Sixteenth International Conference on Technology, Knowledge & Society

Abstract

For years now, there has been a push throughout both K-12 and postsecondary pedagogical models to forge links between traditional coursework and topical queries or considerations that bear some importance to students’ “real” or “everyday” lives. This often intersects with data-driven educational theories that advocate “meeting students where they are,” a concept that manifests in the college composition classroom in several key forms: employing familiar and culturally conscious language, instituting active learning strategies that address the needs of the student population, inserting relatable “real world” examples, etc. While the above methods are critical to student success in college composition coursework, and indeed have become the norm throughout English and Writing departments across the United States, I propose that instructors push those boundaries even further through themed first-year-writing courses that are not only relevant to our constituent student populations, but also critical to the sociopolitical structures that dominate digital age consciousness. Recently, I began theming my Composition I community college classes around the topic of “Fake News,” a term I have since eschewed in favor of “News Literacy.” In this paper, I discuss the ease with which I have applied discussions of news literacy to the broad parameters and learning outcomes of a Composition I course, and report the data I have collected across several semesters regarding student perceptions of this topic. Furthermore, I am eager to share the collaborations (both interdepartmental and with partners at other institutions) that have largely informed my understanding of–and ability to teach–this subject.