KQED is thrilled to announce our participation as an anchor organization of DigCit Commit, a coalition convened by ISTE and committed to supporting educators with the tools, community and opportunities to learn about and teach digital citizenship.

“As a society, as a democracy, we have a choice to make.” -Richard Culatta, ISTE CEO

At the annual convention in Philadelphia, ISTE CEO Richard Culatta challenged the audience of education leaders to “evolve our thinking about digital citizenship.”

“As a society, as a democracy,” Culatta said in his keynote, “we have a choice to make. One possible potential future is a world where we continue to devolve, continue to have hate and lack of tolerance online, continue to use technology in ways that are self-serving and divisive. Or, another universe. One where we’re using technology to bring people together, to talk with people that we disagree with about important issues, use technology to serve our community and make the world around us a better place, to give a voice to the voiceless.”

5 new DigCit competencies: Inclusive, Informed, Engaged, Balanced, Alert

The DigCit Commit initiative will provide educators with a new set of competencies and updated resources, allowing for the sharing of best practices, and, by gaining commitments from educators, to a deeper collective commitment to digital citizenship. The five DigCit Commit competencies – inclusive, informed, engaged, balanced, alert – are designed to focus less on a list of DON’Ts and more on a proactive approach of DOs that challenge students to stay safe, solve problems and become a force of positivity.

“It’s no longer a ‘tech’ issue. It’s a community issue.” -Vinnie Vrotny, middle school teacher

After the keynote, educators came together in an open brainstorming meeting to talk about how to implement the new digcit goals. Common themes included a strong emphasis on student voice and creating new community norms in partnership with students, as well as concerns about breaking down silos. “It’s no longer a ‘tech’ issue,” said Vinnie Vrotny, of the Kinkaid School in Houston, TX. “It’s a community issue.”

KQED will work alongside ISTE and a growing coalition of education organizations to ensure that our students have the skills they need to be effective digital citizens. Please raise your hand and join us!

You can start your DigCit Commit journey today with professional learning courses on KQED Teach

Our free, online courses give educators the background and skills needed to teach students to evaluate information for accuracy, engage with different points of view, and make informed decisions. This summer, KQED released a new set of courses on misinformation, disinformation and propaganda. This new Misinformation Course provides educators with a foundation in understanding many types of misinformation and developing resources to use with their students–or with teachers you coach or lead.

Register for a course today!

Even by conservative estimates, the average American spends over 6 hours per day staring at a screen. That’s a lot of time. What does the scientific research say about it? Is it good or bad for us?

TEACHERS: Get your students in the discussion on KQED Learn, a safe place for middle and high school students to investigate controversial topics and share their voices.
KQED Learn: https://learn.kqed.org/discussions/34

What do we mean by the term “screen time”, exactly?

“Screen time” as a term isn’t that useful, because it doesn’t really tell you what you’re doing on screen. It’s kind of like if someone asks you what you had for lunch, and you say “food” — that doesn’t provide any real info. And not all screen time is created equal. Context matters. Spending 4 hours creating a video for YouTube is WAY different than spending 4 hours watching cat videos. How you feel about and how you process each of those situations won’t be the same, so lumping them all under “screen time” doesn’t make much sense.

So is screen time good or bad for us?

Our digital lives can take a physical toll on us — multiple studies have shown that excess screen time can lead to bad sleep. And some researchers even use the term “addiction” when talking about how we interact with our devices, although there’s a lot of debate on whether or not screen time can be a bona fide addiction like gambling. And there is some research that found that the more time people spent in front of screens, the more it affected their well-being — their chances of developing depression and suicidal thoughts went up.

On the flip side, screens allow us to stay connected with people. Sure, some people have to deal with feeling overwhelmed because of drama or feeling pressure to only post a highlight reel of themselves to make them look good to others. But, in many studies, a majority of teens say that social media “mainly helps” the relationships they already have with their friends. And when you look at stuff like multiplayer video games, Twitch streams, or Reddit, wandering around online allows you to find your “tribe”. If you don’t quite fit in where you live, or you live in a small or isolated community, QUALITY screen time might be essential to keeping you sane.

SOURCES:

Media Use By Tweens and Teens (Common Sense)

Searching for digital technology’s effects on well-being (Nature)

Teens, Social Media & Technology 2018 (Pew Research Center)

Increases in Depressive Symptoms, Suicide-Related Outcomes, and Suicide Rates Among U.S. Adolescents After 2010 and Links to Increased New Media Screen Time (Clinical Psychological Science)

The Kids (Who Use Tech) Seem to Be All Right (Scientific American)

The association between adolescent well-being and digital technology use (Nature Human Behaviour)

Passive Facebook Usage Undermines Affective Well-Being (Journal of Experimental Psychology)

Facebook Use Predicts Declines in Subjective Well-Being in Young Adults (PLoS One)

Digital Life and Youth Wellbeing, Social Connectedness, Empathy, and Narcissism (Pediatrics)

TEACHERS: Get your students in the discussion on KQED Learn, a safe place for middle and high school students to investigate controversial topics and share their voices.
KQED Learn: https://learn.kqed.org/discussions/37

What percentage of 11 and 12 year olds have social media?

An estimated 20% of kids between 8-12 years old, are using social media — despite rules on most platforms that require users to be at least 13 to create an account.

Why is the age limit for Social Media 13?

