KQED Teach is a free media literacy platform that's designed to help empower students, via teacher training, in an age of media overload.

The idea is to help prepare young people for a world of misinformation, generative AI, and student voices. While students can learn on the fly, this tool aims to help educators guide students to be more confident in the media world.

This is a free professional development platform from KQED, the public media organization behind PBS and NPR. The idea is to teach educators by doing -- creating their own media -- before using those skills to help teach students similarly.

Thanks to a blend of pedagogical frameworks and applied creativity, this is a really unique and powerful offering to help bring media literacy into classrooms more effectively.

What is KQED Teach?

KQED Teach is primarily a free professional development platform, aimed at teachers. The idea is that by teaching them how to be more media literate, they will pass on that learning, understanding, and mastery to students.

KQED Teach works across K-12 subjects and grade levels. The point is to help teachers to integrate digital media creation, analysis, and civic dialogue into classroom learning. This is done using a library of ever-growing self-paced online courses and live workshops. The courses include topics such as video storytelling, audio production, fact-checking, misinformation, infographic design, and the ethical use of generative AI.

A focus is on both reading and writing media across the courses. Thus, educators can learn critical analysis including examining bias, credibility, and persuasive techniques. They can also develop media creation skills across the likes of podcasts, graphics, and interactive content, too.

Teachers can attain certificates for professional recognition having completed these courses. Many courses allow participants to earn graduate-level credits through university partnerships.

How does KQED Teach work?

KQED Teach is a very practical platform built on creating, sharing, reflecting, and applying. All that should mean teachers are creating in a way that allows them to experience the challenges that their students could be facing.

The courses themselves usually offer a combination of short instructional videos, guided activities, peer discussion, and classroom-ready planning tasks. The courses should leave teachers with tangible skills, not just knowledge.

Teachers might analyze real-world news examples, design media-based lesson plans, produce short videos or podcasts, or experiment with AI-powered tools under structured guidance.

KQED Teach also uses collaborative learning via community sharing. Participants can exchange ideas, showcase their projects, and discuss classroom strategies with other educators, fostering professional dialogue around best practices.

This peer-based approach is highly valuable in emerging areas such as generative AI literacy, in which classroom norms and ethical frameworks are quickly evolving.

KQED provides structured district and school-wide training programs.

What are the best KQED Teach features?

KQED Teach comprises several tools that include hands-on media creation, misinformation and media literacy, generative AI professional development, youth media challenges, and certification.

For media creation, teachers are guided through producing videos, podcasts, infographics, and interactive graphics, allowing teachers to build genuine creative confidence before implementing similar projects with students.

For misinformation and media literacy, courses explore how students can evaluate sources, detect misinformation, and understand algorithmic influence. All of which are deal right now as generative AI tools increase the scale and sophistication of synthetic content online.

On that subject, there is a section focused on AI bias, ethical AI use, and teaching students how to critically analyze AI-generated media.

Plenty of classroom ready content is also available, including lesson plans, student media challenges, and youth publishing platforms that allow learners to share work with authentic audiences.

Finally, there are those certificates, through which educators can gain graduate-level credits, supporting both career development and institutional professional learning requirements.

How much does KQED Teach cost?

KQED Teach is totally free. That makes this ideal for schools and districts looking to expand in this area while keeping budgets safe.

That also applies to educators who want to earn credits and certifications without spending money for the privilege.

KQED Teach best tips and tricks

Start with a single media project
Begin with a short, contained media task such as a short video explanation or podcast reflection to build confidence and classroom routines.

Integrate media across subjects
Science teachers can use infographics for data storytelling, while humanities teachers can explore audio documentaries or student journalism.

Use AI modules as discussion starters
Generative AI courses are especially effective when framed as ethical and critical thinking discussions, helping students understand bias, reliability, and responsible use.

“There's a very strong component of leadership being a library media specialist,” says Cathy Collins, Library Media Specialist at Sharon Public Schools in Massachusetts. “We pilot new technology and studies show student improvement in academic test scores and college admissions due to the role. We're just leaders by nature of what we do. And yet there's not always a lot of recognition for the field.”

Too often, library media specialists are underutilized and underappreciated. A misconception they are merely babysitters or simply play a role in the entertainment side of literacy leaves a lot of quality tech expertise and opportunity for student success on the table.

“We are trained to work with teachers across subject areas and grade levels, full classes or individual students. If you have a big project that involves research, we want to jump in. I want administrators to support the work we are doing. Whether you're a principal or a tech coach or department head, involve your library media specialist in your department meetings and curriculum planning, because they have a wealth of knowledge about not only research, but technology and how to best integrate it.”

Collins was recently recognized for her work with an Innovative Leader Award for Library Media Specialist Award at the Tech & Learning New England Regional Leadership Summit.

Collins shares how tech plays a role for Library Media Specialists, offering tips for administrators and educators to make the most of the role’s expertise to benefit their students.

Truth is the Treasure

The current climate and flood of misinformation on social and in media makes becoming a good digital citizen more important than ever.

“I cover cybersecurity, online safety, and being a responsible user of technology integrating ISTE’s digital citizenship lessons, but take it a step beyond,” says Collins. “Right now, my students are creating a digital footprint map—a mind map of their most visited websites, favorite apps, and social media use. This helps them become more aware of their activity online.”

