Building Better Tech Habits: A Guide to Digital Well-being
Screen time is one of parents’ top tech-related concerns, according to MediaSmarts’ research, and it’s the most common source of tech-related conflict between parents and young people in Canada. Kids are worried about their screen use too: almost half say they spend too much time on their phones.
A parent’s take on Instagram’s new Teen Accounts
Instagram just announced that they are introducing Teen Accounts - with security features built in, parental controls and more. They tell us it’s for parental peace of mind. Will these new features make it safer for kids? And will they help this parent with their peace of mind?
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Recognizing Emotional Appeals
This is the third lesson in the Critical Thinking Across the Curriculum series, though it can also be delivered independently. In it, students learn how we can be persuaded by emotional appeals as well as by arguments. After identifying emotionally charged words, they find them in an article and analyze their persuasive effect. Students study a public service announcement to examine how images and story can be emotionally persuasive, then watch a pair of videos to compare how they use emotional persuasion. They then conduct a red teaming exercise to identify the possible risks or drawbacks of using emotional appeals and ways of mitigating those. Finally, they create their own persuasive work using emotionally charged languages, images and music.
Is That a Fact?
This is the first lesson in the Critical Thinking Across the Curriculum series, though it can also be delivered independently. In it, students learn the difference between facts and opinions, and distinguish between opinions that are entirely subjective and ones that can be supported by facts. They then learn how to construct and evaluate arguments.
Information Sorting
This is the second lesson in the Critical Thinking Across the Curriculum series, though it can also be delivered independently. In it, students are introduced to the idea of using information sorting to determine whether sources are worth their attention and then to do critical close readings of those that are. After learning and identifying the differences and similarities between the two steps, they learn the characteristics of a reliable source and make a list of companion texts that can be used to determine if a source has those characteristics. After practicing that process, they learn some examples of critical close reading skills and use a possibility grid to do a close reading of a news article. Finally they plan, carry out, and reflect on an information sorting process to make sure they are getting a full and accurate picture of the news story’s topic.
Critical Thinking Across the Curriculum – Portal Page
The Critical Thinking Across the Curriculum program provides teachers with a comprehensive approach to fostering critical thinking skills at all grade levels, with particular attention to addressing online misinformation and online hate through teaching critical thinking.
Talking to Kids About AI: Tips for Parents
Here are some tips on how to do that:
Explore AI together. If young kids are using an AI chatbot or voice assistant, sit with them at first to help them learn to use it and get curious about its responses. As they get more comfortable, you can step back, but try to keep a conversation going about what they’re doing and experiencing. Make sure they know to come to you if a chatbot ever says anything inappropriate or upsetting.
Addressing AI in the Classroom: Tips for Teachers
Teachers can play a critical role in educating their students about AI, even if they aren’t experts on it. By addressing AI in ways that are designed to build students’ skills and teach them about the pitfalls of relying too much on it, teachers can help build the next generation of citizens who are empowered with the skills necessary to succeed in a world infused with AI technology.