pedagogical strategy.

Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023
4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT

Hip-hop has grown into a global phenomenon with a diverse community of artists, scholars and enthusiasts. Though it has evolved across decades, it has maintained roots in self-expression, creativity and social justice. Moreover, hip-hop is integral to youth culture — so it can serve as a powerful teaching tool for students. Join us to explore how the five pillars of hip-hop (MCing, DJing, break dance, graffiti and knowledge) can be leveraged as a pedagogical strategy to inspire students to think deeply about misinformation and how it impacts their lives.

Reserve your spot today for this free edWebinar featuring a panel of hip-hop education and journalism experts who will discuss the impact of misinformation on hip-hop journalism and share tips for teaching students to avoid the pitfalls of misinformation.

Speakers will include:

• Chris Payne, senior audio production manager, Flocabulary and Nearpod
• Ime Ekpo, cultural journalist

In addition, you’ll also hear about free NLP resources, including customizable interdisciplinary classroom lessons, that are available to support you and your students as you explore this rich subject.

This edWebinar will be of interest to middle and high school teachers, librarians, and school and district leaders. There will be time for questions at the end of the presentation.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity — reserve your spot today!

(Can’t make it at this time but still interested? Register anyway, and we’ll email you the recording.)

This free webinar for educators, presented by the News Literacy Project and hosted by edWeb, explores strategies for teaching students about misinformation in the context of social media and generative AI.

Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023
5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT

Many young people today rely on social media for news and information. And as generative artificial intelligence becomes more common, it too is playing a role in today’s information landscape. The problem is that AI and social media can be as misleading as a haunted house — full of tricks (not treats), and often, misinformation!

By giving students the tools to develop critical thinking skills, educators can help arm their students against this scary situation (and not just during Halloween season). Join us for a free edWebinar focused on helping your students see through falsehoods disguised as facts and AI masquerading as reality.

Hear from the News Literacy Project’s AI and social media expert Alexa Volland, and learn techniques for giving students the skills to navigate even the most bewildering digital environments. We’ll also explore free resources, such as Checkology lessons and classroom exercises, for determining the credibility of evidence and sources as well as best practices for teaching about misinformation and conspiratorial thinking.

This edWebinar will be of interest to middle and high school teachers, librarians, and school and district leaders. There will be time for questions at the end of the presentation.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity – reserve your spot today!

(Can’t make it at this time but still interested? Register anyway, and we’ll email you the recording.)

This free webinar for educators, presented by the News Literacy Project and hosted by edWeb, explores strategies for teaching students news literacy — particularly through leveraging Checkology®️ lessons and Newsroom to Classroom journalist visits.

Tuesday, August 29, 2023
5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT

News and media literacy is essential for people of all ages — especially students, who are growing up in the most complex information landscape in human history. It’s essential to teach students a deep understanding of bias as it relates to the news media so that they can accurately evaluate information and decide what to share with others. Journalists, professionals we depend on to gather, verify and present credible information, can be key to this effort.

During this edWeb webinar, you’ll discover best practices for teaching students news literacy by leveraging the News Literacy Project’s Checkology®️ lessons and Newsroom to Classroom visits to make news literacy tangible for learners. Newsroom to Classroom is a free program designed to demystify the practice of quality journalism by connecting students with vetted journalists or editors behind the headlines. Hear from Mindy Katz, an English teacher at Abington Senior High School in Pennsylvania who has used Newsroom to Classroom, as well as journalists Indira Lakshmanan, of The Associated Press, Shane Harris of the Washington Post and journalist and digital consultant Adriana Lacy, as they reflect on their experiences and share the impact of the program on students. Brittney Smith, senior manager of education partnerships at the News Literacy Project, will moderate.

Register today – it’s free!

Additionally, the presenters will highlight some of the resources (including the News Literacy Project’s “Understanding Bias” lesson on Checkology) that are available to support educators as we all work to make progress toward a future built on facts.

This webinar will be of interest to middle and high school teachers, librarians, and school and district leaders. There will be time for questions at the end of the presentation.

Ready to embark on your news and media literacy journey this school year?