Once students have a handle on how they are interacting with media, Collins shifts to the quality of that media.

“I teach news and media literacy, using the News Literacy Project’s checkology Curriculum,” she says. “We cover things like free speech, the seven standards of journalism, and how to be smart in evaluating information. I teach them about algorithms and to be aware of things like filter bubbles and information pollution, as well as the importance of digital verification when doing research online.”

With political sensitivity on high alert, some of these areas can pose a tricky tightrope to walk for educators.

“It’s a bipartisan topic, it crosses political lines,” Collins says. “One of the lessons I do is all about understanding bias. We all carry biases. It’s simply about determining whether a piece of information that they’re looking at online is factual. Who’s the author? How do we determine how credible this is? What’s their experience level? Your Uncle Charlie might be your favorite uncle and he might know all there is to know about fishing. However, if he doesn’t know anything about physics and your question has to do with physics, then even though you love him, you need to go beyond Uncle Charlie.”

Collin’s debut book, Teaching News Literacy in the Age of AI: A Cross Curricular Approach, will be published by ISTE in August. Aimed at educators and library media specialists, the cross-disciplinary approach offers resources to help students navigate today’s news and media landscape as expert chroniclers, curators, and content creators.

“Be a Sherlock Holmes or an Enola Holmes, be a Spock,” she says. “It’s black and white, take your own biases and emotions out of it and just look at the facts. It’s vitally important. Truth is the treasure. I tell them they are the treasure hunters and their critical thinking skills are their treasure map.”

Project-Based Pizazz

“I'm a firm believer in project-based learning,” Collins says. “We do a lot of cross-curricular projects that involve research, creativity, and the use of technology in the creation process and the expression piece as well.”

Collins’ special projects include coding with poetry from Hour of Code and creating an ideal future sustainable home using 3D-design software through Ludenso Create. She also focuses on popular projects aimed at English language learners, such as a digital music creation with Soundation and drawing projects using Brush Ninja to create a meme, which allows students to communicate in a comfortable non-written form.

“They are still doing research, technology just allows them to get creative about how they're expressing their ideas, which is wonderful,” she says. “My annual session on how to use Sora to gain access to multiple different languages to read and hear their books in their own language as they're developing their English skills draws a full house.”

With much of the news and current events seeming dire and full of doom and gloom, Collins injects a dose of humor to ensure lessons resonate.

“I’ll have a little quiz on AI–there's hilarious things out there,” she says. “We look at images and I teach them the strategies of how to find the source and whether it's reliable or not. I’ll show a photo of the Pope in a puffer jacket, that's not real. So we learn things like reverse image searching to backtrack and find the original source of a photo. The Wayback Machine helps you check down a website where something came from originally. I remember when it was just a newspaper that was thrown on your porch. Now it's a lot harder with the internet, social media and speed with which the misinformation travels. So I let them play with the technology that the bad actors are using.”

AI offers the potential for an enormous effect on today’s world, yet Collins reminds students that it is just a tool, and one that can be used for good or bad.

“I will have students locate a historical photo and use Canva,” she says. “Students upload a historical photo. alter it and then we have a guessing game. What is different in this picture, which is real, which is not? It shows not tells, just how easy it is to use certain tools. Letting them use the tech is the best way I can think of to teach an awareness of what's going on right now in the world of AI.”

5 Tips to Make the Most of Your Library Media Specialist

Collins shares what you can do to ensure your media specialists are contributing all they can to your school.

1. Prioritize Collaboration and Communication. Schedule regular meetings to discuss school needs. Involve librarians in curriculum planning and showcase the library's resources, services and tech to students.
2. Advocate for the Librarian's Role. Promote the librarian’s role in curriculum and tech integration, share access to professional resources such as relevant professional organizations and conferences, and promote teacher-librarian partnerships.
3. Allocate Resources and Support. Ensure adequate funding for materials, tech, collaboration time, and PD. Publicly acknowledge librarians’ contributions.
4. Professional Development and Growth. Provide opportunities for librarians to enhance skills and knowledge, support research and innovative practices, and offer librarian-to-librarian mentorship and coaching from pros.
5. Data-Driven Decision-Making. Use library data to inform resource allocation and measure the positive impact of library programs and services on student outcomes.

The Tools They Use

• diffit.me
• Canva
• Brisk
• MagicSchool AI
• StretchAI
• Safari Montage
• Breakout EDU
• Adobe Express
• Brush Ninja
• Soundation
• Ludenso Create
• Hour of Code
• Checkology curriculum (News Literacy Project)
• ISTE Digital Citizenship curriculum
• Sora
• National Geographic
• Noodletools
• Code.org

Checkology is a platform created by the News Literacy Project as a way to educate young people about how to use news media.

This is specifically tailored to education with a focus on teaching students to think about how they are consuming news and media online.

The idea is to use real-world news and apply a system of checks so that students can learn to better evaluate stories and sources, rather than blindly believing everything they see, read, and hear online.

A selection of modules are available to allow teachers to work with the class, or for students to work individually. So could this be a useful tool for you education institution?

What is Checkology?

Checkology is an all-too-rare tool that aims to teach students how to evaluate the ever-increasing mass of media that is being directed at them on a daily basis. It helps empower students to better recognize truth.