Congress passed a law called the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) in 1998 due to concerns about companies or other random people online collecting information from kids–like their name, phone number–and later photos and location–without parents’ knowledge. The law considered children a “vulnerable” group that should be protected from data mining.

How does social media negatively affect youth?

Research shows that most kids start experimenting with sharing their own data online when they’re 11 to 13, but don’t start to understand the risks and the consequences of what they do online until they are 14 to 16. If kids are active online, they have more chances of experiencing online predators, identity theft, cyberbullying, and people accessing their personal information. Another study found that kids’ brains are still developing and highly sensitive to acceptance and rejection.

How does social media positively affect youth?

Some research shows that social media can make young teens feel more confident and less lonely and depressed. They can use social media to find support for everything from organizing around a cause to dealing with mental illness.

Co-produced with Common Sense Education @CommonSenseEd
https://www.commonsense.org/education/digital-citizenship

SOURCES

Media use and brain development during adolescence.

Digital Media, Participatory Politics, and Positive Youth

Under-age social media use ‘on the rise’

Facebook Use Predicts Declines in Subjective Well-Being in Young Adults

Declining Loneliness Among American Teenagers

How the Parkland students got so good at social media.

Why social media is not smart for middle school kids.

Online and making thousands, at age 4: Meet the Kidfluencers.

Social Media, Social Life: Teens Reveal Their Experiences.

Developing social media literacy: how children learn to interpret risky opportunities on social network site

Teens, friendships and online groups.

Online social network size is reflected in human brain structure.

Developmental influences on the neural bases of responses to social rejection: Implications of social neuroscience for education

What kind of adults will our children become? The impact of growing up in a media-saturated world.

If the Internet’s making you feel meaner, you’re not imagining it. People really do act differently online than they do in person. Here’s why.

TEACHERS: Get your students in the discussion on KQED Learn, a safe place for middle and high school students to investigate controversial topics and share their voices.
KQED Learn: https://learn.kqed.org/discussions/38 

Do people act differently online than they do in person?

Yes. This phenomenon is known as the online disinhibition effect. Essentially, being online lowers your inhibitions. This often results in people either behaving meaner, or opening up more online than they normally would in face to face conversations. When people act meaner online it can lead to hostile online environments. This is what researchers call “toxic disinhibition.” Conversely, when people open up more freely online than in person– they can often feel more connected to online users, which creates a supportive online environment. Researchers call this “benign disinhibition.”

Why are people meaner online than they are in person?

People aren’t always meaner online than in person, but according to the online disinhibition effect people can act differently online. The most common ways people act differently is by either being meaner or opening up more. According to a paper published in 2004 by psychologist John Suler, there are about 6 main reasons people act differently online. First, if you’re anonymous online you feel less accountable for your actions and less vulnerable when it comes to opening up about personal things. Additionally, online you’re often “invisible” so you don’t have to worry about body language and tone– and you can easily misrepresent yourself. With online communication there is usually a lag-time between when you post something and when you get a response, so it’s easy to just post something and bounce without thinking about the consequences. Online, we also tend to attribute voices and imagined characteristics to written text based on our own expectations and not necessarily on the actual intended meaning/ tone of the text, which can lead people to act differently than they might in person. People also tend to view online more as a game, where real life rules don’t necessarily apply. And finally, authority figures aren’t as big of a deal online– online, people pretty much feel and act as equals, which can lead people to act differently than they normally would offline.

SOURCES:

The Online Disinhibition Effect (CyberPsychology & Behavior)

Individual and social benefits of online discussion forums (Computers in Human Behavior)

Online Harassment 2017 (Pew Research Center)

A Majority of Teens Have Experienced Some Form of Cyberbullying (Pew Research Center)

Anyone Can Become A Troll: Causes of Trolling Behavior in Online Discussions (CSCW 2017)

The Psychology Behind Social Media Interactions (Psychology Today)

Why Is Everyone on the Internet So Angry (Scientific American)\

Technology addiction’s contribution to mental wellbeing: The positive effect of online social capital (Computer Human Behavior)\

When California passed a new law requiring the state to provide instructional resources on media literacy to all of California’s teachers, KQED teamed up with the California Department of Education (CDE) and the California School Library Association to fulfill the mandate. The result is now live and available to all teachers at CDE Media Literacy Resources. This site highlights KQED Teach and PBS Media Literacy Educator Certification by KQED as the go-to professional learning resources for media literacy.  

State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tony Thurmond said in his announcement that “These resources will assist educators in the classroom as they teach students how to access, use, evaluate, and integrate the information they read or hear online.” He described why media media literacy is more pressing than ever. “Students are bombarded by information from a wide range of sources. Being media-literate is a skill that can not only help them become critical thinkers, but can also help in all areas of their education and future as informed and active civically engaged citizens.”  

California is one of several states that have recently passed media literacy legislation, but few states have comprehensive resources lists to help teachers. The six-month partnership that built the CDE Media Literacy Resources site builds on KQED’s longstanding relationship with educational leaders throughout the state who view KQED as a trusted source for educational media and services and a foundational component of media literacy professional learning.  KQED and the CDE will continue to collaborate to keep the resource site fresh.

KQED Teach is platform with free, online, self-paced courses on teaching media literacy and media-making skills. Educators learn by doing with project-based, hands-on courses in a supportive community. They can learn at their own pace or join a facilitated cohort. PBS Media Literacy Educator Certification by KQED is a competency based, on demand shareable credential verifying educators’ media literacy skills.

