678 Module 8 Discussion

Hello Class,

What a topic for this week's blog... Fake News.  Obviously, this saying has caught wind with our current President's use of the term at every press conference.  In fact, it is probably the only thing I agree with him on and understand what he is talking about... Especially as a science teacher!

Teaching students about reputable websites or sources has always been a critical aspect of science education.  But now, more than ever, with the internet and freedom to publish any nonsense you want with social media, teaching the difference between credible and reliable resources is an extremely important aspect of the curriculum.

So much so that I think my number 1 job as a science educator is to make more scientifically literate citizens.  This means that they need to be able to research, think and come up with their own conclusion based on real evidence.  This will determine many of their choices later in life.  Such as who they vote for, what products they purchase, and how they live their lives sustainably. 

Unfortunately, most students get their "news" from social media which may have the greatest concentration of fake news on the planet.  With environmental and sustainability topics alone I read shared news stories that have no base in science, just opinion.  That is why my goal will always be promoting science literacy so they can figure out which is fake news, and what is based in science from reputable resources.

Here is my 4 step guide to finding a credible source:
Please ask yourself these 4 questions when deciding whether a source is credible or not
1.  Who or what is the source and what is their connection to the material being researched?
2.  Is it a website and if so a .org, .edu, .gov? (typically credible sources)
3.  Can you find other sites that back up their claim?
4. What research was cited or done to come to this conclusion?

Thanks,
Jim

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