Media Literacy

Description

View Course Syllabus

(Seating is limited. Students need to attend live classes, keep their cameras on during class, and contribute to the discussion. It also helps to have a sense of humor with the teacher and fellow students )

Other titles for this class might include “information literacy,” “healthy skepticism,” “discerning between the significant and the trivial,” “understanding the present,” and “going for a strong disposition, not a silver bullet” 🙂

Now take a moment to consider which side of the following pairings is “true”: 

Technology is a tool / Technology is a weapon. The media spews fake news and propaganda / Journalism is for speaking truth to power. Politics is about manipulation and deception / Politics are about thoughtful governance. Social media is poison / Social media makes everyone equal. You can’t trust authority / We need experts and institutions. AI is replacing our brains / AI is giving us superpowers. No one is honest / Most people are good. Efficiency is ideal / Depth is ideal. We need to know what’s going on in the world / Who cares about what’s going on in the world / The future is bright / The future is apocalyptic.

Which side did you fall on most often? Is it possible for two ideas that contradict each other to both be true at the same time?

In this class we’ll get into topics like these in order to develop a broad perspective on the present; in order to be more discerning and less cynical; in order to learn what questions to ask about new information; in order to learn reliable practices for sorting good information from bad information, good strategies for staying informed from bad strategies for staying informed, and good reading habits from bad reading habits. If these are skills you might want to develop (i.e., if you’re a living, breathing human), we hope you’ll join us!

Students should expect to engage with current events of all kinds and to encounter ideas they disagree with. These can be ideas from the class readings, from fellow students, or from the teacher. Students will be expected to practice decorum and respect in all cases. The work they produce will include weekly forums, quizzes, guided notes, readings, exercises, and vocabulary reviews. 

Course Structure

Students will be required to come to the weekly 1-hour live class prepared with the assigned work for that week. This will include the weekly readings and videos, as well as the accompanying notes and assignments. All assignments for the week should be submitted on Canvas prior to that week’s live class to ensure the student is ready to meaningfully ask questions and contribute to class discussion. 

This is a 16-week course. Students should plan on approximately 1 hour of work per school day, and up to 1.5 hours a day for limited stretches of time, depending on the reading and source material for a given week.

Who should enroll?

This class is designed for students following an honors track in grades 9-12. As an honors course, it will push students to think deeply and carefully, and perhaps to engage with the material with the kind of insight that comes from genuine interest in the subject, rather than merely doing what’s required.

Students need to plan on attending live classes with their cameras on. Our work will be most productive when we can see each other, talk to each other, and focus on our limited time together. Students do not need to be experts in any particular subject to take this course, but to get the most out of it they should want to be here.

Technology Requirements

• High-speed, broadband Internet
• Webcam, sound card, and microphone (for live sessions)
• Streaming video capabilities to watch recorded lectures
• PDF editing software that will allow you to type into and save a PDF form

Evaluation and Feedback

I will be available by email and via prearranged video calls during work hours, M-F (8 am-4 pm MST). Video calls will be set to a default 15-minute window. While I will reach out when I see a need or a problem, students who are struggling should take the initiative to engage openly with their classmates and me. I reserve the right to combine one-on-one meetings into small-group meetings where appropriate. Usually, a video call will need to be scheduled at least a day in advance.

Students will receive a rubric with comments on all written work. Quizzes will be electronically assessed with built-in feedback.

Communication

Parental support will significantly improve the results of most students. Parents are welcome to reach out to me directly with questions or be present during prearranged video calls with their student(s). I can be reached at nnoorlander@aimacademy.online, and you can expect a response within 48 hours. However, please bear in mind that this is an honors-level high school course, so students should also be capable of taking their own initiative in most cases. I encourage parents who have questions that should come from their students to push the students to ask the question on their own.