Members of the 2018-2019 Youth Advisory Board represent 15 high schools from all over the Bay Area.  Check out some highlights from the year!

Click to view slideshow.

More Highlights!
YBCA’s Calling Youth to Power convening in San Francisco!
Youth Advisory Board members in the Youth Takeover!

Since Fall 2016, contributions from the Youth Advisory Board have directly impacted KQED’s Education services and tools as well as the greater KQED community. Their feedback shaped the look and feel of our YouTube series, Above the Noise, and members have represented the YAB at public events, conferences, and even on KQED’s airwaves!

Plastic bottles are EVERYWHERE and are a big source of pollution. But banning them might create another problem for the environment. Here’s why.

TEACHERS: Get your students in the discussion on KQED Learn, a safe place for middle and high school students to investigate controversial topics and share their voices.
KQED Learn: https://learn.kqed.org/discussions/41

How did plastic bottles become such a problem

Early forms of plastic have existed since the mid-1800s. But when WWII came along, scientists diverted all their plastic technology to help with the war effort. So after the war, all this plastic needed to go somewhere, so why not the American consumer? What we got was a plastic explosion, and it’s never really stopped. That’s why today, it’s estimated that humans have created over 8 BILLION tons of plastic, most of which still exist. See, plastic doesn’t ever really break down completely or biodegrade — it just breaks apart into smaller and smaller pieces over time. These tiny bits of plastic make their way into oceans, creating a plastic soup of pollution that can get into the bellies of all kinds of marine animals like fish, pelicans, and turtles. Some research studies predict that by 2050, pound for pound, plastics in the oceans will outweigh all the fish.

What are the pros and cons around banning plastic bottles?

About 70% of plastic water bottles bought in the U.S. are not recycled, and so end up in the oceans. On top of that, plastic bottles are made from fossil fuels. In fact, the Pacific Institute found that it took about 17 million barrels of oil to produce enough plastic for the bottles of water consumed by Americans in 2006. And since then, consumption has increased by 65%, meaning Americans need over 28 million barrels of oil to fuel their plastic water bottle needs for one year.

But banning plastic bottles altogether can have unintended consequences. After the University of Vermont instituted their ban on selling single-use plastic water bottles on campus, total shipments of all plastic bottles actually INCREASED 20 percent as people bought OTHER plastic bottle beverages like soda and juice instead. And switching to alternatives like glass or metal containers can require more energy to transport because they weigh more. That means burning more fossil fuels and creating more pollution.

SOURCES:

Fast Facts About Plastic Pollution (National Geographic)

What’s the real price of getting rid of plastic packaging? (BBC)

A million bottles a minute (The Guardian)

2017 United States National Postconsumer Plastic Bottle Recycling Report

The environmental impact of corn-based plastic (Scientific American)

Key moments in lead in water crisis in Flint, Michigan (US News)

State Plastic and Paper Bag Legislation

In 2016 KQED joined 100Kin10, a national organization dedicated to solving the STEM teacher shortage by 2021. This year, KQED had the honor of nominating our regional STEM education partner the California Academy of Sciences to the network, and we are delighted they’ve now joined the network along with 40 new partners, including Chicago Public Schools, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, Council of Chief State School Officers, among others. Cal Academy is a leader locally, nationally and internationally in exemplary STEM education resources and programs for teachers and students alike, and their contributions to 10Kin10 will strengthen and elevate the entire network. 

“Cal Academy has been a critical KQED partner in our shared efforts to provide real-world STEM teaching and learning resources for teachers and to support students in practicing civic and civil dialogue around science topics that directly impact our communities.” says KQED science education manager Ilana Somasunderam.

KQED provides free resources for STEM/STEAM educators to integrate media literacy and student voice into learning.

This is the seventh and final cohort of partners for 100Kin10 during its first 10 years. The organization launched in 2011 as an answer to President Obama’s call during his 2011 State of the Union address to train 100,000 new STEM teachers in a decade. 100Kin10 is on track to exceed its goal of training 100,000 teachers by 2021, with more than 68,000 teachers currently trained. 

“Developing skilled, confident STEM educators is the best way to ensure that all students understand the relevance of STEM to their lives, and develop the STEM skills and knowledge they need for their future,” says Dr. Elizabeth Babcock, California Academy of Sciences Chief Public Engagement Officer. “Joining this amazing network focused on a shared commitment to STEM teaching and learning at scale is tremendously exciting. We look forward to participating and supporting the 100Kin10 partnership beyond the finish line.” 

The final round of growth specifically focuses on 100Kin10’s latest project: tackling what they’ve identified as the root causes of the STEM teacher shortage. If solved, these “catalysts”—which include bonuses, scholarships or loan forgiveness for STEM teachers, increasing professional development, and state tracking of STEM teacher supply and demand—would more sustainably end the teacher shortage. 

“This final group, including the Academy, is a welcome addition as we enter our final push in achieving our goal and look toward the future in solving systemic issues around the teacher shortage in America,” says Talia Milgrom-Elcott, 100kin10’s executive director. “Each organization is doing incredible, inspiring work to build the movement for better, bolder and more accessible STEM education. We’re thrilled to have them as our newest partners in collaboration, learning and continuous improvement to creatively solve the STEM teacher crisis.” 

Zoos are great, right? You get to be up close and personal with some amazing animals that you’d pretty much never get to see in the wild. Clearly, zoos are a win for people. But when it comes to the animals, zoos might cause more harm than good. Should zoos exist?

TEACHERS: Get your students in the discussion on KQED Learn, a safe place for middle and high school students to investigate controversial topics and share their voices.
KQED Learn: https://learn.kqed.org/discussions/43

How did zoos become a thing?
Humans have been capturing and displaying exotic animals for thousands of years. The earliest known collections date back to 3500 BCE in Egypt, where rulers kept hippos, elephants, baboons, and different species of large cats. Now back then, that didn’t mean that your average Egyptian could go check any of that awesomeness out. These early zoos were really just a way for kings to flex on other kings. Modern zoos, where the public can come and watch animals exhibiting their natural behavior, didn’t really become a thing until the early 1800s. The longest continuously operating zoo in the world is the Vienna Zoo, which has been going strong for more than 260 years.

What are the arguments in favor of having zoos?
Zoos may be great entertainment, but their big goal is to educate the public about wildlife and what we can do to protect them. Zoo animals are sort of like ambassadors for their counterparts in the wild. Zoos also contribute to scientific research. “Zoo” is short for zoological park, and zoology is the scientific study of animal biology and behavior. In addition, zoos work really hard to save animals that are threatened in the wild. Zoos can take at-risk animals, breed them in captivity, and then reintroduce them back into the wild.

What are the arguments for NOT having zoos?
Zoos have their problems. Not all zoos are created equal. Some are clean and well staffed, others aren’t. There are some in the richest cities in the world, and there are some in conflict zones. What this means is that not all zoos have the resources to properly care for the animals they house. And for many critics, no amount of education or research justifies keeping animals captive. That captivity can be REALLY bad for both physical AND psychological health. And while zoos have been really helpful is saving endangered animals, it doesn’t work out for certain species. For example, most large carnivores like lions and tigers that are bred in captivity die when released into the wild. It turns out that they haven’t developed the natural behaviors they need when they’re out on their own and have to fend for themselves.

SOURCES:
Do we need zoos? (The Atlantic)
https://www.theatlantic.com/news/archive/2016/06/harambe-zoo/485084/

Why zoos are good (The Guardian)
https://www.theguardian.com/science/lost-worlds/2014/aug/19/why-zoos-are-good

The case for the end of the modern zoo (New York Magazine)
http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2014/07/case-for-the-end-of-the-modern-zoo.html?gtm=bottom

Zoos and their discontents (New York Times Magazine)
https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/06/magazine/zoo-animals-and-their-discontents.html

Stress and lack of exercise are killing elephants, zoos warned (The Guardian)
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2008/dec/12/elephants-animal-welfare

Most Captive-Born Predators Die If Released (National Geographic)
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2008/01/predators-captivity-habitat-animals/

Captive Breeding Success Stories (PBS)
https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/the-loneliest-animals-captive-breeding-success-stories/4920/

Quantifying the contribution of zoos and aquariums to peer-reviewed scientific research (Facets Journal)
https://www.facetsjournal.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/facets-2017-0083

Evaluating the contribution of zoos and aquariums (Conservation Biology)
https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/sociology/staff/jensen/ericjensen/moss_jensen_and_gusset_2015-evaluating_the_contribution_of_zoos_and_aquariums_to_aichi_biodiversity_target_1_final_published_version.pdf

Learn a new media-making skill in just one week.

KQED Teach facilitated courses are like an online PD bootcamp.  KQED Teach self-paced courses are always online for free, but these one-week sessions provide daily email prompts that help you commit to and complete the process of learning media-making skills you can then integrate into your teaching.

Each week-long course takes about 15-30 min/day to complete. You can do that work whenever it fits in your schedule. And, at the end, you will have created evidence that can support applying for a micro-credential that leads to PBS Media Literacy Educator Certification.

Sign up for a free, facilitated course now.

• Making Memes & GIFs, Oct 7-13
  Note:  This facilitated cohort is finished, but you can click the course title to take it free online, at your own pace, anytime.
  Learn how you can use memes and gifs in your teaching, and get practice in analyzing this media format.
  Associated micro-credential: Making Media for Classroom Use: Images, Graphics and Interactives
  
• Finding & Evaluating Information, Oct 21-27
  Between misinformation, advertising and algorithms, it can be hard to know how to find reliable online sources. Build your source-checking skills in this one-week facilitated course.
  Associated micro-credential: Evaluating Online Information  
• Making Infographics, Nov 18-24
  Make your very own infographic! In this course, you’ll learn how to use visual design and data to tell a story.
  Associated micro-credential: Making Media for Classroom Use: Images, Graphics and Interactives
  
• Safety & Privacy in Participatory Culture, Jan 13-17
  In this course, you’ll learn how to support your students’ safety and privacy online so they can get started making media!
  Associated micro-credentials: Evaluating Online Tools for Classroom Use and Creating a Code of Conduct
  

The California Department of Education (CDE) recently highlighted KQED Teach and PBS Media Literacy Educator Certification by KQED as the go-to professional learning resources for media literacy for teachers in the state.

They’re growing personally and expanding professionally while making a difference in the lives of their students. These certified PBS Media Literacy Educators are all taking innovative approaches to helping young people gain essential media analysis and creation skills. We asked them to share  some of the things that excite them most about teaching media literacy.

Johanna Mustacchi

Johanna Mustacchi, a media and communications teacher at Pierre Van Cortlandt Middle School in Croton-on-Hudson, New York, emphasizes the importance of preparing her students to be media analysts and makers.

“As a media literacy teacher, I feel a commitment to helping them navigate that world by showing them the tools they will need to be critical thinkers, to grow their awareness and no longer take the onslaught of messages as blind truth. What is both exciting and daunting at the same time is to guide them into becoming the participants and media makers of a much more responsible media of tomorrow… No matter what field any of my students pursue in their future, the media will become integral, in small or large part.”

Johanna uses photography to encourage her students to explore production choices. In her seventh grade curriculum, she focuses on how media narratives influence culture. Her students investigate how composition and framing can convey story, emotion and information before launching into their own media-making. 

Heather Duhamel

Heather Duhamel is our newest certified PBS Media Literacy Educator. A homeschool teacher and educational consultant for Vermont PBS, Heather focuses on early childhood as a particularly important age.

“I’m inspired by ways that digital resources can enhance educational experiences for young children. Storytelling through photography, audio and video supports can be a powerful resource for young children. Early appropriate access to digital, including interactive tools, is so important! It’s beautiful to understand that the best way to use technology in preschool is through valuable shared experiences with a teacher, family member or mentor!”

Like many of us, Heather also has a soft spot for the man behind “Mr. Rogers.” She recommends the work of the Fred Roger Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media, noting that “Fred Rogers continues to be a beacon for ways to integrate technology through relationship.”

Mariana Garcia Serrato

Mariana Garcia Serrato is a middle school STEM teacher in San Jose, California, who’s committed to supporting her students in developing media analysis skills.

“I love helping students think critically about the media they are exposed to every day. When my students are able to interpret media and how it affects them, they’re better able to make their own decisions about the media messages they receive.” 

Media-making is another passion of Mariana’s.

“I love how making media myself and helping students make media opens the door to creative endeavors. Gone are the days when we had to rely on others making the ‘perfect’ media I needed to teach a specific topic for my class. Now I can make it myself or have students make it for me!”

Dr. Aspen Mock

Dr. Aspen Mock, who teaches high school composition and literature in Sidman, Pennsylvania, has a unique perspective on media literacy.

“Media literacy is the study of lived contemporary moments; from moment to moment you’re required to think critically and derive meaning-making from cultural artifacts in real-time.”

Aspen connects youth voice to civic engagement when she writes:

“Creativity is fostered through students making media artifacts as cultural contributions that reflect their own thoughts and provide them with the opportunity to shape their voices as mindful and literate citizens.”

This Pennsylvania educator also has a favorite tool: KQED Learn. She values the way it “connects students with a national community of learners, and students are able to grapple with in-depth topics by writing claims and responses, as well as creating media with the Make & Share option.”

Stacey Cler

Stacey Cler, a high school literature teacher in Cupertino, California, shares her views on why she believes student media-making is so important:

“Through the creation of media, students are able to express what’s important to them in society today while connecting with content being taught in the classroom. In addition, the creation of media through the teaching of digital literacy allows for building stronger connections between students, which contributes to an overall more cohesive, positive and communal classroom environment.”

Stacey, a forward-thinker, is excited about using digital portfolios to capture the learning process of her students.

“Last year I created an assignment on podcasting as a bridge for narrative writing and asked my students to create a digital portfolio using Google sites to illustrate the creative process of not only making the podcast but also creating the personal narrative. As an educator, I felt that all-too-often I was focused on the end product, but the incorporation of a digital portfolio into the assignment allowed both myself and my students to be reflective about the steps it to to create the end product.”

Gail Desler

Gail Desler, a technology integration specialist in Elk Grove, California, notes that “media literacy” is a constantly changing topic that teachers need to stay on top of.

“Media literacy is the fastest changing subject in a teacher’s digital citizenship toolkit, which is both exciting and challenging. Providing students with multiple opportunities to create their own media builds an awareness of how easy it is to spread misinformation and why they need to become active fact checkers. As content creators, students also come to recognize the power and impact of using media to promote kindness, social justice and a positive school climate.”

Gail is also very concerned about online privacy for her students. This is why she recommends Common Sense’s privacy resources, which help parents and teachers make smarter choices about websites and online tools they use with their young people.

Jennifer Swift-Kramer

Jennifer Swift-Kramer, a women’s and gender studies professor at William Paterson University, focuses on digital citizenship and critical media analysis with her students.

“I want to prepare them for the 2020 American election — whether they plan to vote or not and regardless of their political leanings — by showing how their media feeds can be manipulated. I encourage them to become aware of their blind spots by showing them mine.”

We hope these seven media literacy educators inspire you as much as they do us!

PBS Media Literacy Educator Certification is a free program created by PBS and KQED to provide educators (in all roles, subjects and grade levels) a step-by-step path to validating your media literacy skills and earning recognition.  Certification is earned through attaining competency-based micro-credentials, at your own speed. No seat time or workshops required. Discover more at kqed.org/certification or email me at rpanganiban@kqed.org.

Students who participate in discussions of important local, national or global issues report that they are more engaged in school, more interested in politics, better communicators and critical thinkers, and have a greater likelihood of engaging in civic life as adults. 

