Welcome!
Isn't it telling that we have adopted the word "viral" to describe the spread of media posts? It connotes infection, danger, and a need for inoculation while at the same time, many of us (including me on this site) hope that the content we disseminate will do just that—spread exponentially. The ongoing conversations that will take place on this page are intended to strengthen our information savvy and our capacities for nurturing information literacy in the members of our learning communities. I invite you to join the conversations and engage with me and each other to these ends.
Jacquelyn Whiting
Instructional Coach and Technology Integrator, Connecticut
Jacquelyn Whiting
Instructional Coach and Technology Integrator, Connecticut
On Virulence
by Jacquelyn WhitingOn an early morning run I listened to the first episode of the Michelle Obama podcast, and she remarked that the government doesn't come with a marketing budget.
In her essay, "A Student Asks 'Is This an Official U.S. Government Document?'" Debbie Abilock notes, "While they appear to be neutral, government sources always reflect the current administration's priorities... Archives are 'spaces of power.' The selection process—what is included or excluded—inevitably distorts and silences some stories."
So even if the government had a marketing wing would it just become a partisan echo chamber? Read More >>
Video
![Behind the Scenes at Thinkalong: Helping Students Build Media Literacy [23:35]](https://schoollibraryconnection.com/assets/mediaserver/SLC/2262/2262831s.jpg)
Jacquelyn Whiting speaks with Katie Eber and Tricia George from Connecticut Public's Thinkalong.org and learns how the organization promotes student media literacy.
Webinars
Jacquelyn Whiting, Innovation and Technology Specialist, and Michelle Luhtala, Library Department Chair, discuss how to leverage an understanding of content creators' purpose to help students mediate the influence of the news they consume.
Lesson Plan
In this exercise, students unpack and analyze posts on different social media platforms that use common hashtags, asking: how do the content creators use ethos, pathos, and logos to construct their messages? How do the media compare across platforms?
Article
Debbie Abilock covers everything you need to know about U.S. government documents for student researchers, from how to locate them to determining their point of view and more.
Feature
Frank W. Baker suggests that media literacy is important to students in teaching critical thinking skills. He explains how general and political advertisements afford teachers lessons on how to evaluate or create media.
Feature
As elementary students begin consuming contemporary media, skills they learn when working with historic newspapers can give them a foundation that will help them interpret and understand information now and in the future.
Feature
Now, more than ever, school librarians are essential in ensuring that students and faculty are using, analyzing, and diving deep into information that is factual and relevant in a world where manipulation and misrepresentation are a recurring possibility. This article aims to offer questions to ponder and conversations to start.
Article
Popular concern over "fake news" and information literacy has led to discussions about the importance of teaching the critical-thinking skills our students need. A very obvious place to teach these skills is in the library, but how does that impact the management of your library program?