Common Sense Media reports that the average teenage spends 9 hours online daily. Of more concern than this daily dose of media consumption — gaming, YouTube, social media and web surfing — is that students are engaging with media without the skills to responsibly interact with it.
To counteract time spent online, especially amid today’s climate of fake news and viral media, teachers need to do their part to prepare students to be media literate citizens.
With already packed curriculum, teachers can turn to PBS for useful strategies. In Improving Digital Literacy in the Classroom, teacher-librarian Sara Stewart shares teaching points such as: Digital Literacy Strategies: Beyond Instant Gratification; Lateral Searches and Verify, Verify, Verify; Think Before Acting, Liking or Re-posting.
More blog posts for your class: