By Laura Hansen
Things have changed so much since I started my teaching career back in the early 1990s. At that time, my biggest worries as an educator were getting my elementary students to become lifelong learners—readers who could comprehend information not only from literature but also social studies and science texts, and mathematicians who had a strong foundation in concepts and were eager to explore further. And of course, I made sure my students were safe and happy too.
In addition to worrying about all of that, today’s teachers also have to contend with the fact that much of the information students may interact with has the potential to be inaccurate. Educators now have to train young minds to look for flawed arguments, misuse of data, or outright lies. It makes me almost yearn for the days when most information came from print and had been vetted by editors.
Unprecedented Access to Digital Content
The reality is that there has been a huge shift toward use of digital information, even for the youngest of students. The Internet and social media has made information, especially misinformation, very accessible.
According to the National Household Education Surveys Program, even prior to COVID and remote education, almost all students had a way to access the Internet, regardless of factors such as race and economic status.
There are some positive consequences associated with this. Having such a wealth of information at their fingertips can lead to students conducting in-depth research into topics that interest them. They’re also able to read differing opinions and access data more easily. But there are also huge risks, especially when that information they are accessing is inaccurate.
Why Access Doesn’t Equal Accuracy
Here’s a sobering thought: there are currently over 200 million active websites, many of which are not screened for accuracy. One of the most popular websites for kids is YouTube. I use it myself all the time, but I’ve noticed that the quality of information is pretty hit or miss.
For example, I’m a knitter and I tried using YouTube videos to learn a new stitch required by a pattern. Guess what? The stitch that the videos showed me was not the one I was supposed to learn! Another example: I live on a ranch and once tried to look up how to care for my newly acquired goats. So many opinions about what and when to feed, what shelters to use, and very little, if any, evidence to back up the information.
The second most used site is Google. Think of all the searches kids do every day, whether for homework or just for personal interest. Google gathers plenty of potential sources, but who is vetting the information they provide?
With my knitting example, I had enough background knowledge (a photo of the desired product, in this case) to know something was off. But students may not have that knowledge.
Classroom Strategies for Addressing Misinformation
So how do educators go about making students aware of the fact that not everything they read or hear online is true? And how can the students be taught to analyze sources for accuracy?
1. Start small
Show students a piece of information related to a current topic of discussion and have them analyze it as a class. How can they tell if the information is true? Could there be another perspective? Are there loaded words that suggest this may be an opinion (e.g. I think, I feel strongly)? Does the author want or expect the reader to think a certain way? Do they make generic statements like, “Everyone believes” or “Research states” without offering actual evidence?
One example you could use is the website All About Explorers. Created by teachers, this site uses fictitious biographies of famous explorers to help students understand that even though something looks official, it can still be completely made up. Teachers can then work with students to identify questionable information and find more reliable sources. (For example, the Lewis and Clark biography on the site mentions that the men were “charter members of National Geographic Magazine.” However, that magazine didn’t exist until 1888, long after Lewis and Clark were deceased.)
2. Encourage the use of common sense
Students may not have the same extent of background knowledge that adults do, but sometimes things just seem too ridiculous to be true. Encourage them to dig into those topics. An easy example of this is the idea that Earth is flat. You can do science experiments with shadows (which would not be created by a flat Earth) or watch videos of ships disappearing over the horizon, to prove that Earth has curvature.
3. For older students, have them research the actual source
Does the writer have a personal agenda? Is the information sponsored by a company that can benefit by persuading people to believe a particular way? Is the writer considered an expert in the field, viewed as a trusted and reliable source by others? If the author is suspect, explain to students they need to corroborate the information with other reliable sources.
I also highly recommend taking a look at the News Literacy Project. It’s a non-partisan organization that provides free lessons and strategies to aid teachers in navigating this misinformation space with their students.
Helping today’s youth swim through the sea of information coming at them is critical to building knowledge about the world. While teachers certainly don’t need “another thing to do,” we can weave this kind of exploration into our daily lessons in seamless ways, and there are ample opportunities to do so. Let’s equip students to be savvy consumers of information as they continue their journey through life.
Laura Hansen is a former educator who currently serves as Vice President, Product Assessments for NWEA, a Division of HMH.