Learn how to use NLP Education and Checkology® to teach cross-disciplinary topics such as credible evidence, misinformation, skepticism toward the news and more.

This webinar is an introduction to popular features and recently added content on Checkology, the free, browser-based virtual classroom designed for grades 6-12 from the News Literacy Project, a nonpartisan national education nonprofit. In just one hour, you’ll learn about how to incorporate some of the latest Checkology lessons and activities in your curriculum — including the popular and recently updated “InfoZones” lesson and the engaging exercise “Is it Legit?”

This webinar is offered at three different dates and times; register for the session that best fits your schedule.

• Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023
  7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

• Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023
  5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT

• Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023
  4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT

Participants will hear from the News Literacy Project’s Shaelynn Farnsworth, senior director of education partnership strategy, Erin Olson, senior manager of education partnerships, and Brittney Smith, senior manager of education partnerships.

These educator-experts will:

• Introduce the latest NLP Education and Checkology features and content, including resources on urgently needed news literacy topics, such as the “Levels of Scientific Evidence” trio (lesson, tutorial and infographic) and the “Harm and Distrust” and “Understanding Bias” lessons.

• Discuss the educator registration process and explain how you can quickly build Checkology courses and assign lessons.

***All attendees will have a chance to win a back-to-school educator care pack!***

(Can’t make any of the times but still interested? Register for a session anyway, and we’ll email you the recording.)

This free webinar for educators, presented by the News Literacy Project, focuses on how educators can begin their school year teaching issues related to the First Amendment and student press rights.

Thursday, August 3, 2023
5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT

How well do students understand the First Amendment and their own student press rights? And how can educators engage their students in meaningful discussions about these topics?

Hear two perspectives from Adriana Chavira and David Doerr, veteran student journalism advisers and news literacy ambassadors. These educators will discuss how they begin their school year by teaching issues related to the First Amendment and student press rights, with the help of resources from the News Literacy Project.

Chavira, from California, and Doerr, from Texas, will also discuss how the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1988 Hazelwood ruling has eroded student press rights where there are no state laws defining when administrators can intervene in the student publication process, and how this affects topics that students cover in their publications.

Register today – it’s free!

(Can’t make it at this time but still interested? Register anyway, and we’ll email you the recording.)

Join the News Literacy Project for a free educator webinar to discover how to teach news literacy skills that will serve your students throughout summer school and beyond.

Students often encounter an overwhelming amount of information in their day-to-day lives — especially online and often during times of unstructured exploration (such as academic breaks!). Summer school is an opportunity to teach them about the importance of media and news literacy. It’s also a time to supply your students with the critical thinking skills and habits of mind to help them tell fact from fiction.

In this free educator webinar, you’ll learn how to take the plunge into teaching with the Checkology®️ virtual classroom by incorporating it as a part of your summer school curriculum.

Participants will explore two interdisciplinary courses developed especially for summer school:

• “Summer School,” which focuses on building up students’ ability to differentiate between news, opinion and advertisements and on identifying misinformation.
• “STEM Summer,” which explores evaluating science- and data-based claims as well as analyzing science journalism.

The discussion will also cover additional resources and activities that can help develop skills such as fact-checking and evaluating sources. NLP’s educator experts Shaelynn Farnsworth, Brittney Smith and Erin Olson will lead the webinar.

(Can’t make the time? Register anyway and we’ll email you the recording afterward.)

For more on summer school resources from the News Literacy Project, visit the Dive into News Literacy resource hub.

Join the News Literacy Project for a free educator webinar to discover how to teach students about misinformation.

Wednesday, April 19
4:00 PM CT

Can your students tell fact from fiction and recognize credible evidence and sources? As AI feeds into the digital landscape, empower your students with essential media and news literacy skills. Join a free webinar to discover strategies for teaching about misinformation — what it is, how it functions, how to spot it and how to debunk it – and empowering students with critical media and news literacy skills.

You’ll hear from:

• Peter Adams, NLP’s senior vice president of research and design.
• Hannah Covington, NLP’s senior manager of education design.
• Members of NLP’s Education Partnership Strategy team.

This live, virtual discussion is free and open to educators.

