Fact Vs. Fiction: Teaching Critical Thinking Skills in the Age of Fake News

Overall, I appreciate the links to posters, inforgraphics, curriculum, etc provided by the book. However, after Nick Sandmann won a multi-million dollar settlement from CNN for libel, I find it ironic that this book seems to promote one specific major news outlet more than any others. As it spoke of watching one's bias, it tended to lean a certain way. It even quoted a teacher discussing how upset everyone was in 2016, and they were concerned for people's mental health. I think this book has some important points and quailities, but its examples were shortsighted when discussing and providing various different media outlets, examples, or resources. In otherwords, the authors did not check their own biasses.

For any educator who is concerned about the way "fake news" is thrown around or is concerned about the alarming about of actual fake news, you want to pick up this book. It covers the background, the numerous types, and how to recognize and circumvent misinformation and inaccurate information. LeGarde is a well-known school librarian/educator and I had the privilege of seeing her at a Florida conference. In Fact vs. Fiction, she is just as dynamic and easy to listen to as she is in person and she not only breaks it all down for educators, she helps them recognize their own bias as well as gives dozens of resources that they can use in the classroom, school library/media center, or in their community to teach discernment.This is a crucial topic right now and educators must be willing to jump in and teach students to think critically about what they are seeing, not only on tv news, but on their many social media feeds.I bought this book to help me plan a lesson in February on "Fake News" as it is a subject I am well aware of, but do not know enough to speak confidently. I found myself taking notes and editing my lesson throughout the reading of this book, as well as looking up most of the high school resources listed in the book. I have found several resources I will be using in my lesson and it has really helped me flesh out my ideas.This is published by ISTE, a widely recognized nonprofit organization that encourages educators of all backgrounds to work together on the use of technology in education as well as inspiring innovation. I highly recommend any of their books to educators that are forward-thinking.

So often books about teaching are just that--books ABOUT teaching. This one, however, is full of real-world examples, frameworks for teaching credibility, sample lessons, and resources galore. Kudos to LaGarde and Hudgins for creating such a teacher-friendly resource. You can get a quick lesson if that is what you need, or you can devour it cover to cover as I have. There are QR codes and links to get you to the resources quickly. The authors include plenty of research-based theory and methods. They also point out that educators need to understand that the way we have taught resource evaluation for the last 15 years is now insufficient. Students need to be able to do it quickly, in a mobile environment, and on social media. My copy of this book is already dog-eared, with highlights and writing and sticky notes all over. The best resource I have bought in quite some time.

This book is well worth your time to read! So much to consider as we help our students navigate all the information online. The research is evident as we learn how “fake news” (ie propaganda, clickbait, etc) is not new, but in today’s share-happy world poses a bigger problem. Appreciate the examples and ideas. Highly recommend to al my fellow school librarians, teachers, parents, etc.

I've used this book for work already. (teacher) Some of the links are out of date and dead but there are tons of exercises to choose from. Additionally, it lays the foundation that always users to find more current examples themselves. (plenty in the news lately.) -Summer 2019

This is a “must have” resource for educators. The text gives clear, current examples of “fake news,” how to spot it, and most importantly, how to teach our students to be wise consumers of information, seeking fact over fiction. Specific techniques for engaging students in media literacy activities, as they relate to media analysis, are described. Each chapter also closes with helpful reflection questions.

and information literacy.....This book requires reading ability above the high school level.It is not only for teachers but anyone willing to invest in self learning and increase understanding of the world around them.

This book was excellent. It gives a thorough overview of what "fake news" is (or the many different things it can be), and discusses how we can be more aware of it and teach our children (and ourselves) how not to get tricked, and how to combat it via education and a change in our own behavior. It's fundamentally impacted how I teach media literacy, and I believe it is a must read for every educator, if not every person who engages with media on any sort of regular basis.