In recent years, there has been a profound change in the way young people engage with civic issues. This change, like so many others in our 21st century lives, is happening online and right before our eyes. Whether on the topic of violence in our schools and communities, climate change, immigration, gender identity, racial equality or any number of other issues, young people everywhere are discovering and refining their civic voices. Often rising out of the ashes of tragedy, or in direct response to the real and perceived shortcomings of our collective adult leadership, they are contributing to and sometimes even driving important national conversations. These voices, buoyed by the access granted to civic life by digital and media technologies, represent a dramatic change in the way young people are recognized, heard and responded to. 

Four years ago, The National Writing Project and KQED hosted an online challenge called Letters to the Next President in the leadup to the 2016 presidential election. Teenagers across the country wrote about the issues that mattered most to them, creating almost 13,000 submissions. Students from myriad cultures, in rural and urban schools, on the left and right of the aisle showed that they care deeply about the world around them and want to be part of the civic life of our communities and nation. These letters proved wrong the popular narrative of apathetic, lazy and complacent young people distracted by the bells and whistles of the modern world.

Building on the success of this effort, KQED, The National Writing Project and PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs are co-hosting the KQED Media Challenge: Let’s Talk About Election 2020. This challenge will reignite the call for young people to investigate and share about the issues that matter most to them. Through the submission of audio and video commentaries, students will use media to persuade America how to ensure the best future for us all. The Election 2020 media challenge will open in January.

In taking on this work, we understand that young peoples’ understandings of the world around them are a work in progress. They are actively struggling with the world — attempting to make meaning from complex inputs while simultaneously seeking out where they might fit. We must do a better job of both encouraging the development of their voice and supporting them in growing their capacity for and interest in engaging in civic life. Their voices provide insight into the lives our young people are leading, what they care about, what they worry about and, importantly, their vision for a better future. Furthermore, students supported in engaging in discussions of important local, national or global issues report that they are more engaged in school, more interested in politics, better communicators and critical thinkers and have a greater likelihood of engaging in civic life as adults. 

Because of these profound benefits, and especially in light of the differences in civic engagement opportunities experienced in classrooms between white students and students of color, we need to provide many opportunities for students to practice civic engagement. At minimum, this includes supporting all students to: 1) identify and understand the problems around them and how those problems impact themselves, their families and their communities, 2) build communication and technical skills necessary to share their position and reasoning effectively with others in face-to-face and online spaces and 3) engage with and respond to others in ways that support dialog and understanding rather than conflict and division. Additionally, because the competencies needed to develop and nurture these skills cannot be assumed, it is important to support educators on this journey towards civic media literacy, too.

Young people, who have with few exceptions been either absent or cast in minor roles within civic life, want to participate in the national conversation. The enduring idea that children should be seen and not heard presents a losing proposition on a number of fronts, but is most notably problematic when considering the simple equation: The more young people we can empower by engaging them in envisioning better communities, a better nation and a better world, the closer we are to a better today and tomorrow — for all of us. 

Educators, join us and Let’s Talk About Election 2020. 

There’s been 5 times in U.S. history where the guy who became president lost the popular vote, but won the electoral vote. And two of those times were just in the last 20 years. And with a new presidential election coming up, there’s lots of chatter about the value of the electoral college with critics asking is it time to get rid of the electoral college?

TEACHERS: Get your students in the discussion on KQED Learn, a safe place for middle and high school students to investigate controversial topics and share their voices.
KQED Learn: https://learn.kqed.org/discussions/45

What is the electoral college?
The electoral college is the process for how we vote for our president here in America. When you go and cast your vote, you’re not really voting for the president, you’re actually voting for electors, who then go and vote for the president. There are a total of 538 electors. Each state (and DC) gets at least 3, and then the rest are based on the states population size — determined every 10 years by the US census. In most states, it’s winner takes all. This means that the party that wins the state’s popular vote sends all of their electors to cast votes to elect the president. But there are two states– Nebraska and Maine– who divide up their electoral votes based on who won the popular vote in each congressional district.

Why does America have an electoral college?
Back in 1787, the founding fathers met in Philadelphia at the constitutional convention to figure out the major laws for how the U.S. government was going to run. And out of that came the constitution. One of the most hotly contested topics was how we elect our president. On the one hand you had the Federalists who thought congress should elect the president, and on the other you had those who thought the president should be elected by popular vote. But both were a little problematic. If Congress elected the president then congress would have way too much power and things could get corrupt real fast. But if it was left up to purely popular vote, there was a fear about what would happen– considering there was a lot of people that couldn’t read or write and were uneducated. So the electoral college was their big compromise.

Arguments for getting rid of the electoral college
Many critics argue that the electoral college is outdated and doesn’t accurately represent the voice of the people. It’s the reason why people say votes in more populated states count less. People also argue that the electoral college gives way too much power to people who live in swing states, and that the electoral college makes it harder for third party candidates to win a presidential election.