Topics will include:

• The state of today’s digital landscape, including the challenges posed by generative artificial intelligence such as ChatGPT.
• Strategies for helping students determine the credibility of evidence and sources.
• Best practices for teaching about misinformation and conspiratorial thinking.

Participants will come away with a roadmap for getting started with teaching about misinformation, including how to use the “Misinfo 101” course offered on the News Literacy Project’s free Checkology virtual classroom (register for an educator account or sign in to access and assign the full course).

For more on “Misinfo 101,” visit the Misinfo 101 resource hub.

Trying to discuss current events with someone who has been manipulated by misinformation, propaganda, or even conspiracy theories can be maddening, deeply emotional, and seemingly futile. Before you react angrily or throw your hands up in frustration, take a step back.

Join us at 5 p.m. ET Thursday, Nov. 17 – one week before Thanksgiving – for a discussion about how to have a productive, civil conversation and retain your relationships. The event is free and open to everyone.

In this webinar, hosted by the News Literacy Project in partnership with the National Institute for Civil Discourse and Senior Planet from AARP, we’ll talk about how and why misinformation manipulates emotions and exploits biases to draw people deeper into false belief. Presenters from NLP and NICD will provide strategies for having a civil conversation about current events and resources to help you debunk these falsehoods in a productive way.

Register now.

As we head toward Election Day – Tuesday, Nov. 8 – many of us are hearing messages like, “Get informed before you vote.” But how can we be sure we’re getting information from credible sources? How do we know if we’re being informed or misled?

The News Literacy Project is hosting a series of three webinars – free and open to everyone – that will teach you how to find reliable information about the election, spot misinformation, and have productive conversations with people who have fallen for falsehoods.

Session 1: Are you being informed or influenced?
5 p.m. ET Tuesday, Oct. 18

Our first session will cover the types of information sources we’re likely to encounter during election season. We’ll learn how to evaluate the purpose of the content these sources share, identify common types and forms of bias, and explore prioritizing sources that inform us by sharing information in a way that is fair and accurate.

Register here.

Session 2: How to spot election misinformation
5 p.m. ET Tuesday, Oct. 25

Our second session is presented in partnership with the League of Women Voters. We will learn how to spot election misinformation and understand the motivations behind why it spreads. We’ll move beyond the unhelpful term “fake news” and more precisely identify the common types of misleading, inaccurate and false information that we are likely to encounter in the runup to the elections. We’ll also learn fact-checking basics to feel more confident that we are sharing and acting on accurate, credible information.

Register here.

Session 3: How to debunk misinformation and talk to people who believe it
5 p.m. ET Tuesday, Nov. 1

Our third session, also presented in partnership with the League of Women Voters, will empower us to stop the spread of misinformation. We will learn effective debunking strategies and how to talk to someone whose beliefs are fueled by misinformation. The session will focus on how to have these conversations in a productive, nonconfrontational way that will hopefully yield positive outcomes.

Register here.

Even if you can’t join us live, register to get access to recordings of the webinars. And please share this information with your family and friends to help us spread the word!

Thursday, October 20, 2022
5-6 p.m. ET/2-3 p.m. PT

On a regular basis – and especially around each election season – we’re overwhelmed with organizations, groups, influencers and others bombarding us with information. Much of that information is designed to influence or even manipulate, rather than inform us. How can you help your students cut through all the noise and prioritize information from credible sources?

In this edWeb webinar, join News Literacy Project experts and news literacy educators to learn how you can strengthen your students’ media and news literacy skills and equip them for active, responsible civic life. Learn about best practices for teaching about bias and the primary purpose of various sources, and discover how you can help students identify news and information that is presented in a fair and accurate way.

Register here for this free edWeb webinar.

The session will include presentations by Alexa Volland, NLP’s senior manager of educator professional learning, and news literacy ambassadors Jill Hofmockel and Molly June Roquet. Hofmockel is the teacher-librarian at West High School in Iowa City, Iowa. Roquet is the education librarian at Saint Mary’s College of California. Shaelynn Farnsworth, NLP’s senior director of education partnership strategy, will moderate.

Contact

Please email any questions to Shaelynn Farnsworth.

