Teaching News and Media Literacy in an Election Year

Presented by Jeff Knutson, Senior Producer and Content Strategist, Common Sense Education
Hosted by Jennifer Ehehalt, Sr. Regional Manager, Common Sense Education

Sponsored by Common Sense Education

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Navigating the news and media landscape can be challenging – especially in an election year. From wall-to-wall campaign coverage to attack ads and stump speeches, there’s a lot to process – especially for students. Political schemes like October surprises have been around for a long time, but young people might not understand them. And in the digital world, things get even thornier and more complex, with everything from social media bots to deepfake videos, data voids, and viral memes (just to name a few).

These news and media literacy challenges are important topics for students to consider. Young people are curious about what they’re seeing and hearing online and in the news. They bring this curiosity into the classroom – and eventually the voting booth. Nevertheless, many teachers find it challenging to discuss the news and current events topics with their students. So, how can we help students explore these issues?

In this edWebinar, learn about:

• Where to find quality resources to teach news and media literacy in your classroom.
• Tips on facilitating discussions and lessons about the news and current events.
• Easy, grab-and-go activities aimed at students’ news and media literacy in an election year.

This recorded edWebinar will be of interest to middle school through higher education teachers, librarians, and school leaders. 

About the Presenter

Jeff Knutson is a content strategist and video producer at Common Sense Education. From videos on deepfakes to articles about social media misinformation, he’s interviewed and worked with some of the world’s leading experts on a range of important topics for anyone teaching digital citizenship or media literacy to their students. Prior to his work at Common Sense, Jeff was a high school English teacher for 10 years.

About the Host

Jennifer Ehehalt is the Pittsburgh Regional Manager at Common Sense Education. Jennifer has over 20 years of experience in education. She continues to partner with state-level organizations, school districts, and community organizations across the nation to help integrate Common Sense education resources. Jennifer provides educational leadership through consultation with school districts, professional development (both in-person and virtual), conference presentations, and parent universities. Jennifer sits on the Advisory Council for Kidsburgh and is a champion for Remake Learning Days Across America. Jennifer has a B.S. in elementary education and an M.Ed. in educational leadership. Jennifer was recently named 2019 Alumni of the Year from Edinboro University.

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Photo Credit: Darron Birgenheier and licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Common Sense Education develops high-quality digital citizenship programs and digital teaching resources, providing educators and students with the digital learning tools they need to harness the power of technology for life.