SELECTED SOURCES:
What is the electoral college? (National Archives and Records Administration)
https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/about.html

Why was the electoral college created? (History.com)
https://www.history.com/news/electoral-college-founding-fathers-constitutional-convention

The Electoral College Top 3 Pro and Cons (ProCon.org)
https://www.procon.org/headline.php?headlineID=005330

Opinion: Getting Rid of the Electoral College Isn’t Just About Trump (New York Times) https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/21/opinion/electoral-college-warren-trump.html?module=inline

Opinion: A Case for the Electoral College (New York Times)
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/23/opinion/electoral-college.html?module=inline

America Isn’t Really Set Up For Third-Party Presidential Bids (FiveThirtyEight) https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/america-isnt-really-set-up-for-third-party-presidential-bids/

If Electoral Votes Were Weighted by State Population Alone: Trump 303, Clinton 235 (270towin)
https://www.270towin.com/news/2017/01/24/if-electoral-votes-were-weighted-by-state-population-alone-trump-303-clinton-235_442.html#.XZudTudKgUF

Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote (National Popular Vote)
https://www.nationalpopularvote.com/written-explanation

Fuzzy Math: Wrong Way Reforms for Allocating Electoral Votes (FairVote) https://www.fairvote.org/fuzzy-math

Climate change is THE existential question that humanity is facing. But are we too late? Has climate change reached the point of no return? Are we doomed?

TEACHERS: Get your students in the discussion on KQED Learn, a safe place for middle and high school students to investigate controversial topics and share their voices.
KQED Learn: https://learn.kqed.org/discussions/47

What’s the state of climate change right now?
Since around 1880, the average global temperature of the earth has increased by 1 degree Celsius, or 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit. That increase is due almost entirely to humans burning fossil fuels, mostly from 1950 on. That might not sound like a big increase, but it is. It means sea level rise, shrinking polar ice caps, and increased extreme weather events like heat waves and monsoons.

That’s why a hundred and ninety-plus countries signed onto the Paris Climate Agreement. The goal is to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius — or 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit — by the end of this century. Many scientists say that staying under 1.5 puts us near the upper limit of what’s tolerable. We’ll have droughts, sea level rise, and extreme weather, but chances are we can manage it.

What does climate change look like in the future?
That’s why we have the IPCC. The IPCC is part of the United Nations, and it stands for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. It’s been the world’s top authority on climate science for the last 30 years. Thousands of climate scientists from around the world volunteer their time to analyze and summarize the latest and best climate science. According to these experts, if we keep burning fossil fuels like we are today, then we’re blowing past 1.5 degrees of warming by 2100. We’ll almost definitely hit 2 degrees, and might even reach 3 or even 4 degrees. That means longer and more intense heat waves. And stronger hurricanes and dangerous flooding.

How do we get climate change under control?
Let’s start with transportation. 95% of the vehicles on the planet burn fossil fuels. They’re responsible for almost ⅓ of all greenhouse gas emissions worldwide! It might sound like a pipe-dream to replace those gas-guzzlers with electric vehicles, but it might not be. In the last decade and a half electric vehicles that don’t have any pollution out of the tailpipe went from a dream to commonplace in places like California, China, Norway.

Then we have the energy sector — think power plants. In 2016, 80% of the world’s energy came from fossil fuels, while only 5% came from renewables like solar and wind. But we’re seeing that change. Now solar is the cheapest form of energy in just two decades. That’s a huge change.

And then there’s how we use land. We’re cutting down WAY too many trees and using a lot of that land to raise livestock that we end up eating. The United Nations estimates that if the world stopped getting food from animal sources, greenhouse gas emissions could be cut by one-fourth.

SOURCES:
Climate Change: How Do We Know? (NASA)
https://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/

Is it too late to prevent climate change? (NASA)
https://climate.nasa.gov/faq/16/is-it-too-late-to-prevent-climate-change/

Sea level rise (NASA)
https://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/sea-level/

IPCC Special Report Global Warming of 1.5º C
https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/

IPCC Special Report Climate Change and Land
https://www.ipcc.ch/report/srccl/

IPCC says limiting global warming to 1.5 °C will require drastic action (Nature)
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-06876-2

Eat less meat: UN climate-change report calls for change to human diet (Nature)
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02409-7

Reducing food’s environmental impacts through producers and consumers (Science)
https://science.sciencemag.org/content/360/6392/987

Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions Data (EPA)
https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/global-greenhouse-gas-emissions-data

Energy Consumption in the United States (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=36612

Traditionally thought of as gun-free zones, some schools are now allowing teachers to carry guns in classrooms— an effort that is meant to increase school safety, particularly when it comes to stopping school shootings. But this move is sparking controversy nationwide, as many opponents question whether arming teachers with guns would actually make schools safer.

TEACHERS: Get your students in the discussion on KQED Learn, a safe place for middle and high school students to investigate controversial topics and share their voices.
KQED Learn: https://learn.kqed.org/discussions/49

What are the main arguments for allowing teachers to carry guns at school?
Some arguments in favor of arming teachers include that if teachers had guns, they would actually be able to defend against an attack — potentially minimizing deaths. Supporters often point to instances where armed bystanders have stopped shootings in other places. Additionally, arming teachers could act as a deterrent— if potential shooters knew teachers were armed, they may be less likely to carry out an attack.

What are the main arguments against allowing teachers to carry guns at school?
Many opponents worry that there’s too much potential for something to go wrong if you allow teachers to carry guns. What happens if a student gets ahold of a teacher’s gun, or if they accidentally shoot an innocent bystander. There’s also concern that a teacher could misinterpret a student’s actions and shoot at someone unnecessarily, and this is especially a concern for students of color— where research shows they are disproportionately disciplined more than white students. Could implicit racial bias lead to a teacher unnecessarily shooting at a student of color? There’s also concern that training and arming teachers is expensive and could take funding away from other academic or school safety resources.

