Newseum’s mission, located in Washington, D.C., is to increase public understanding of the importance of a free press and the First Amendment. Visitors experience the story of news, the role of a free press in major events in history, and how the core freedoms of the First Amendment — religion, speech, press, assembly and petition — apply to their lives. Considered one of the most interactive museums in the world, the Newseum has seven levels with 15 galleries and 15 theaters.

This workshop includes 4 sessions:

1) Media Ethics for Educators
The press may be free, but is it a free-for-all? Is it ever OK to clean up a quote or digitally manipulate a photograph? This professional development workshop teaches educators the key principles of ethical journalism. Using real-life case studies, participants debate how to apply these standards, experiencing the decision-making process that goes on behind-the-scenes in journalism. They receive tools and strategies that will allow them to take these topics back to their students, helping them become more informed media consumers.

2) Fighting Fake News
In “Fighting Fake News: How to Help Your Students Outsmart Trolls and Troublemakers,” teachers will learn a practical approach to helping students avoid one of the major pitfalls of today’s digital media: falling for fake information. They’ll examine real-life case studies that bring to life the challenges of today’s media landscape and model an easy-to-remember and easy-to-implement strategy for staying a step ahead. Throughout the session, discussion and activities will explore best practices for meeting their student’s need for enhanced media savvy in the academic realm and their daily lives.

3) Judging Fact, Fiction and Everything In-Between:
Teaching Media Literacy
Is Wikipedia reliable? How do you distinguish fact from rumor? What news source is trustworthy? From social media posts to “citizen journalist” reports to traditional news media, today’s students face questions about the origins, reliability and attribution of information everywhere they turn. As digital natives who’ve been online their whole lives, they have a unique perspective on these issues, but they still need guidance to ask the right questions and find the answers. This broad introduction to media literacy provides a set of easy-to-use tools teachers can share with their students to deconstruct the information they encounter online, in print, on social media or on TV. Participants will model specific strategies and resources they can bring to their classroom to foster increased media literacy across subject matters, with special attention to developing research skills.

4) Teaching Controversy: Turning Third-Rail Topics into Productive Debates
In today’s world, there seems to be an endless list of issues that have a vital impact on our lives, but also the potential to derail a class session due to inappropriate content or divisive ideas. As First Amendment educators, the NewseumED team has spent years developing tools and techniques for turning this topics countless flashpoints and controversies – from racism and obscenity to threats of violence – into teachable moments. In this session, participants will learn the preparation and discussion methods that have allowed NewseumED to build a successful practice of teaching controversy. They’ll leave with a deeper understanding of resources available to them and the tools they need to confidently develop their own student materials and experiences.

Registration and Continental Breakfast   9:00 am — 9:30 am
Lunch is provided.