By using real-world news and a system of checks, carried out as part of learning modules, students are taught to do this for themselves. 

There are four key areas covered: knowing what to believe as true, navigating the media world, filtering news and other media, and exercising civil freedoms.

The idea is to not only have students distinguish fake news from real stories but to actually be able to evaluate the credibility of a story's source -- so they can decide for themselves what to believe.

It all sounds a bit like training everyone to be a journalist, and to some extent that is what this is doing. However, these abilities can be applied beyond journalism and writing classes as a valuable life skill for all. With journalists from The New York Times, Washington Post, and Buzzfeed all working as panelists on the website, this is a powerful and up-to-date system that applies even with the pace of media changing as it is.

How does Checkology work?

Checkology uses modules to teach students how to evaluate real-world news. Pick from a list of module options in which you will then be told how long the module is, the difficulty level, and the lesson host -- all at a glance. 

Then scroll down for more in-depth details on what the module consists of. Select Next to begin and you'll be taken into the video lesson.

The video is divided into sections with video guidance, written sections, example media, and questions -- all controlled by tapping the Next icon.

In one example there is a string of social media post results you can follow. This is then punctuated with a question in which there is an open answer box to type in a response. This way of working through the module helps students work individually, or as a class to progress.

While the basic modules teach through fictitious situations, the system can also be used for actual news, with a Check Tool, to apply these techniques in the real world.

What are the best Checkology features?

Checkology features some great modules that are free to access and use, which will teach students of all abilities how to better manage media. A lot of the focus is on getting to the source and using that to better understand truth. This doesn't take lateral reading, going beyond the source, into account perhaps as much as it could in some instances.

The Check Tool is a very helpful feature that lets students work independently through a news or media source so they can better navigate lies, embellishment, and truth with a level of confidence that this support offers.

The modules are designed so teachers can lead the class through each one as a group or individuals can work on their own. This flexibility is helpful in allowing everyone to go at their individual pace. The evaluation tool allows teachers to see student submissions and can even be integrated with the current LMS in use.

Professional development opportunities are also available for teachers, curated by Checkology and the News Literacy Project, as well as extra teaching materials and transcripts as needed.

How much does Checkology cost?

Checkology offers its modules for free that can be used by anybody, right away without the need to sign up, pay, or give personal details of any kind.

The whole system is supported entirely by philanthropic donations. Consequently, you will not be asked to pay for anything while using the system. It also means there are no ads or tracking of your details.

Checkology best tips and tricks

Evaluate live
Apply the skills learned in a live news situation as it develops, working as a class to evaluate what to believe as truth based on sources that you assess together.

Bring your own
Have students bring examples or stories -- including a social media hot topic -- so you can follow the thread as a class and work out the truth.

Break out
Take time to stop during the modules to hear from the class about examples of their experiences that are similar -- helping cement the ideas into their understanding.

• New Teacher Starter Kit
• Best Digital Tools for Teachers

Arnold Blumberg first taught a class built around the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in 2015 and has been teaching courses based on other aspects of pop culture for years. Even so, some educators still see incorporating popular media into the classroom as some type of radical approach. 

“It still seems like we occasionally fight an uphill battle, where people either are definitely against the idea or at the very least incredulous that these kinds of things can work,” says Blumberg, a pop culture and comics historian and part-time professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. “I feel like we're at a point now where this shouldn't have to be something that's proven anymore. It works. It's a wonderful strategy for getting students active and engaged and thinking.” 

Many educators are already referencing Marvel movies and other elements of pop culture in the classroom. Here are some of the reasons Blumberg believes more should consider it as a pedagogical strategy. 

1. Teaching the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Popularity Builds Engagement  

Spider-Man: No Way Home was the highest-grossing film of 2021 and the most successful movie of the pandemic era, clearly demonstrating the MCU’s hold on humanity is not loosening. Educators can use this popularity – as well as other popular films and sources – to get students to engage more deeply with class concepts, Blumberg says. 

“One of the most powerful things about it is you're giving your students a sense of comfort and familiarity,” he says. “And then once you've started from there, you can say, ‘Oh, but see how you can also see this in that?’ Or, ‘What do you think this means?’” 

He adds that incorporating popular material into class can work on multiple levels. “It gets the students interested because those are things they're going to be comfortable with or enjoy. But it also means, 'Let's take a look at something that is clearly drawing in millions of viewers. Why is that? What is it that's resonating with them? And also, what is it that it might be telling them while they're sitting there passively receiving all this information?’” 

2. Teaching the Marvel Cinematic Universe: It is Perfect for Media Literacy and Literature 

The massive interest in the MCU makes it a good starting point for media literacy courses as well as composition courses. “On a certain level, the content is irrelevant,” Blumberg says. “It doesn't matter whether it's Marvel or whatever else you use. It's simply a good idea to pick things that people will have an affinity for, that are popular in the moment, that are clearly things that are drawing in a wide audience.”

Blumberg has also built courses around zombie cinema and zombie references in popular media. In his Marvel classes he introduces students to the comics the film characters are based on, and discusses their similarities to mythology and delves into topics such as the hero’s journey. 

Educators can also explore messaging and what a film or story reveals about society whether intentionally or unintentionally. For example, the recent MCU WandaVision Disney+ TV series delves into dealing with grief and trauma, while The Falcon and Winter Soldier explores racism and social inequality. Spider-man’s mantra “With great power comes great responsibility,” which can be traced back to the Sword of Damocles, speaks to notions of public service and the greater good.