SELECTED SOURCES:
Should Teachers Carry Guns? The Debate, Explained (EdWeek) https://www.edweek.org/ew/issues/arming-teachers.html

Arming Schoolteachers: What Do We Know? Where Do We Go From Here? (American Journal of Public Health) https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/full/10.2105/AJPH.2018.304464

School shootings are extraordinarily rare. Why is fear of them driving policy? (Washington Post) https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/school-shootings-are-extraordinarily-rare-why-is-fear-of-them-driving-policy/2018/03/08/f4ead9f2-2247-11e8-94da-ebf9d112159c_story.html

10 years. 180 school shootings. 356 victims. (CNN) https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2019/07/us/ten-years-of-school-shootings-trnd/

Should teachers carry guns? In many rural school districts, they already are. (Pacific Standard) https://psmag.com/education/should-teachers-carry-guns-in-many-rural-school-districts-they-already-are

Most U.S. Teachers Oppose Carrying Guns in Schools (Gallup) https://news.gallup.com/poll/229808/teachers-oppose-carrying-guns-schools.aspx

U.S. Voters Oppose Steel, Aluminum Tariffs, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Voters Oppose Armed Teachers, Back Armed Security 6-1 (Quinnipiac University Poll) https://poll.qu.edu/national/release-detail?ReleaseID=2525

State and Local Law Enforcement Training Academies, 2013 (U.S. DOJ Bureau of Justice Statistics) https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/slleta13.pdf

Gun-trained teacher accidentally discharges firearm in Calif. classroom, injuring student (Washington Post) https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/03/14/teacher-accidentally-discharges-firearm-in-calif-classroom-he-was-trained-in-gun-use/

Black Students ‘Face Racial Bias’ In School Discipline (Forbes)
https://www.forbes.com/sites/nickmorrison/2019/04/05/black-students-face-racial-bias-in-school-discipline/#62d323ec36d5

After Ferguson, black men still face the highest risk of being killed by police (PBS NewsHour) https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/after-ferguson-black-men-and-boys-still-face-the-highest-risk-of-being-killed-by-police

A History of Shootings at Military Installations in the U.S. (NBC 6 South Florida) https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/national-international/A-History-of-Shootings-at-Military-Installations-in-the-US-223933651.html

We asked teens what issues matter most to them in this upcoming election, and climate change was at the top of the list. Young climate activists like Xiye Bastida, Vic Barrett and Greta Thunberg have called attention to this issue and are demanding action from lawmakers. Millions of people, many of whom are youth, recently protested around the world in support of more progressive climate policies. 

So, it is more important than ever for young people to understand the science behind climate change–and have an opportunity to think critically about what it means in their lives. The study of climate change is baked into the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), supporting Earth and Space Science performance expectations, and principles of climate also show up in Life Science and Physical Science.

KQED Learn provides free supports to help teachers meet these standards and spark evidence-based, lively discussions about climate change. Each discussion on KQED Learn features an episode of our award-winning web series Above the Noise. Each video is full of scientific research and evidence that is delivered with context that’s relevant to the lives of students. After watching the video, your class can then join the student-only discussion forum where they can practice civil dialogue and evidence-based communication around several climate change topics.

Using KQED Learn as a Science Teacher

Climate Change Videos

1. Are You an Optimist or Pessimist About Our Ability to Take on Climate Change?

Earth is getting warmer, and the temperature is predicted to continue to climb. This episode explores some of the effects of climate change, what we need to do to limit it, what we’ve already started doing, and how we’ll need to adapt. Then, students discuss their mindset about our ability to take on climate change.

2. Would Banning Plastic Bottles Help or Hurt the Planet?

Plastic pollution is a problem for our oceans and other ecosystems. The plastic life cycle is also a contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. This episode gives an overview of some of the environmental concerns of plastic water bottles and some of the reasons why banning them might also be problematic. Based on evidence, students argue whether the costs of banning plastic bottles outweigh the benefits.

3. Is a Carbon Tax the Best Way to Slow Climate Change?

Carbon taxes are used as a way to decrease the amount of fossil fuels that are burned. This episode explores some of the reasons why this may or may not be a good way to address our warming climate, and students are invited to discuss their evidence-based claim on KQED Learn.

Interested in exploring these topics with your students? Here’s how to get your students on KQED Learn!

Optional Extensions

Your students can also cite evidence from an extension activity or additional research in their KQED Learn responses!

Graph Climate Change

Example: get started. Use global temperature data to create models.

Example: get specific. Examine Earth’s “vital signs” through measured and proxy data.

Example: get local. Explore graphs and maps of historical and projected climate variables for any county in the contiguous United States.

Build Empathy

Example: natural and human systems. Maps and GIS serve as a tool to understand the impacts of climate change on people globally.

Example: set the scene. See how climate change is impacting individuals, communities, and other resources on the planet.

Example: from the youth. Hear from young people about how their communities experience climate change and what they’re doing about it.

Take Action

Example: confronting change. Learn about case studies of resilient communities, businesses, and individuals.

Example: do real science. These are some citizen science projects related to climate.

• GLOBE Observer
• Zooniverse
• iNaturalist