Wednesday, Sept. 28
7-8 p.m. ET/4-5 p.m. PT

Join us for a free educator webinar to explore a trio of brand-new STEM-aligned Checkology® lessons! Topics covered in the new lessons include climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccines, medical misinformation, pseudoscience and conspiratorial thinking. The lessons support the development of science and engineering practices, such as analyzing and interpreting data, engaging in arguments for evidence and using mathematics and computational thinking.

Register here for this free webinar.

Checkology is a FREE browser-based e-learning platform with nearly 20 classroom-ready, expert-hosted lessons, as well as dozens of supplementary activities, exercises and challenges.

The new trio of STEM-aligned Checkology lessons includes:

• “Evaluating Science-Based Claims,” which explores how to recognize science-based claims and evaluate their credibility. Students also consider why people deny science and explore science journalism.
• “Be Health Informed,” which explores how to make sense of the health and wellness information vying for our attention. Students also discover how to avoid being misled.
• “Making Sense of Data,” which examines how we create, interact with, and are influenced by data in all aspects of our lives. Students also learn how to evaluate the accuracy of data-based claims and visualizations.

During the webinar, NLP staff and subject-matter experts will provide an overview of the lessons. They will share teaching tips and best practices for incorporating the lessons and related activities into your curriculum. Don’t miss this opportunity to get a jump on your STEM-aligned media and news literacy plans this fall!

Contact

Please email any questions to Shaelynn Farnsworth.

Editorial cartooning is a powerful form of opinion journalism with a long history of effecting change and holding powerful individuals accountable. While the craft has evolved — even shaping contemporary forms of visual expression, such as memes — many key characteristics and functions remain the same. Hear from leading editorial cartoonists about how they approach their work, where they see their field headed and how the unique characteristics of editorial cartoons make for rich and rewarding news literacy explorations in a range of subjects, from history to social studies to art.

This edWeb webinar, sponsored by the News Literacy Project, features a panel conversation with editorial cartoonists Lalo Alcaraz and Signe Wilkinson, who are both included in “Power in Art: The Watchdog Role of Editorial Cartoonists,” an innovative new lesson on NLP’s virtual classroom, Checkology®️. The lesson, which was made possible with support from The Herb Block Foundation and the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists, examines the important role that editorial cartoonists have played across time and around the world. The conversation will be moderated by NLP staff experts Peter Adams and Darragh Worland.

Register here for this free presentation on edWeb.

Hear from editorial cartoonists Lalo Alcaraz and Signe Wilkinson; and NLP staffers Peter Adams, senior vice president of research and design, and Darragh Worland, senior vice president of creative strategy.

This edWeb webinar will be of interest to K-12 teachers, librarians, school and district leaders and education technology leaders. There will be time for questions at the end of the presentation.

Contact

Please email any questions to Shaelynn Farnsworth.

Join the News Literacy Project for an educator webinar introducing you to popular features and brand-new content on Checkology, a free, browser-based virtual classroom designed for grades 6-12.

Whether you’re returning to Checkology or new to the platform, this free webinar will give you everything you need to know to dive into teaching news and media literacy skills. Learn how to teach about social media, misinformation, data literacy and more this year!

NLP experts will:

• Spotlight brand-new features and content, including just-added lessons on urgently needed news literacy topics, such as “Making Sense of Data.”
• Discuss the educator registration process and explain how you can quickly build courses and assign lessons.
• Share ideas for incorporating news literacy skills into your curriculum this school year.

All attendees will have a chance to win an NLP back-to-school educator care pack!

Register today – select the date and time that work best for your schedule. The recording will be shared with all registrants.

• Thursday, Aug. 11, 2022
  10 a.m. ET

• Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2022 
  3 p.m. ET

• Monday, Aug. 22, 2022
  7 p.m. ET

Contact:

Please email any questions to Shaelynn Farnsworth.

Webinar: From Memes to Conspiracy Theories: Teaching “Misinfo 101” on Checkology
Wednesday, April 27, 2022
4:30 p.m. EDT

Join the News Literacy Project for a free educator webinar focused on preparing students to fight back against misinformation! Learn how to use the “Misinfo 101” course on the Checkology® virtual classroom.

