Mike Smith of HSLDA interviews the Executive Director of StudentNewsDaily.com
June 12, 2006 – Why Study Current Events?
Mike:
This week, we’ll be talking with the Executive Director of StudentNewsDaily.com. Kathy, we’re glad to have you on the show.
Kathy:
And I’m glad to be here, Mike. Thank you so much for inviting me.
Mike:
Kathy, why would you say it’s important for young people to study current events?
Kathy:
Well, Mike, studying current events helps students
to understand the importance of people and issues in the news. If
students understand the issues, they won’t say, “Who cares?” or “This
is boring!” But they’ll be challenged to discuss current events. It
also helps them to clarify their own point of view on the issues and
defend it with facts or sound reasons. It’s also necessary to study
current events to become informed voters. Who our government officials
are affects us and our families. It’s been said that informed citizens
are essential to the function of a free society.
And I just want to encourage parents to remember that if your high
school-age kids say that they aren’t interested in studying current
events, you’re not alone. Studies show that teenagers are generally not
interested in current events, but evidence also suggests that including
current events in the curriculum can increase interest. From my
experience as a high school teacher, I found that to be true.
Mike:
Thank you, Kathy. Next time, we’ll be discussing media bias. And until next time, I’m Mike Smith.
June 13, 2006 – The Problem with Media Bias
Mike:
Kathy, it can be challenging for parents to teach
current events to their children when much of the news seems to be
biased against family values. In fact, it’s almost impossible to report
the news without bias, no matter what your viewpoint. How does this
phenomenon impact young people as they read or watch the news?
Kathy:
Well, media bias over a period of time can affect
how a young person thinks about a person or event, especially if he or
she doesn’t have a lot of knowledge about a particular issue. A good
example of this is the war in Iraq. The only information most of us
have about it is what the media chooses to report. The mainstream media
generally portray the war in Iraq as not going well. Anyone who knows
any soldiers in Iraq can tell you that they’re frustrated by the
negative portrayal in the media, and they ask why none of the positives
are being reported. Over time, media bias could cause a young person to
believe that the U.S. being in Iraq is hopeless and we’ll never win.
It’s like if two siblings are fighting all the time but the parents
only hear one side of the story without realizing only one child’s side
is being recounted. After a while, they’ll believe the child who does
the explaining. In the same way, if a young person is not aware that
bias exists in the media, his or her viewpoint can be subtly influenced
over a period of time.
Mike:
Next time, we’ll talk about how parents can teach their teenagers to respond to media bias. Until then, I’m Mike Smith.
June 14, 2006 – Responding to Media Bias
Mike:
With me today is Kathy from StudentNewsDaily.com.
Kathy, how can parents teach their children to identify and compensate
for bias in the news?
Kathy:
This is an important issue, Mike. First, parents
should make their kids aware that media bias exists and teach them to
recognize the different types of bias. Media bias comes in several
different forms. Brent Baker’s book on identifying media bias provides
definitions. (We post an excerpt of it on the website.)
One type of bias is “spin.” To check if a news report is spin,
parents should notice which interpretation of an issue the news story
matches-the liberal or the conservative. If a story reflects one to the
exclusion of the other, then you’ve found bias by spin.
And for other types of bias and their definitions, parents can go to
StudentNewsDaily to our “Wednesday’s Biased Item.” In this category, we
post an example of media bias each week from different media watchdog
groups, along with a question asking the student to identify the type
of bias.
And finally, the way to compensate for media bias is to use sources from both the right and the left.
Mike:
Those are great suggestions, Kathy. And until next time, I’m Mike Smith.
June 15, 2006 – Strengthening Critical Thinking Skills
Mike:
Strong critical thinking skills help kids to succeed
in every subject. Kathy, how can homeschooling parents use the study of
current events to strengthen their children’s skills in the area of
critical thinking?
Kathy:
Well, Mike, if we think about a definition of
critical thinking, we can define it as the ability to acquire
information, analyze and evaluate it, and reach a conclusion or answer
by using logic and reasoning skills. This is exactly what we do when we
study current events. Students read a news article, answer
comprehension questions about “the who, what, where, and when” of a
news story, and they’re also asked to explain why the event happened,
or how it happened. Equipped with this information, they’re then asked
to analyze it to determine which side they agree with, and to explain
why. Over time, students will build on what they’ve learned and be able
to come to an understanding about the major issues that face us today,
and think critically about them.
I think the key is not to overload students with news articles or to
spend too much time on any one event. There will always be more news
tomorrow! Allow your kids time to read the article, answer the
questions, and then spend some time discussing the answers. Challenging
students to defend their opinion with facts will help to strengthen
their critical thinking skills.
Mike:
Thank you, Kathy. And until next time, I’m Mike Smith.
June 16, 2006 – Integrating Other Subjects
Mike:
This week, we’ve been talking with the Executive
Director of StudentNewsDaily.com. Kathy, what are some ways that
parents can integrate the study of current events with other
subjects-such as geography, history, or English?
Kathy:
That’s an interesting question, Mike. These other
subjects are naturally integrated into the study of current events.
Students should know the location of a country or a state and some
background information about it to fully understand the importance of
the event. For the daily news articles on our website, I usually use a
national or international news story. If international, I ask a general
question about the history of the country. The CIA World Factbook
website is a great way to get general information on a country’s
background. It includes historical, political, and religious
information, and for most of the daily news articles, I’ll ask a
question about where the country is located and which countries
surround it. This gives students an understanding of where in the world
the event took place.
As far as English, current events can be used to build language,
vocabulary, reading comprehension, and even provide a writing model.
Students can learn by imitating that clear, concise style of news
writing. And these are just some examples of how current events tie in
with other subjects.
Mike:
Kathy, thank you for being with us this week. And until next time, I’m Mike Smith.