Week 7 Double Journal

"Unlike reading assigned textbooks, reading online challenges students to make judgments about the reputability and validity of the information they see. Researchers who directed several hundred college students to three bogus Web sites about fictitious nutritional supplements found that half of the students lacked the skills to identify the trustworthiness of the information, yet most thought they had strong research skills (Ivanitskaya, O'Boyle, & Casey, 2006)."


Kids need to learn that everything that they may read online is not necessarily true. This same point holds true for what they may see on TV, magazines, or in life. Being able to find and take different perspectives helps students to find their own truth in what they are researching. Not only is this a good skill for life, but it helps students learn to critically think, and question things that they see and read. It demonstrates the importance of individuality and the freedom to think for oneself. Having students develop as thinkers and inquirers will only improve their intelligence and progress not only in the classroom, but for the rest of their lives.

Image: http://www.cclscorp.com/ESW/Images/Kid_Thinking22.png

Article: David, J. (2009). Teaching media literacy. Educational Leadership,66(6), 84-86. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar09/vol66/num06/Teaching-Media-Literacy.aspx