Dive Brief:
- High school history, government and journalism teacher David Cutler writes for Edutopia that it has been a struggle to convince students that facts still matter at a time when politicians can’t seem to agree on even basic truth.
- In a lesson about the Boston Massacre, inaccurate depictions of which stoked the colonial resistance to British forces, Cutler has helped students understand why facts are important — but he urges his fellow teachers to remain steadfast and resilient in the face of doubt from students who see that no matter how well-documented certain facts are, people still deny them.
- Still, University of Kansas journalism professor Peter Bobkowski told Cutler that a single truth can impact people differently, and it is always important to listen to others, respectfully discussing facts that can be framed differently depending on the context.
Dive Insight:
Exit polls from the November election indicated a voter’s level of education was the most reliable predictor of his or her vote. It is in schools where students can learn critical thinking and media analysis skills that prepare them to graduate and become civically engaged and responsible citizens.
It is absolutely true that many voters who sided with President Donald Trump did so after a thorough analysis of the facts and realities about our society, the major parties and the two front runners. It is also true that some voters were swayed by misleading information and “fake news.” A recent study by Stanford revealed students of all ages have trouble determining the validity of online content. These skills, at least, can be addressed by schools.