“Misinfo 101” includes two foundational lessons and four supplemental activities designed to help students develop a deeper understanding of misinformation, including conspiratorial thinking. The course will introduce techniques for combating mis- and disinformation, such as evaluating evidence online, digital verification skills and fact-checking.

Register now (it’s free!)

Learn from Peter Adams, NLP’s senior vice president of education, about today’s misinformation landscape and find out how you can help your students develop a deeper understanding of misinformation. Then, hear from NewsLit Nation ambassador Cathy Collins, a technology teacher and library media and technology specialist at Sharon Middle School in Sharon, Massachusetts, and NLP staff experts about how to assign, teach and customize the “Misinfo 101” course. There will also be time for Q&As about “Misinfo 101” and Checkology.

Contact

Please email any questions to Shaelynn Farnsworth ([email protected]).

Join us for a first look at “Power in Art: The Watchdog Role of Editorial Cartoonists,” a brand-new lesson available through the News Literacy Project’s Checkology® virtual classroom.

Led by NLP staff and NewsLit Nation ambassadors, this webinar will provide an overview of “Power in Art” and show you how to use the lesson with your students across a range of subjects.

Adriana Chavira, a NewsLit Nation ambassador from Los Angeles and a journalism and photography teacher at Daniel Pearl Magnet School in Lake Balboa, Calif., will share tips on incorporating “Power in Art” into a journalism curriculum. Molly June Roquet, a NewsLit Nation ambassador from Oakland, Calif., and education librarian at Saint Mary’s College of California, will discuss how librarians and media specialists can utilize the lesson in their work with both teachers and students. Jordan Maze, NLP’s senior manager of educator network operations, will highlight how “Power in Art” can be used in social studies classes. Shaelynn Farnsworth, NLP’s director of educator network expansion, will moderate the discussion and a Q&A session at the conclusion of the event.

Register now (it’s free!)

“Power in Art” is an in-depth exploration of the history and impact of editorial cartoonists. Hosted by Lalo Alcaraz, an award-winning editorial cartoonist, the lesson examines how editorial cartoons have held those in power accountable, as well as other characteristics and functions of this important form of opinion journalism. (To access and assign “Power in Art” to students, log in to Checkology, or register for a free account at get.checkology.org.)

Contact

Please email any questions to Shaelynn Farnsworth.

Join us for an exclusive NewsLit Nation event focused on the award-winning documentary Storm Lake!

“Local News: Teaching with Storm Lake” is a free virtual Q&A with co-director Jerry Risius and a panel featuring Art Cullen, the Pulitzer Prize–winning Storm Lake Times editor. Additional speakers will include Jill Hofmockel, a NewsLit Nation ambassador and a teacher-librarian at West High School in Iowa City, Iowa, and Pamela Brunskill, the News Literacy Project’s senior manager of education and content. Miriam Romais, NLP’s senior manager of educator engagement, will moderate.

All attendees will receive limited-time access to Storm Lake for classroom viewing. Attendees will also receive a first look at an educational viewing guide for the film developed by NLP.

Register now (it’s free!)

Before registering, please ensure that you are a NewsLit Nation member. (Not yet a member? No worries – it’s free! Visit https://newslit.org/newslit-nation/ to register.)

About Storm Lake

Storm Lake provides an opportunity to teach students about the power of independent journalism and help them understand the crisis local journalism currently faces. Focusing on a family-run newspaper in rural Iowa, the documentary explores what it takes to keep independent local journalism alive, as well as its power to unite and inform diverse communities.

Contact

Please email any questions to Shaelynn Farnsworth.

Join us for a first look at the News Literacy Project’s new framework for teaching news literacy in this free webinar, which is being held in conjunction with National News Literacy Week.

Special guest Jay McTighe, co-author of the best-selling and award-winning Understanding by Design® series with Grant Wiggins, will help introduce the framework, which was developed using the Understanding by Design® template (Wiggins and McTighe, 2005).

NLP’s new teaching framework will help educators shape learning experiences so that students can independently use their skills to be smart, active consumers of news and information and equal and engaged participants in a democracy.

