Next week I am hosting a three day workshop for EdTechTeacher focusing on digital literacy skills. As a long-time edtech enthusiast, former middle school teacher, and all-around seeker of information, I know just how important it is to explicitly teach students digital literacy skills as well as ways to be a responsible digital citizen.

Explicitly teach. Digital natives are not born with these critical thinking skills or knowledge of how to be discerners of information.

My workshop was inspired by a book that I read last year by Mike Caulfield and Sam Wineburg titled Verified: How to Think Straight, Get Duped Less, and Make Better Decisions about What to Believe Online. A long time fan of Sam Wineburg, I was excited to delve into this book because it not only seemed to promise to make ME a better user of the internet, but it also made me think about how I could use this information in the various workshops and interactions that I have with fellow educators.

One of the most valuable take-aways from the book (and one which will be featured in my workshop) is on the importance and value of lateral reading. Something, I have to admit that I don’t do enough. Here’s a short clip on the topic…

The book Verified did not disappoint. It’s an easy read, but more importantly it provides succinct methods to help users discern fact from fiction – half-truths from outright lies – real news from fake news. Best of all, the claims made by the authors are grounded in research. RECENT research. I make this distinction because so much as changed on the internet as well as how we interact with content and each other especially with the proliferation of AI.

If you’re interested in learning more about what Caulfield and Wineburg have to say – read this book. You won’t be sorry. And it’s not a dry read either! Fans of SHEG (now called Digital Inquiry Group)…this book takes sourcing and corroboration to a whole other level.

If you have time and would like to join me as I share my personal experiences (including lessons learned) using technology with my middle schoolers and beyond, please join us next week starting Monday (June 17) at 1PM ET. The information to sign up for this session is found on our EdTechTeacher Summer Learning Pass page.