What you Need to Know About Chinese Current EventsMost families I know can pull at least one zealot from both sides of the political aisle. Many family gatherings can often turn into anything from a lively family discussion to something just short of the police showing up (at least in my family).
This Thanksgiving was no different. After the meal was consumed and pleasantries of what we are thankful for this year were finished, the politics began. Those who don’t like the debate quickly began clearing the table - you know the scene. The subject this year really doesn’t matter as the cards always fall to one political persuasion vs. the other.
My mom has always been the moderator - she is great at it (I swear should would have done an awesome job filling in for the late great Tim Russert - an icon of moderating). In year’s past her moderation has been seasoned with a knowledge of the facts (she is an incredible reader and consumer of information). She could call someone out if they didn’t know what they were talking about - she could interject facts but rarely would she fall decidedly on one side or the other.
This year was different. My mom who always seems to have a handle on the facts was lost. Her moderation was little more than questioning the sources of others. “How do you know that to be true?” she would ask. “Where did you hear that? Where did you read that?” were questions uttered repeatedly. Finally, she concluded - “there is just no where that I know that I can get straight information anymore.”
Later in the weekend I had a chance to sit with my mom and engage in a great discussion about the state of information in our world. She has become increasingly frustrated with her inablility to get straight answers. “Do you think it’s just the rise of the new media (bloggers, etc.) that has everything mixed up?” I asked. “No, it’s more systemic than that” she noted. “Everyone has an angle - at least the bloggers are letting you know their angle.”
The discussion soon turned to teaching social studies (as with me it so often does). My mom began asking me where teachers get their news. “Is it the luck of the draw?” she asked “Do students just get taught whatever the teacher thinks is important?” The more we talked the more I began to think about how big an issue this really is. And the more I realized I that I just don’t know how current events are handled in this new world of media.
This is where I need your help. I have been asked to write an article on current events and the new media. The article is to be a guide to help teachers understand their way around the ever changing world of a partisan media. My primary research from this article will be information I collect from this blog and interviews I conduct with social studies teachers.
If you would like to be considered for an interview, please send me an email to gshirey@performance-education.com, otherwise, please share your thoughts with me on the comment section of this blog post.