NLP experts will offer a deep dive into the framework, focusing on the development and use of essential questions in lesson planning. The team will discuss why essential questions can be beneficial as entry points into news literacy units, and explain how educators can incorporate them into their existing curriculum. The webinar will also cover NLP’s complementary programs and resources, including the Checkology® virtual classroom. The final minutes of the webinar are reserved for a live Q&A.

Giveaway: All registrants attending the live webinar are eligible to win one of 10 books co-authored by McTighe. The giveaway is sponsored by NLP.

Register now (it’s free!)

This event is part of the third annual National News Literacy Week (NNLW), Jan. 24 to 28, presented by NLP in partnership with The E.W. Scripps Company. NNLW raises awareness of news literacy as an essential life skill and provides educators, students and the public with easy-to-adopt tools and tips for becoming news-literate.

Contact

Please email any questions to Shaelynn Farnsworth ([email protected]).

Join us at a virtual edWebinar on Jan. 24 for a discussion about best practices in teaching news and media literacy. Hear from four of the News Literacy Project’s news literacy ambassadors about the tips and techniques they use to teach this important lifelong skill. This webinar will be held in conjunction with National News Literacy Week.

Register here for this free presentation on edWeb.

Today’s information landscape — filled with “fake news,” misinformation and conspiracy theories — has become increasingly difficult to navigate, particularly for students. How can you help them develop the news and media literacy skills they need to identify, analyze and understand credible sources of information? What are best practices in teaching news and media literacy?

In this edWebinar, four of the News Literacy Project’s news literacy ambassadors will discuss tips and techniques for teaching news and media literacy — K.C. Boyd, library media specialist at District of Columbia Public Schools in Washington, D.C.; Dr. Cathy Collins, technology teacher at Sharon Middle School in Sharon, Mass.; Molly Roquet, head librarian at Redwood Day in Oakland, Calif.; and Monica Valdes, social studies and film teacher at Miami-Dade County Public Schools in Miami, Fla. Miriam Romais, NLP’s senior manager, educator engagement, also will join in the discussion. The ambassadors will describe how they engage their students in classroom discussions and activities that develop skills such as identifying credible information, seeking out reliable sources, and thinking critically. The conversation will be moderated by NLP’s Shaelynn Farnsworth, director of educator network expansion.

Attendees will also learn about NLP’s free educator resources for integrating news literacy concepts into the classroom, including the NewsLit Nation forum, educator resources, the Checkology® virtual classroom and the Sift® newsletter.

This event is held in conjunction with the third annual National News Literacy Week (NNLW), Jan. 24 to 28, and presented by the NLP in partnership with The E.W. Scripps Company. NNLW raises awareness of news literacy as an essential life skill and provides educators, students and the public with easy-to-adopt tools and tips for becoming news-literate.

Contact

Please email any questions to Shaelynn Farnsworth ([email protected]).

Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021
4-5 p.m. EST

Conspiracy theories, extremism, and TikTok: A conversation with a disinformation researcher

Join us at a virtual edWebinar on Nov. 30 for an important conversation about disinformation on social media with Peter Adams, the News Literacy Project’s senior vice president of education; Abbie Richards, TikTok disinformation researcher; and Shaelynn Farnsworth, NLP’s director of educator network expansion.

Register here for this free presentation on edWeb.

From QAnon to pandemic-related beliefs, conspiracy theories are increasingly part of mainstream discourse and public awareness. Many conspiracy theories take hold via social media such as TikTok, Facebook and Twitter, posing a particular threat to young users who can easily fall down rabbit holes and even get drawn into extremist ideologies. However, social media also hosts a number of influencers and resources devoted to combating misinformation and disinformation, including the popular @tofology TikTok channel created by TikTok disinformation researcher Richards.

Attendees will learn how to recognize conspiratorial thinking patterns and pitfalls and common strategies employed online by conspiracy theory adherents. They will also explore the connection between conspiratorial beliefs and extremist ideologies. Attendees will gain an understanding of the stakes posed by conspiracy theories and receive guidance on effective educational resources related to this topic, including Richards’s popular conspiracy theories chart.

This edWebinar will be of interest to teachers, librarians, and school and district leaders from the middle school level to higher education. Attendees will have an opportunity to ask Adams and Richards  about conspiracy theories, social media and best practices in teaching about this challenging topic.

