Hoax-slayer.net
I have just come across this site recently. It is very transparent and run by a Queenslander Brett Christensen. I thought it was worth including their mission statement.

Mission Statement
The goal of the Hoax-Slayer Website is to help make the Internet a safer, more pleasant and more
productive environment by:

• Debunking email and Internet hoaxes
• Thwarting Internet scammers
• Educating web users about email and Internet security issues
• Combating spam

This is a link to one of the latest stories and is very topical as it is related to the theory that the Coronavirus was made deliberately in China. It is a very good example of how conspiracy theorists use experts to spread information.

FAKE-NEWS ALERT: Japanese Professor Tasuku Honjo Did NOT Say That Coronavirus Was Made by China

"In light of recent misleading news purported to represent the views of Distinguished Professor Tasuku Honjo of the Kyoto University Institute of Advanced Study, the University is publishing the following statement from Professor Honjo.

_______

In the wake of the pain, economic loss, and unprecedented global suffering caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, I am greatly saddened that my name and that of Kyoto University have been used to spread false accusations and misinformation.

This is a time for all of us, especially those of us devoting our careers to the forefronts of scientific research, to work together to fight this common enemy. We cannot delay one moment in this effort to save the lives of our fellow humans. At this stage, when all of our energies are needed to treat the ill, prevent the further spread of sorrow, and plan for a new beginning, the broadcasting of unsubstantiated claims regarding the origins of the disease is dangerously distracting."

Information Literacy

During the year at Gippsland Grammar each year level has at least two sessions on Information literacy. This is comprised of looking at the resources the libraries provide and also information and activities related to identifying Fake news, Propaganda and Conspiracy theories.

We are arming students with the ability to further develop critical thinking, understand media bias, avoid fake news and stop spreading it, and have access to authentic information and the ability to locate it.

The following article goes through and explains fact checking sites such as Snopes,, Hoaxslayer and Factcheck.org. In Australia we have ABC factcheck which works with the online publication The Conversation. I will write about The Conversation in a further post.

The 8 Best Fact-Checking Sites for Finding Unbiased Truth

The KidLit Club

Dr Susan La Marca and Sally Rippin. This is a fantastic interview with Susan. Sally interviews Dr Susan La Marca (Susan is Chief Executive officer of SLAV, School Librarian’s association of Victoria) Susan discusses the role of SLAV and its’ position in supporting and advocating for school libraries and school librarians. She also explains the difference between Teacher Librarians and librarians, and their role in promoting reading while also understanding the importance of educational pedagogy. Susan also explains while trained librarians are not being replaced, and the senate inquiry into the importance of school libraries.

This also ties in with the campaign supported by many amazing authors and many other organisations which has been shared widely on social media Students Need School Libraries

There has been a lot of research in the area of reading and literacy over the past few decades and the following article explains what is happening in America which is also reflected across Australia. Poverty and reading: the sad and Troubling Loss of school Libraries and Real Librarians.

Nancy talks about schools replacing books with computers, and saying schools saying that Librarians becoming “digital learning specialists, digital media content specialists, technology integrators, and information literacy teachers”. I would agree with Nancy that schools need books and digital technology and digital media specialists. There is a lot of research now becoming available on the effect of too much screen time on children and encouraging mindfulness. I would argue that the best mindfulness comes from immersing oneself in a great book and developing the love of reading early.

3D printing and Otto Robotic’s Club

All the library staff in the ISC have been utilising the 3D  printer and creating mini mes and robots by learning a variety of new programs. The result has been a successful club that began in late 2018 and continues to grow. We are now connected to a worldwide network of educators building and coding what are affectionately known as Otto Robots. 

Most students have now either created a mini me or built and programmed their own Otto robot. It has formed a jumping off point for many of the students as it is their first introduction to programming, especially using Arduino boards and the possibilities. There is also a lot available for them to teach themselves online, through Instructables, Wikifactory and Github. We hear all the time about AI becoming the way of the future. In the latest SCIS magazine Chelsea Quake in Supporting multiple literacies through robotics clubs refers to finding of a recent report by the Mitchell Institute, which is a warning to educators ‘ young people need to bring more that knowledge to the modern workforce’ and ‘the most crucial capabilities for the future include critical thinking, creativity, curiosity and communication skills’. 