A pop-culture approach to teaching media literacy is all about “giving students the opportunity to learn how to view the things that they view for entertainment, and derive meaning from them in a substantive way,” he says.

3. Teaching the Marvel Cinematic Universe: It Works Across Topics  

Even for subjects in which the MCU or other pop culture content is not as clear a fit, there can still be reasons to sneak in a reference or two to help with student engagement. 

“Even in disciplines that may not use that on a regular basis, it's a tool in the toolbox,” Blumberg says. “It's an excellent way for you to get to another point you want to make, and it can be a powerful way to get students engaged. Frankly, a lot of material can be tedious, it can be opaque to people, depending on what the students' mindsets are like.” 

On top of this, students have a great deal on their minds beyond school. “The reality of it is kids are sitting through class after class,” Blumberg says. “They're tired, they want to eat. Anything you can do that might make them feel a little more engaged, a little more comfortable, and more willing to participate, is a good thing.” 

4. Teaching the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Today’s Classics Were Yesterday’s Pop Culture  

While some educators might still look down on teachers who use the MCU and other pop culture content in class, it’s important to remember that much of what we teach is based on what was popular in the past. “You see these kinds of articles come up time and again. It's like, ‘Oh what are these people doing teaching pop culture?’” Blumberg says. “We've always been teaching pop culture. Most of the things that we think of as being a classic canon are only that because of age, and because a very, very narrow group of largely white men in academia decided what's going to be important and what's not going to be not important. And it's time to throw a lot of that away.” 

While Blumberg says it's great to encourage students to explore classic literature and films – and he does that in his classes as well – those are not the only types of media students should be encouraged to engage with. “It's just the tip of the iceberg,” he says. “There's a vast range of material. And just because something is popular, doesn't mean it's not important, or that it doesn't have meaning. And just because something's not in the academic canon doesn't mean it isn't worth academic notice.” 

• 5 Lessons For Teachers From Ted Lasso
• Showing Movies & Videos in Class

Most of us remember at some point in our education a teacher who would wheel a TV into class, pop a video in the VCR, press play, and then take a literal or proverbial nap for the remainder of class time. 

That’s exactly how not to utilize film, documentaries, or other video presentations in class, says Britton Barnes, a 7th and 8th grade social studies teacher at Clement Middle School of the Redlands USD in California. However, when used correctly – in short clips with educator-provided context – videos, films, and documentaries can be a way to enhance lessons while giving students a deeper understanding of topics ranging from science to history to media literacy. 

Use Video To Support Not Replace The Lesson 

Incorporating video brings multimodality into your teaching, however, videos should be introduced with proper context, says Karen Beerer, Discovery Education's Senior Vice President of Teaching and Learning. “I’m not necessarily sure that a movie by itself is a good enough learning experience for students,” she says. “So what are you doing with that movie? How are you handling the before, during, and after?”

Videos are best used to build on already existing lessons by providing another way to understand or connect with the material for students. “It’s one thing to see the photosynthesis process on a worksheet, or on paper, it's another thing to visually see it,” Beerer says. 

Barnes uses video to help his students form a deeper connection with history through historic clips and recreations that can help them connect with the material. 

Keep Videos Short and Model Good Viewing Habits 

While extended screenings may work once in a while, you generally want to keep it short, 15 minutes or under, and almost never want to devote an entire class session to a screening. 

Beerer says research shows shorter clips are better, and it is easier to align a shorter clip both to your existing lesson plans and to students’ attention spans. 

Some of the clips Barnes uses in his class can be as short as a minute or two, and rarely exceed a quarter-hour on a video or a single activity of any kind. “I don't like to go over 15 minutes on anything. I like to keep moving,” he says. 

Barnes also teaches students how to take notes and helps them keep an eye out for key takeaways. He’ll stop after five minutes and go over important bullet points or use an app such as EdPuzzle, which automatically stops the video to ask viewers questions. EdPuzzle can be used when students watch something at home, but Barnes also likes using it in class and having his students explore the questions as a group. 

Examine the Source and Accuracy of Films and Videos 

When screening documentaries, Barnes has his students source the video by asking questions such as:  

• Who made this? 
• Why did they make it? 
• Is it relevant? 
• Can I corroborate this information with maybe something I've read? 

“Then I always tell my students, we're going to learn to be historians rather than learn history, right? Because those are skills you carry across all disciplines,” he says. 

He has a similar approach when showing historical films. 

“When we are using a Hollywood film, we'll even play games like, ‘Is it history? Or is it Hollywood?’” Barnes says. 

After guessing which film segments are real and which are created by screenwriters, students then research and confirm the changes Hollywood made. “The way you present [video] can create a lot of excitement, and a lot of tension or drama, and interest,” he says. 

Make Sure The Video Screens on Your Class System and Licensing is In Order 

Many educational services provide videos to teachers specifically for the purpose of screening in class. In general, showing a film at school for students is permitted under U.S. copyright law, but holding a public viewing with parents or other community members is not allowed. Check with a school librarian or with your technology or AV teams for best practices and institution policies. 