Contact

Please email any questions to Peter Adams ([email protected]) or Shaelynn Farnsworth ([email protected]).

The News Literacy Project, in cooperation with Village Consultancy, is hosting a series of professional learning webinars focused on essential news literacy concepts. In these sessions, educators will learn about these concepts, discuss curriculum integration and find out how to use resources from NLP.  This complimentary series for educators is supported by U.S. Embassy Singapore. 

All webinar times listed below are in Singapore Standard Time (SST). 

Session 1 – Introduction to News Literacy for educators of students at primary, secondary and junior college levels, as well as tertiary levels, on 29 October from 16:00-17:30. Register here.

We’ll provide an overview of key news literacy concepts and essential questions to develop learning objectives for students to become reliably informed, such as recognizing the difference between news and opinion, identifying the primary purpose of information, understanding how news judgment is made, evaluating evidence and sources, using fact-checking and digital verification tools, and recognizing the standards of quality journalism.

Session 2 – Exploring the Misinformation Landscape for educators of students at secondary, junior college and tertiary levels on 5 November from 16:00-17:30. Register here.

In this session you will learn how to teach students to move beyond the unhelpful term “fake news” to more precisely identify the many types of misleading, inaccurate and false information that they encounter. We will discuss NLP’s taxonomy for five different types of misinformation, explore motivations behind different types of propagators of misinformation, discuss ways people are manipulated through emotions and cognitive biases and examine effective debunking strategies. By teaching a deeper understanding of misinformation, students can become less susceptible to it and more likely to prioritize reliable, verified sources of news and information.

Session 3 – Digital Verification for educators of students at secondary, junior college and tertiary levels on 12 November from 16:00-17:30. Register here.

In this session we will explore the tools and skills students need to verify the authenticity of information and learn to create engaging fact-checking investigations that empower students to investigate and debunk viral content. Topics include developing critical observation skills to determine original context; learning to use reverse image searches to determine authenticity of photos and video; and using advanced search techniques on the web and in social media.

Session 4 – Exploring the Misinformation Landscape for educators of primary school students on 19 November from 16:00-17:30. Register here.

 In this session you will learn how to teach students to move beyond the unhelpful term “fake news” to more precisely identify the many types of misleading, inaccurate and false information that they encounter. We will discuss NLP’s taxonomy for five different types of misinformation, explore motivations behind different types of propagators of misinformation, discuss ways people are manipulated through emotions and cognitive biases and examine effective debunking strategies. By teaching a deeper understanding of misinformation, even younger students can become less susceptible to it and more likely to prioritize reliable, verified sources of news and information.

Session 5 – Digital Verification, for educators of primary school students on 3 December from 16:00-17:30. Register here.

In this session we will explore the tools and skills students need to verify the authenticity of information and learn to create engaging fact-checking investigations that empower students to investigate and debunk viral content. We will focus on how younger students can develop critical observation skills to determine original context and how students can use advanced search techniques on the web and in social media.

The News Literacy Project is hosting a four-part series of professional learning webinars focused on essential news literacy concepts. In these sessions, educators will learn about these concepts, discuss curriculum integration and how to use resources from the News Literacy Project. This series is free for educators.

In our fourth and final session in this series, we’ll offer a variety of free, ready-made classroom resources and supports to help you teach news literacy. In this session, we’ll help you get started with the Checkology® virtual classroom, an e-learning platform with 14 lessons and dozens of supplemental activities that you can use synchronously and asynchronously with students. We’ll also discuss strategies for using NLP’s weekly newsletter, The Sift®, with students, and we’ll take a tour of NLP’s educator resources library and the NewsLit Nation forum.

Register for NLP’s fall webinar series here.

With your registration, you will have access to all four webinar recordings. NLP will provide a certificate of attendance for those educators who join the live webinars. If you have any questions, please contact NLP’s Professional Learning team at [email protected].

The News Literacy Project is hosting a four-part series of professional learning webinars focused on essential news literacy concepts. In these sessions, educators will learn about these concepts, discuss curriculum integration and how to use resources from the News Literacy Project. This series is free for educators.

