News Literacy: Building on Success Conference

We’re at Stony Brook University’s News Literacy: Building on Success conference today, where more than 200 teachers, educators and news media practitioners are gathered to discuss news literacy education and evaluation. (By the way, follow the conversation live at #cnl and sessions are being recorded and will be available soon at http://www.centerfornewsliteracy.org/ )

We’ve heard from a slate of distinguished speakers, including Jeff Jarvis, Dan Gillmor, Tom Rosenstiel and Melinda Wittstock,as well as practitioners on the front, including News Literacy Project’s Alan Miller and Professor Stephanie Craft at the University of Missouri. 

Tomorrow, we’ll be creating an action plan for building on news literacy success. Here’s what we’ll be brainstorming (and feel free to share your ideas on any of these questions): 

  

1.       If you’re not teaching news literacy and would like to, what’s the biggest obstacle you face in getting a course adopted? 

2.       If you’re currently teaching new literacy and would like to expand it in your institution, what obstacles do you face? 

3.       If you work at a college or university, are there ways you do (or can) work with high schools to expect news literacy offerings? 

4.       Are there ways your institution does (or can) partner with local news media outlets or non-profits to expand your efforts? 

5.       What is the most important thing the Center for News Literacy can do to advance your goals? 

6.       If Stony Brook obtains funding to build a web-based national News Literacy clearinghouse and portal, what are the most important elements and functions you would like to see included on the site (think big) 

7.       Would you like to be part of any beta testing? (If so, email dean.miller@stonybrook.edu) 

8.       Should we move to a standardized measurement instrument for news literacy? Why? 

9.       Are there experts at your institution who could help us work on assessment or curriculum development? 

10.   Have you identified any local or state funding sources in your area that might support a News literacy initiative? Elaborate if possible. Can we help you persuade those funders to support your project? 

11.   If you had $100,000 in funding, what would you do with it? 

12.   If a funder offered $3,000 “sudden opportunity” grants to News Literacy teachers that were easy to apply for (one-page letter for instance), what could you do that is now out of reach? How about $1,500? 

13.   What other ideas about expanding News Literacy came to you this week?