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“This post is week 1 of 8 in the 8 Weeks of Summer Blog Challenge for educators.” Goal: Reflection through Connection I've spent ample time reflecting, but haven't had the courage to connect and share.  Thus, with the encouragement of Sheri Edwards , I will partake in this summer blogging challenge .  One of the topics I'm passionate about is the importance of media literacy, with a spotlight on discerning valid and reliable sources. Goal: Squashing fake news The investment and value of informational literacy, such as using and teaching about reliable sources , should be prioritized. Strive to educate our students as well as our educators about the use of "educational technologies" as literacy, rather than something optional. In a world of fake news and alternative facts, it is crucial that people learn to use the Internet and other digital media sources effectively and reliably.  -- Julie Coiro Final thoughts While discerning fak...

Fake news is not accidental reporting with a few mistakes, it is intentional and designed to look real. According to Dr. Lesley Farmer , of California State University at Long Beach,  the motivation behind creating fake news is often to profit, gain influence, assert power, and sometimes to entertain. As critical consumers and responsible contributors, we should be skilled in  discerning validity and disseminating reliable information. Images, like all text, communicates a message. Hence, we are to "read" the visual and glean meaning grounded in evidence.  However, we might not retain the objectivity to critically evaluate the message when strong emotions skew our perception. When a communication reinforces or challenges our core beliefs, it might blind us from objectively stepping back to ask questions such as, "What's the narrative? Who is communicating it, and why?" California's ELA/ELD Framework explicitly draws attention to the broader topi...