People frequently perceive and allege bias in news coverage, but what does this really mean? What makes a piece of news biased, and who decides? What role do our own biases play in our perceptions of bias? In the third session of our four-part fall webinar series we’ll help you teach this vital, controversial, complex topic in ways that empower students to meaningfully evaluate the fairness and impartiality of news coverage.

Register for NLP’s fall webinar series here.

With your registration, you will have access to all four webinars as well as the recordings. NLP will provide a certificate of attendance for those educators who join the live webinars. If you have any questions, please contact NLP’s Professional Learning team at [email protected].

In this virtual edWebinar on Sept. 2nd, join subject matter expert John Silva and Shaelynn Farnsworth of the News Literacy Project for a conversation about conspiracy theories.

Register here for this free presentation at edWeb.

Conspiracy theories are becoming part of mainstream discourse and public awareness. From QAnon to pandemic-related beliefs to older ideas such as the Earth is flat, we are finding that more and more of our friends, family and loved ones believe at least one conspiracy theory. How do we teach students to avoid conspiracy theories without actually teaching them the specifics of such false beliefs?

This edWebinar explores the psychological and cognitive factors behind conspiratorial thinking, including the role of fears and anxiety, cognitive dissonance and biases, motivated reasoning and institutional cynicism. We will discuss the ways in which conspiracy theories exploit our emotions as well as fill our emotional needs. As part of the presentation, we will outline essential learning objectives and concepts and provide instructional resources for integrating these concepts into the curriculum, including our free, interactive lesson which is part of the Checkology® virtual classroom.

This edWebinar will be of interest to teachers, librarians, and school and district leaders of the middle school through higher education levels. There will be time for questions at the end of the presentation.

Contact

Please email any questions to Shaelynn Farnsworth ([email protected]) or John Silva ([email protected]).

The News Literacy Project is hosting a four-part series of professional learning webinars focused on essential news literacy concepts. In these sessions, educators will learn about these concepts, discuss curriculum integration and how to use resources from the News Literacy Project. This series is free for educators.

Session 1 – Teaching news literacy: Where do I start? Sept. 3 at 4 p.m CT

• We’ll provide an overview of key news literacy concepts and essential questions to develop learning objectives for students to become reliably informed, such as recognizing the difference between news and opinion, identifying the primary purpose of information, understanding how news judgment is made, evaluating evidence and sources, using fact-checking and digital verification tools, and recognizing the standards of quality journalism.

Session 2 – Exploring the misinformation landscape, Sept. 10 at 4 p.m. CT

• Learn how to teach students to move beyond the unhelpful term “fake news” to more precisely identify the many types of misleading, inaccurate and false information that they encounter. We will discuss NLP’s taxonomy for five different types of misinformation, explore motivations behind different types of propagators of misinformation, discuss ways people are manipulated through emotions and cognitive biases and examine effective debunking strategies. By teaching a deeper understanding of misinformation, students can become less susceptible to it and more likely to prioritize reliable, verified sources of news and information.

Session 3 – Understanding bias, Sept. 17 at 4 p.m. CT

• People frequently perceive and allege bias in news coverage, but what does this really mean? What makes a piece of news biased, and who decides? What role do our own biases play in our perceptions of bias? In this session we’ll help you teach this vital, controversial, complex topic in ways that empower students to meaningfully evaluate the fairness and impartiality of news coverage.

Session 4 – Using resources from the News Literacy Project, Sept. 24 at 4 p.m. CT

• NLP offers a variety of free, ready-made classroom resources and supports to help you teach news literacy. In this session, we’ll help you get started with the Checkology® virtual classroom, an e-learning platform with 14 lessons and dozens of supplemental activities that you can use synchronously and asynchronously with students. We’ll also discuss strategies for using NLP’s weekly newsletter, The Sift®, with students, and we’ll take a tour of NLP’s educator resources library and the NewsLit Nation forum.

Register for NLP’s fall webinar series here.

With your registration, you will have access to all four webinars as well as the recordings. NLP will provide a certificate of attendance for those educators who join the live webinars.  If you have any questions, please contact NLP’s Professional Learning team at [email protected].