Matters of Education

Learning Happens Everywhere

Teaching in the (Mis)Information Age

Target Audience:   Classroom Teachers, Curriculum Coordinators, Administrators

Length of Time:   Full, Multiple Days

Description

We are certainly living in the Information Age, a shorthand that probably masks more than it reveals.  Given the current spectrum from truth to falsehood, how do we determine accuracy?  If this task is difficult for adults, imagine the confusion for children (and those who teach them). How do we help students of all ages make sense, process, understand all with which we are bombarded?  How does an abundance of information become an educational tool rather than an obstacle to deep and meaningful engagement?  Schools are the best hope we have to eliminate the silo-ization that threatens our ability to tackle the complex problems we face as a society.  Practical matters such as determining the reliability of sources as well as ways to conduct civil discourse are essential to these objectives.

Participants will develop their abilities to:

  • Consider how best to untangle the web of confusion and misinformation.
  • Explore models of curriculum and instructional practice to help accomplish these objectives.  
  • Refine their own educational objectives in light of these constraints and opportunities.