Teaching students to be critical thinkers during this pandemic is at the forefront of most teachers’ minds. Teaching students to be truth-seekers may be one of the most essential objectives for educators during the COVID-19 pandemic. Combating misinformation and citing credible sources can make all the difference when getting information online.
Reflecting on my own teaching practices, I often wonder if I taught my students to think about the content they share as representative of their intellect. I spoke to Jonathon Rogers who, like me, is an avid Flipboard enthusiast and a passionate, award-winning educator. He is an expert when it comes to topics like digital journalism, student voice integration through blogging, and using social media properly. We agree that teaching students to convey meaningful facts must be at the core of educating young journalists. We also agree that “alternative facts” need to be reviewed extensively before deciding if they are “shareworthy”.
Jonathan is an award-winning journalism adviser at Iowa City High School, where he was a former Journalism Teacher of the Year in Iowa. Jonathan speaks nationally at education and technology conferences and is a contributing writer for Media Shift, JEADigitalMedia.org, the English in Texas journal, and blogs about education on Medium.
In this episode, we discuss the importance of students becoming critical thinkers and managers of their social media accounts, as well as the relevance of media literacy. Jonathan also shares his insights on multiculturalism in the media and the importance of cultural diversity.
—William Jeffery is curating Flipboard EDU Podcast
“Coach Jeffery” is an award-winning digital learning educator and assistant principal at Columbia High School in Texas. His tech pedagogy continues to drive him to curate educational content on Flipboard that highlights teaching strategies, edtech, and ways to improve student success. He started co-hosting the “Flipboard EDU Podcast” as yet another way to share resources with his peers.