This club engages the student’s curiosity and builds basic skills. Students are also engaging and higher order thinking  by problem solving, collaboration and further developing organisational skills. 

Also evident is the student’s inventiveness and capacity for new ideas and challenges! Of course the plus side is they have no assessments, work at their own pace and tend to be self-driven.

You might enjoy reading this article in The Conversation about robots and education.  Why R2D2 could be your child’s teacher sooner than you think

Reading and why it matters!

How to keep older kids reading and (why it’s so important they do).

I came across this article recently by Megan Daly and it sums up everything we try and do in the library to get students reading. Teachers and Library staff emphasize to students how reading, especially deep reading helps them critically analyse all literature and gives them the works to express themselves. But I wonder what they really hear? Blah, Blah, Blah? We would love it if parents just take some time to read themselves, or listen to audio books. This article gives some good advice about setting routines, making it part of a schedule, letting them see you reading, taking an interest in what they are reading. Bribery also comes into the discussion!

How do we choose books for our Libraries?

At the senior library we have hundreds of new books, and audio books (Borrowbox) a year to review and decide to purchase. What do we consider?

For a book to engage a teenage reader or YA (young adult), it needs to engage right from the start. First we look online to see what others say about the book, how many reviews and ratings it has. (Usually https://www.goodreads.com/). We also look for contemporary themes and issues. Often young adults have interests and questions which are being dealt with in a book. We look for different voices, male and female, diverse cultures and different genres. Dystopian and fantasy are always popular with students, but as teenagers progress through senior school, often biographies or autobiographies capture their attention, as they seek to understand people and events and develop wider insights. Sometimes students have a particular interest in subject, e.g. Physics and Black holes and will read extensively on the subject.

Teenagers also want to hear their own voice in novels, learn about relationships, challenges in history and seek understanding of current issues.

Librarians try not to exercise censorship or reflect their own point of view on students, but occasionally there are books which do not “fit” into a senior school library. This might be because of extreme violence or graphic content. Sometimes however, this content is important, as it is within the context of the story and very relevant in a well written novel. We also try to read as many books or at least the beginning to gain more of an idea. Our ISC Bookclub students also help choosing books their peers would like and offer us valuable insights into what is popular with students .We keep in mind also that in the internet age there is no limit to what our students can access so books can be a safe way of exploring complex themes.

This article in The Guardian is well worth a read. YA Marginalised books

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/jun/15/torn-apart-the-vicious-war-over-young-adult-books

 It explains how publishers and authors are being pressured to censor content in their books as they do not want to be accused of racism, bigotry and marginalisation. We need to keep in mind that just because we read something it doesn’t mean we are going to agree with it. Teenagers are even more likely to question and form ideas by reading widely.

H

Importance of Libraries.

Earlier this year I was researching Pressreader for our Information Literacy sessions and came across this article which resonated with me. (Pressreader is a collection of magazines and newspapers from many countries around the world which can be read for free online). Our students in years 9, 10, 11 and 12 join up to the State Library of Victoria to gain access).

In The Insider, 23/1/2019 this article Journalism — the catalyst that connects communities and cultures in public libraries, discusses the importance of public libraries in America. At the advent of the internet age many people were predicting the end of libraries and books, but it is clear that this didn’t happen as libraries evolved and responded to meet clients’ needs in many different ways. What was surprising in this article was the number of millennials using public libraries. Also that people are increasingly looking for authentic news stories. The author says “When social media took off a decade ago many people used it as a gateway for news, bypassing the library’s limited supply of newspapers and magazines. But today, when it comes to news discovery, the love affair with social media is starting to largely wear off.To avoid all the misinformation and fake news polluting their social channels, people are starting to seek out more credible news sources When quality journalism is made available in public libraries and promoted by librarians, it fuels the power of the person and the collective by connecting people and ideas”.

Throughout the year students in year levels 7, 8, 9 and 10 through the Information Literacy sessions run by the ISC have been challenged to look at Fake news, Propaganda and Conspiracy theories. This is relevant to encouraging the use of authentic fact based information available through the State Library of Victoria. Lessons include How to spot fake news, and reverse image searching techniques.