In addition, many streaming services are blocked at schools, which might prevent you from streaming content on a school device. Remember, different devices within the same school may have different blocks, and permissions are constantly updated by schools and streaming services. So just because you successfully screened a clip using your Netflix account last semester, it doesn’t mean it will work this spring, especially if you switched classrooms and/or devices. 

Empower Students to Share Their Reactions to the Video and Film  

Educators can all too often influence how students react to a film screened in class, says Arnold Blumberg, an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, who regularly incorporates film into his classes. “It's an easy pitfall, particularly as someone who's probably far more steeped in the material than the students are, or has seen a given movie many more times than they're likely to have seen it, to start imposing your perceptions on them,” he says. “And it's important even as the teacher to not dominate the immediate reactions, and to allow these things to happen organically.” 

That means establishing an environment in which all students feel comfortable reacting to the film in the way that they experienced it. 

“It's important to be open to the fact that students are going to have a lot of different reactions,” Blumberg says. “Their emotions are valid, and you want to talk to everybody and have a productive conversation, and not try to tamp down any of those reactions, and not try to tell them, ‘Okay, but here's what you should think about that,’ or ‘here's the right way to interrupt this.’ There's no right way.’”

• Research: Video Learning May be More Effective Than In-person Lectures
• 5 Best Movies About Teaching

The traditional role of school librarian has changed. New technology and changing expectations are causing librarians to reimagine how they support students and teaching in a fast-moving environment. Many have become media specialists, dipping into areas and subjects well beyond the printed word.

Librarians now create and manage learning hubs in which students can interact with one another, the collections, and the physical space itself. In addition, inquiry-based learning, data science, and demand for collaborative working spaces are also transforming the work of librarians.

With the correlation between high-quality school library programs and certified librarians to higher ELA test scores, at-risk learners are benefitting the most. Even as they continue to support reading instruction, librarians encourage students to be self-directed problem solvers, innovators, and creators using the library’s resources. Librarians also are providing cross-curriculum reading connections to science and math content areas.

Part of the evolution to a learning hub has meant dramatic changes in the library’s design, says Sharon McCubbins, school media librarian and tech coordinator at Cumberland Trace Elementary in Warren Public Schools in Kentucky. “Some libraries now have LEGO walls and active furniture, such as tables on wheels, to provide flexibility to easily and quickly rearrange the space to adapt to each new learning activity,” she says. “The library can shift from independent study to group activities quickly by changing the furniture arrangement.”

McCubbins first incorporated maker space elements into her library in 2016. She began with puzzles and tinker toys. The next year she received a grant to bring in makerspace materials, coding devices, and robots. “LEGOs and robots are exciting, but not necessary,” she said. “Maker spaces don’t have to include technology, although they often do.” 

A maker space allows students a deeper dive into a story by offering a chance to create and share content, McCubbins says.

 School Librarian: An Increased Focus on Technology 

Amy Buss, instructional coordinator for the Warren Public Schools, says that librarians have now become the tech coordinators in their schools. “During COVID, our librarians stepped up into leadership and coaching roles to help teachers set up Google Classroom and design engaging tasks using technology that was new to them,” she says. These are “we’ll do whatever it takes” librarian teachers who didn’t let challenging restrictions keep them from ensuring that kids—and staff—had continuing access to learning resources throughout the pandemic. 

Librarians often lead the teaching of information and media literacy in schools—helping students understand the difference between fact and opinion, teaching students how to evaluate online information and be good digital citizens. Educating students about social media is increasingly important as research indicates the negative impact on middle and high school students in particular. 

Many librarians have also become first adopters of new digital tools and platforms, and even lead technology integration for staff, including organizing professional development and training. 

They are also being relied upon as a key part of family communication strategies, often tasked with creating and sending emails and newsletters, or creating and maintaining school websites. For example, during remote learning, Shannon McClintock Miller, District Teacher Librarian and Innovation Director, Van Meter Community School District in Iowa, relied on social media tools such as Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter to stay connected. “When we went to remote learning in March, our social media became critical because I was able to constantly share items from there,” she says. By using multiple social media tools, she can reach every audience.

A typical day in a school library will find it full of students working individually and in groups on laptops, accessing digital resources, reading ebooks, researching databases, learning research skills, and reading print books. Teachers will be reviewing instructional resources curated for them by the librarian, who also introduces them to emerging technologies and new teaching resources. 

As school libraries evolve into learning hubs with a range of services and opportunities for both students and teachers that go far beyond checking out books, it is essential for a vibrant school culture to have a full-time, certified teaching librarian on staff.

• How to Market For A School Library
• Repurposing School Libraries As Vibrant Hubs and Centers of Change

Capture, record, edit, and share screen content with versatile tool

Pros: Multiple options for recording and capturing all or parts of your screen open up different avenues for creative use and sharing.

Cons: Not all features are intuitive, and upgrade messages pop up often for videos.

Bottom Line: Easy-to-use options for uploading and sharing content make this a useful addition to any teacher's toolbox.

Read more 

App of the Day picks are selected from the top edtech tools reviewed by Common Sense Education, which helps educators find the best ed-tech tools, learn best practices for teaching with tech, and equip students with the skills they need to use technology safely and responsibly. 

By Common Sense Education

BBC iReporter

Spot real stories, dodge fake news in cheeky media literacy sim

Pros: Gameplay is silly and fun, and it takes critical thinking and media literacy savvy to succeed.

