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Fake News: Educating Students on Truth in Media

It can feel like an uphill battle, trying to educate students about how to identify good information in a society trending towards an inability to discern truth.
  • In 2017, two thirds of American adults got news from social media.
  • A 2016 Stanford report found that 80-90% of high school students struggle to judge the credibility of online information.
  • A 2019 Stanford report found that more than half of high schoolers fail to evaluate the validity of the media they consume.
This PowerPD course will equip you with the tools and strategies to be able to spot fake news, understand it, and combat it!
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All learners will receive a certificate for 10 professional development hours upon completion of a PowerPD unit.
COURSE Overview

Can we trust anything in a post-fact meme-ruled world? 

Yes, we can; and here’s how. Students are bombarded daily with false content on social media, and some of it can be upsetting or even frightening. How do we equip students with the emotional and intellectual skills to filter what they see on social media and discern valuable information from cynical, manipulative mistruths and exaggerations?
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COURSE Objectives

In this course, you will learn the psychology and history behind "fake news". This lesson will provide you with strategies for critical thinking, including four questions to interrogate the truth, how to use the communication framework in difficult conversations, and how to be a good digital citizen in the modern era. 

Learners who successfully complete this PowerPD course should be able to: 
  • List the characteristics of false or misleading news
  • Identify the three brain-based reasons why people believe false news
  • Describe the four parts of the cognitive process involved in communication
  • Identify personal physical signs that signal negative emotions
  • Express and hold healthy boundaries for your mental/emotional health
  • List the four questions you need to ask before believing the news you read
COURSE STRUCTURE

All Brain Power Academy Online Professional Development Courses consist of a blend of learning elements to engage you and empower you to implement new strategies and techniques with your students. 

Lessons consist of:
  • Engaging videos
  • Reading materials
  • Lesson assessments
  • Practice activities to apply strategies and techniques
  • Opportunities for reflection
  • Printable takeaways
Free Course Printable

Download this printable from the PowerPD: Fake News: Educating Students on Truth in Media

Hang this printable in your classroom to remind students how to spot fake news. This is one of over 15 printables you will receive when you take this Brain Bite course!
Click on the image or click download for a printable PDF version of this resource.
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The Brain Power Academy Team

Experienced educators and neuroscientists.

The Brain Power Academy Team is composed of neuroscientists, educators, and mental health experts who are dedicated to creating the best PD to empower you in the classroom. We specialize in translating the latest neuroscience research into easy, ready-to-use techniques and exercises that assist teaching and learning in this new distanced-learning environment.
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Frequently Asked Questions

When does the course take place?

All of our PowerPD units are self-guided so you can explore at your own pace! Once you enroll in a unit, you will have lifetime access through your Brain Power Academy account. 

Our units are setup to allow for free navigation; however, we recommending completing the lesson activities in order for full synthesis of the content. 
To navigate through a unit, click on the lesson from the unit's landing page, or click on “Continue Learning” to be redirected into the course player. By doing this, you will always continue straight from the last learning activity you have visited. 
Once inside a lesson, you will see all of the different learning activities on the left-hand menu, and the content will appear on the right. Use the left and right arrows to navigate.

How do I complete the course?

In order to complete a course, learners must complete all learning activities within the online professional development course (including all videos, articles, reflection activities, assignments, and quizzes) in order to be awarded a certificate of completion. 

What kind of content can I expect to see in this course?

Access multimodal content including voiceover slide presentations, articles, videos, and other supplementary resources within all of the PowerPD lessons!

Can I receive professional development credit for this course?

All of Brain Power Academy's online professional development courses are eligible for 10 Professional Development Hours/Professional Development Points (PDPs). Learners must complete all learning activities within a unit (including all videos, articles, reflection activities, assignments, and quizzes) in order to be awarded a certificate of completion. 
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