Recently our high school media specialist, Ann Kaste, taught all Minnetonka High School ninth grade students Stanford's Civics Online Reasoning method for fact checking information. This is a newer, research proven strategy for discerning fake news. The core principle behind the method is to teach students to think like professional fact checkers. Stanford discovered that readers practicing COR techniques were much more likely to quickly know what is false or misleading online. Rather than doing ‘close reading’ on a single webpage to examine elements such as the title, quality of the site, layout, name of the website URL, etc., readers practicing COR quickly begin opening up other browser tabs to fact check information and background of the content from several sources. This method is called ‘Lateral Reading’. Readers using COR were much more likely than academic scholars to quickly and accurately determine the legitimacy of the information on a website.
Ann began the lesson with a pre survey on a Google Form asking students to identify why it is important to be able to discern factual information online. One student explained why it was important to identify real from false information in this way:
“It will help us build a more informed population that can make decisions for themselves without influence from others telling them what to think. It also makes the truth more clear so we don’t need to question whether something is true or false.”
Once students understood and expressed the importance of learning these skills, Ann explained and demonstrated the COR method. She showed the students some screenshots of real coronavirus Tweets. She modeled how to use the COR method to fact check the information on websites cited in the Tweets. She pointed out that some of this news is actually “bent” from the truth, not outright fake. Ann asked students the 3 COR questions: “Who’s behind the information? What’s the evidence? What do other sources say?”
Although many students may state that they already know how to ask these questions, Ann explained, “We know how to throw a baseball but we need to practice to get better at it.” The students then worked in partners to pick one of over 20 example coronavirus related Tweets and use the COR method to determine fact from fiction. Students quickly began investigating the Tweets using the COR method and then shared their findings with the group.
Having the ability to quickly identify fact from fiction online is a necessary media literacy skill in today’s world. Starting in elementary school and on into high school, our media specialists work to teach students research skills so they will be prepared for the future. This is part of an ever changing and adapting media curriculum that evolves in tandem with core classroom curricula.
Learn more about Minnetonka's Media Program:
- Effective Media Specialists and Programs in Minnetonka
- Design for Learning: MMW Media Center Update
- Media Center Redesign at Minnetonka Middle School West
- Sneak Peek at Two Minnetonka Public School Media Center Summer Remodeling Projects
- 3D Printing in Minnetonka Schools
- KRTS Elementary Student Daily News Show: Kids Run The Station
- More Minnetonka Schools Media Center Remodels
- Minnetonka Elementary Media Centers
- Minnetonka High School Media Center, "The Port"
