Wonder what it’s like to be a journalist? A children’s author? A writer? Your students have questions—I’ve got answers!
Prep them beforehand and I’ll answer questions on whatever your class is studying or is most interested in. Inspiring and educational.
It’s ideal if your class is familiar with TeachingKidsNews.com and students are prepared to ask questions about journalism, fake news and writing.
This is a great option for schools on a budget!
I got a chance to speak to 100 grade 5 students at a school north of Toronto recently, and afterward they lined up for an autograph. Not only did it give me the boost I needed to get through this week’s -13C temperatures, but it was a chance to connect with each and every student.
While writing can be an all-too-solitary endeavour, these kinds of moments remind you that kids truly love books and writing. (I was presenting a writing workshop.)
Together, we looked at “plain-‘ol” sentences and, adverb by adjective, made them better–and stranger–and wackier. And then we looked at how a whole story could some out of some of those sentences. And new characters, as well.
Half-way through my talk, I asked them, “Who here has already pushed themselves creatively–more than they thought they could, because of what we’ve been discussing today?” Nearly every hand went enthusiastically up. Some waved, the student they were connected to bouncing in their seat to let me know.
Those are young people who are engaged, excited about writing and interested in looking at fun, new ways of approaching their writing. And I didn’t leave out the teachers. Because oh, I realized that I was whipping up their classes into a bit of a frenzy, which can be a bit of a handful for them. (If you know my presenting style, you’ll understand what I mean, here. We do tend to get a bit… loud.) At some point, I pointed out that the work we were doing in this presentation could be turned into a lesson plan. Teachers could, if they wished, get the students to “use” those new sentences to create short stories, plot outlines or create new characters. I hope they’ll get to use them that way, because I sure appreciated their involvement in the presentation and their help throughout, handing out supplies and helping me select students during the Q&A.
Oh, and the students taught me some things too. They taught me some slang–some of which my own son had to explain further to me. I promise not to use it, though! And we also shared a bonding moment over One Piece, an anime show I’ve been watching lately–and one most of them knew well.
Anyway, this is a gratitude post. I’m grateful to have an audience for the work I do and for my books. And I’m very grateful to be able to visit schools like the one I went to yesterday, with students, teachers and staff who care.
And I’m very grateful they want my autograph! LOL!
Thank you to everyone who attended the Star’s Media Literacy for Educators event November 29.
I was left with an overwhelming sense of hope about the future of young people and the internet, after a great day chatting with educators and parents. I spoke about how to help young people think more critically about what they see and read online. My TeachingKidsNews.com co-founder, Jon Tilly, gave a teacher’s perspective with a brilliant talk about strategies and best-practices. And I got to interview the Star’s new editor-in-chief, Nicole MacIntyre about what the future holds for journalism and the Star. We capped the day off with a tour of the Star’s newsroom by Star librarian Astrid Lange.
Thank you to everyone who organized this fantastic day at The Well in Toronto!
Here’s a link to the coverage of the event in the Star:
Thank you to Lynn Pickering and 99.3 County FM for interviewing me about how to help young people spot misinformation! To listen, click below:
Join me on Friday, Nov. 29 for a media literacy event for educators. I’ll be talking about what I’ve learned from the past 8 years talking to young people about journalism and misinformation. My TeachingKidsNews.com co-founder, Jon Tilly, will provide a teacher’s perspective. And we will have an AMA with Toronto Star Editor-in-Chief, Nicole MacIntyre.
Click here to purchase your ticket and reserve your space at this unique event that will help you improve your media literacy 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!
An engaging, accessible look at internet algorithms and the importance of bursting your information bubble We are all in information bubbles, whether we realize it
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