Cons: Students probably won't want to play it more than once, and teachers will have to come up with context-setting and reflection activities on their own.

Bottom Line: A refreshingly modern way for students to explore how to filter and interpret info and media during breaking news events.

[PBS Announces Free Media Literacy Micro-Credentials for PreK-12 Educators]

Read more.

Site of the Week picks are selected from the top edtech tools reviewed byCommon Sense Education, which helps educators find the best edtech tools, learn best practices for teaching with tech, and equip students with the skills they need to use technology safely and responsibly. 

By Common Sense Education

YR Media

Dynamic site harnesses creative young talent to speak truth to power

Pros: Great, modern content that tackles relevant topics in an authentic voice.

Cons: Some topics tend more toward people in their twenties than teens, and the radio stream can contain explicit language.

Bottom Line: This fresh and socially aware website will draw students in with catchy -- often controversial -- topics, but keep them there with quality content.

Read more 

App of the Day picks are selected from the top edtech tools reviewed by Common Sense Education, which helps educators find the best ed-tech tools, learn best practices for teaching with tech, and equip students with the skills they need to use technology safely and responsibly. 

By Common Sense Education

Modern, minimalist fake news game has players be the bad guys

Pros: Supports multiple languages and the minimalist design makes it very easy to follow.

Cons: The emphasis on how Twitter might not be relatable to students; choices tend to lead to similar outcomes.

Bottom Line: Quick, fun, and to-the-point, this game gets at the social mechanics behind viral falsehoods.

Read more.

Site of the Week picks are selected from the top edtech tools reviewed byCommon Sense Education, which helps educators find the best edtech tools, learn best practices for teaching with tech, and equip students with the skills they need to use technology safely and responsibly. 

By Common Sense Education

Checkology® Virtual Classroom

Go-to news-literacy site is an excellent primer on media issues

Pros: Unique site allows for exploration of multiple lessons, while the check tool allows students to evaluate credibility of news.

Cons: Lessons can be a bit too long and repetitive at times.

Bottom Line: With "fake news" a pressing concern, literacy lessons are essential for informed citizens.

Read more here.

App of the Day picks are selected from the top edtech tools reviewed by Common Sense Education, which helps educators find the best ed-tech tools, learn best practices for teaching with tech, and equip students with the skills they need to use technology safely and responsibly. 

By Common Sense Education

KQED Teach

Super PD resource for making media in the classroom

Pros: Free courses and lesson plans for all grade levels and all content.

Cons: No way to search by learning standard.

Bottom Line: Stay on top of the trends and take the fear out of media-making in the classroom.

Read more 

App of the Day picks are selected from the top edtech tools reviewed by Common Sense Education, which helps educators find the best ed-tech tools, learn best practices for teaching with tech, and equip students with the skills they need to use technology safely and responsibly. 

By Common Sense Education

Innovative educators know media literacy is important. Common Sense Education explains that media literacy helps kids with the following:

• Learn to think critically. 
• Become a smart consumer of products and information. 
• Recognize point of view. 
• Create media responsibly. 
• Identify the role of media in our culture
• Understand the author's goal. 

What innovative educators may not know is how to get started with teaching students about media literacy.  

Key question resource grid

The National Association of Media Literacy Educators (NAMLE) has a useful key question grid resource to help teachers get started. The grid provides questions in three categories, each with subcategories.  

1. Audience and authorship
2. Messages and meaning
3. Representations and reality

Tips to Consider

Media literate people learn to ask themselves questions in each category. Showing students the questions is where you start. Next have a discussion with your students using the questions to discuss media, keeping these two tips in mind:

1. Questions may have many different answers. 
2. When sharing answers students should provide evidence sharing how they know what they know.  

Classroom Videos

Here are two powerful videos that would serve as great resources to launch this work with secondary students: 

Lisa Nielsen (@InnovativeEdu) has worked as a public-school educator and administrator since 1997. She is a prolific writer best known for her award-winning blog, The Innovative Educator. Nielsen is the author of several booksand her writing has been featured in media outlets such as The New York Times,The Wall Street Journal, Tech&Learning, and T.H.E. Journal. 

On the first day of #SXSWedu I went to a panel session around media literacy. The panel consisted of educators and representatives from KQED and PBS. During the course of the discussion, one of the panelists mentioned that the term “media literacy” is really built around new forms of media.

When becoming literate in film, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, social media, etc, it’s about learning new forms of media. The term “literacy” is still centered around reading and writing. Thus, anything listed as “Media” literacy must be new.

I looked up the official definition of “literate” on Merriam-Webster’s website and this was the result:

In this definition, reading and writing is tied to literacy. However, some of the other definitions like “having knowledge or competence” is an interesting angle that is used with media literacy. Adding the word “media” as stated in the definition would mean you would have knowledge or competence of the media.

A different panelist brought up the point that if you have an Alexa or Google Home in your house, that you’ve just included a new form of media (A.I.) to learn and become literate in. That said, many people add these tools without thoughts of learning how to really use or leverage them.  They don’t think about the long-term consequences of a tool capturing your verbal data over time. As I wrote about last year, one of my main parenting fails was buying and Echo Dot for each of my kids, so this really hit home with me.

