How is news gathered? We’ll discuss Talk, Read and Go, the art of interviewing, researching and observing to report on events.
We’ll talk about the importance of accuracy.
And we’ll examine the process of journalism today, including websites and social media.
All of Joyce’s presentations are tailored to your students’ needs, to support your teaching.
Media Literacy Week, presented by MediaSmarts, is the perfect time to reflect on how we’re navigating social media–and how our kids and students are as well. I wrote “Can You Believe It?” to help young people think more critically about what they see and read online every day.
It covers how “real” journalism works–and the importance of accuracy to professional journalists. The difference between satire, ads and news. And what “fake news” looks like, why people make it, and what to do when you spot it.
Let’s face it, kids are going to be online for information, education and entertainment. So let’s arm them with the tools they need to be able to think skeptically and critically about what they see there.
There is a curated list of media literacy games and resources on my kids’ news website, TeachingKidsNews.com. And, visit MediaSmarts.ca for awesome media lit resources as well.
I’m excited to be a Signature Presenter during #HamiltonArtsWeek, June 5 to 14.
I’ll be presenting at 4 branches of Hamilton Public Library to talk to aspiring kidlit creators about how they can get their manuscript from computer screen to bookshelf! “Breaking into Kidlit” is a free event sponsored by the Hamilton Arts Council. All four events are sold out but you can get on the waiting list. Visit HPL.ca to register.
Thank you to the Hamilton Arts Council for sponsoring this presentation series. And Hamilton Public Library as well as Canadian Heritage, the City of Hamilton and Canada Council for the Arts.
Check out the fantastic calendar of events and make sure you attend a great Hamilton arts event to refill your well!
Check out this exciting new reel, put together by the fantastic team at @EpilogueProductions, showcasing some of my recent presentations and keynotes.
To book an energetic and engaging author presentation for your class or conference, or for more information, click here: https://joycegrantauthor.com/request-a-school-visit/.
I’ll respond quickly and I’m always happy to talk about how I can tailor the presentation for your audience. Also, my in-class presentations include awesome book swag like bookmarks, teaching guides and more!
Testimonial: “The presentation was phenomenal. Her enthusiasm was contagious. I would DEFINITELY recommend Joyce.”
I had a fantastic time in Ontario’s northern cities near Sault Ste. Marie including at the Young Authors’ Conference last week. It was hosted by the Algoma District School Board.
The conference was inspirational and exciting, with hundreds of grade 7 & 8 students attending on behalf of their schools. They will take the information back to their schools to share with the other students there.
I was proud to present the keynote speech, “How to Avoid Fake News” and two journalism workshops. There were additional workshops on technology, music and storytelling–all designed to expand students’ expertise and literacy.
Well organized, enthusiastic students and engaged teachers made for a top-notch conference.
I also visited four schools in the north, including Mountain View–which really did have a spectacular view.
Thank you to the organizers, the school board, the teachers and of course, the wonderful students, who made the conference such a success.
For today’s tech-savvy kids, here’s the go-to resource for navigating what they read on the internet.
Are you looking for resources to teach kids about critical thinking and fake news? TeachingKidsNews.com by Joyce Grant has an extensive list of great resources you can use for free! For instance, BBC iReporter is a fast-paced online game that teaches kids how reporters must decide whether to post information or keep checking it for accuracy. It’s fun and real-world. Another great game you’ll find in our list of fake news resources is Spot the Troll which teaches kids how to know whether it’s a person or a bot following you. You’ll also find a list of scholastic papers, research and more to help teachers and parents prepare their kids for the online world and to help make them better critical thinkers.
For the Record is a free, monthly resource about journalism. Each two-page edition features an interview with a working journalist and looks at a specific job in the field. The series covers investigative journalism, courts reporting, photo journalism, news librarians, editors, comics, editorial cartoons and much more! Produced by the Toronto Star’s Classroom Connection and written by freelance journalist and children’s author Joyce Grant. Download them all!
Joyce Grant’s free website, TeachingKidsNews.com can help your students broaden their knowledge about journalism and critical thinking.
It is a great, free resource for teachers, parents and kids. Each kid-friendly news article is pulled from the headlines. Great for shared reading, individual study or group work. Every article is written by a professional journalist and has Think & Discuss questions as well as Links for deeper investigations.
There are more than a thousand archived articles on just about any topic you can imagine. And it’s all free! This award-winning website also features One Good Thing, simple articles about fun, uplifting topics.
High-energy, engaging presentations, workshops and keynotes for all ages