That said, I think that banning or turning away all new forms of media is also not productive or a good long-term solution.  Becoming literate in a tool, as by the definition above, means you understand the downsides as well as the positives to using such a tool.  That’s what we need to be teaching kids.

I threw out this concept around the term media literacy on Twitter during the event:

 Here were a few of the responses: 

 Patrick’s thought here is where I was leaning originally and would be more in line with the Merriam-Webster definition. Just list items that have tech in them as media items that we need to become literate in, but then list the more traditional (books) as literacy. However, when he mentions digital or analog, it starts to throw me off a bit as digital means technology.  In an attempt to summarize: Not all technology is media, but some could be considered literacy.  Here’s another couple of thoughts: 

All of the above tweets refer to how the term can influence certain thoughts. This is where I really started to have a conundrum. In some ways, the way I was posting and gathering this data on Twitter is considered a form of (social) Media literacy. The idea that reading=consuming media and writing=creating media seems to make the most sense to me.

Using those ideas and removing the term “media” would insinuate that the person that has set up an AI home assistant would know how to “consume” it (have it play you music, give you a joke) as well as “create” with it (have it add to a shopping list or program it to flash your lights when a message comes in).

This new form literacy in the AR/VR world looks fairly weighted at the moment to the consumptive side of literacy. We are interacting and consuming virtual worlds or augmented material, but very few are actually creating in this space. My thinking is, as this becomes much more user-friendly through apps like ARMakr or Panoform, we’ll start to create with these tools and become more literate in their use as a result.

After writing all of this, I’m now beginning to wonder if the definition of literacy or to be literate needs to be reexamined. One of our amazing middle school teachers shared this:

It’s clear in the future, that students (and adults) will need to interact with multiple forms of media. Becoming literate in those forms of media will not hurt them, it can only help to give them an advantage in the future work place. Knowing that, we would be doing a disservice to the future of our students to not show them how to interact with multiple forms of media. Making them literate, thoughtful, empathetic and impactful members of society is one of the most powerful things we can do as an institution.

Creating this literacy doesn’t happen without the right tools, teachers, leaders, and mindsets when it comes to using all of this “media” in our world. 

cross-posted at https://hookedoninnovation.com

Carl Hooker has been a part of a strong educational shift with technology integration since becoming an educator. As Director of Innovation & Digital Learning at Eanes ISD, he has helped spearhead the LEAP program, which put one-to-one iPads in the hands of all K-12 students in his 8000-student district. He is also the founder of “iPadpalooza”- a three-day “learning festival” held in Austin annually. He's also the author of the six-book series titled Mobile Learning Mindset, a guide for teachers, administrators, parents and others to support and embrace mobile learning in our schools. Read more at Hooked on Innovation.  

Expanding their free media literacy certification program, today at SXSW EDU 2019, PBS and KQED announced a new set of media literacy micro-credentials for educators.

The certification program – which launched last year – recognizes educators who excel at teaching students to become critical thinkers, perceptive media consumers and savvy content creators. Based on feedback from teachers, the new micro-credentials model gives educators a more seamless pathway to skill-building and certification. To become certified, educators will collect 8 micro-credentials:

1. Evaluating Online Information
2. Analyzing Media
3. Creating a Code of Conduct
4. Evaluating Online Tools for Classroom Use
5. Making Media for Classroom Use: Images, Graphics and Interactives
6. Making Media for Classroom Use: Audio and Video
7. a. Implementing Media Projects in Early Childhood OR 7b. Implementing Media Projects in the Upper Grades
8. Assessing Student Media

Educators can earn micro-credentials on Digital Promise’s website. Visit kqed.org/certification to get started. 

Real or fake?

Biased or unbiased?

Trustworthy or untrustworthy?

During a recent trip through different parts of Texas, I got the chance to lead several teacher conversations around these three questions. We worked together to share strategies and resources designed around creating knowledgeable, thinking, and active citizens.

With a specific goal of training our kids to be effective consumers of online information. So our conversation wasn’t just about fake news – it was also about online civic literacy.

We started with a series of images:

The images led to an important discussion about the irreplaceable role of journalism in a democracy:

We also spent a good bit of time exploring different tools our kids can use to determine their own bias, to see the difference between actual fake news and news with a biased spin, and to track down sources of information.

(Feel free to wonder over to a Wakelet with a list of those different tools.)

[Move Your Kids Past Simply Consuming Virtual Reality.]

We ended our conversation with a very handy little tool that is perfect for assessing the ability of students to recognize fake from real news.

At a time when the reading public daily grapples with the question of fake news, the American University Game Lab/JOLT has created an accessible, easy-to-play game that helps you sort fake news from real.

Titled Facitious, the tool is a quick online game designed by a team of game researchers at American University. Lindsay Grace, who oversaw the project:

"Factitious is a playful way of exploring the fake news conundrum. This game is a good way to remind players about what they know and don’t know about news. It brings a desperately needed dose of civility to online news."

Game play is simple. Students read shortened news stories and have to swipe right if they think the stories are real or left if they think stories are fake. After a student makes her choice, the game tells them if they were right or wrong. Students also have the option to see the source of the story, which can be a big hint.

The game encourages students to practice the skills we’ve given them and gives us a tool to measure those skills.

There are two versions of the game – a quick start version and the Full Start. The Quick Start version doesn’t save the student’s work while the Full Start allows kids to resume saved games.

Future versions will include the ability for you to enter your own stories, personalizing the experience for your students.

cross posted at glennwiebe.org

Glenn Wiebe is an education and technology consultant with 15 years' experience teaching history and social studies. He is a curriculum consultant for ESSDACK, an educational service center in Hutchinson, Kansas, blogs frequently at History Tech and maintains Social Studies Central, a repository of resources targeted at K-12 educators. Visit
glennwiebe.org to learn more about his speaking and presentation on education technology, innovative instruction and social studies.

Post this on your wall for 2018/2019 school year as a reminder of all the dates you can celebrate ways to prepare modern learners. (May take a moment to load.)

Visit the infographic here.

[New Infographic! 8-Step Plan to Finding A Student Internship]

Lisa Nielsen (@InnovativeEdu) has worked as a public-school educator and administrator since 1997. She is a prolific writer best known for her award-winning blog, The Innovative Educator. Nielsen is the author of several books and her writing has been featured in media outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Tech&Learning, and T.H.E. Journal.

How will you prepare your students to be media literate and responsible digital citizens?

What do you have planned for the upcoming recognition dates?
Citizenship Week - October 15 - 19
National Bullying Prevention Month - October
Media Literacy Week - November 5 - 9, 2018

Join us Thursday as we discuss these and other topics about #digcit and #MediaLiteracy

You can prepare for the conversation by thinking about answers to these questions:

• Q1 Why do students need to learn media literacy and digital citizenship? What is the risk if this isn’t learned?
• Q2 How do you partner with families to ensure students are media literate and digitally responsible citizens?
• Q3 If you had to pick one component of media literacy or digital citizenship that you find most important what would it be and why?
• Q4 What resources do you use and how do you decide what makes a “quality” resource?
• Q5 What is ONE THING other teachers and/or parents should know about media literacy or digital citizenship?
• Q6 How do you recognize the different calendar events such as
• Digital Citizenship Week, National Bullying Prevention Month, Media Literacy Week 

[New Infographic! 8-Step Plan to Finding A Student Internship]

Chat details are below:
Date: Thursday, October 4th
Time: 7:00 pm
Topic: #DigCit #MediaLiteracy
Your Host: @eileen_lennon (@NYCSchools)
Co-Host: @InnovativeEdu (@NYCSchools)

Remember to respond using the hashtag #NYCSchoolsTechChat and include the number of the question you are answering in your response i.e. A1 and your answer.

Lisa Nielsen (@InnovativeEdu) has worked as a public-school educator and administrator since 1997. She is a prolific writer best known for her award-winning blog, The Innovative Educator. Nielsen is the author of several books and her writing has been featured in media outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Tech&Learning, and T.H.E. Journal.

Critical Media Project

Relevant media clips get students examining identity, culture

Pros: The curated, high-interest, and identity-focused clips makes media literacy relevant and personal.

Cons: The basic lesson plans mean teachers must take the time to build an effectively scaffolded, differentiated, and tailored lesson.

Bottom Line: Teachers will need to take time to build effective lessons, but if they do, this is a useful, relevant, high-interest resource for deconstructing identity and building critical thinking and empathy skills.

[Create Courses, Lessons, Websites and More with Today's Top Pick]

Read more.

App of the Day picks are selected from the top edtech tools reviewed by Common Sense Education, which helps educators find the best ed-tech tools, learn best practices for teaching with tech, and equip students with the skills they need to use technology safely and responsibly.

By Common Sense Education

It’s important to discuss media literacy and help your students learn to separate fact from fiction so they can be informed, empowered citizens. Lisa Nielsen and Common Sense Education suggest these four websites to get you started:

1 Opensecrets.org is all about following the money. The site, run by a nonpartisan and independent nonprofit called the Center for Responsive Politics, points out the connections between political contributions, lobbying data, and government policy. The site aims to empower citizens by providing clear, unbiased information. Topics include the 2016 presidential race, Dark Money, and political action committees. A great classroom resource for: social studies, literacy, math, statistics.

2 Poynter.org focuses on journalism, fairness, and transparency and publishes a weekly newsletter on fact-checking and accountability. Its e-learning platform, NewsU, is one of the world’s most innovative online journalism and media training programs. Everyone—from teachers of journalism to middle-school students—can learn how journalism is produced, how to determine a story’s credibility, and more, through over 400 free and low-cost courses, online seminars, webinars, podcasts, and video tutorials. A great classroom resource for: writing, journalism.

3 Factcheck.org is a nonpartisan, nonprofit consumer advocacy site for voters that aims to reduce the deception and confusion in US politics by monitoring the factual accuracy of major political players’ statements. A project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, the site offers articles and analysis as well as SciCheck—a fact-checking feature focusing on false and misleading scientific claims made by partisans to influence public policy. A great classroom resource for: social studies, science.

4 Snopes.com is the most well-known site for debunking the latest rumors, urban legends, myths, and misinformation. The site’s work has been described as painstaking, scholarly, and reliable. Snopes uses a clever rating system to gauge a story’s truthfulness. Teachers need to exercise professional judgement as some of the stories are unsuitable for children. A great classroom resource for: media literacy, social studies.

For More surveys, Visit www.techlearning.com/april17