When Agents of the State Determine What is Credible, Can Students Truly Learn Discernment?
NJ lawmakers are considering a bill to teach compulsory 'Information Literacy' lessons starting in Kindergarten
The past several years have been rife with the ups and downs of real world engagements and skirmishes in the ongoing information war; ‘fake news’ has become a household buzz phrase. We Are New Jersey has previously documented and discussed mis- and disinformation in action. Many Americans probably recall the Biden administration’s failed attempt to create a federal ‘Disinformation Governance Board.’ Some of us watched the U.S. House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence’s OCTOBER 15, 2020 House Hearing on the Spread of Online Misinformation, conspicuously held during the weeks leading up the last presidential election. If you’ve been paying attention, it should come as no surprise that this represents the next controversial, hot topic in education.
While the Governor Phil Murphy era of New Jersey history steadfastly continues bearing witness to the “progressive agenda,” practical steps are being taken via consistent policy advances in a staple sphere of influence: education. During his administration, many new curriculum requirements and student learning standards have been introduced addressing everything from climate change to sex education, but nobody seems to be talking about the latest student learning standard in the legislative pipeline. In June, the NJ Senate quietly approved a bill on the topic. Now the Assembly Education Committee will decide on Thursday September 22, 2022 at 10am if it moves one step closer to becoming law.
Background:
When the NJ Legislature reorganized in January 2022, lawmakers re-introduced a bill establishing uniformity and accountability for how NJ students are taught to gather, analyze and use information. Specifically, NJ state senators, assemblymen and assemblywomen want to pass a law requiring instruction in something referred to as ‘Information Literacy.’ After the formal language (AN ACT concerning…, BE IT ENACTED by… ) the Senate’s current version of the bill, S588, begins with this definition:
As used in this act, the term “information literacy” means a set of skills that enables an individual to recognize when information is needed and to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information. Information literacy includes, but is not limited to, digital, visual, media, textual, and technological literacy.
Read more.
While the original bill called for a requirement to teach information literacy in NJ’s K-12 curriculum, the Senate Committee Substitute bill passed by NJ state senators during the June 16, 2022 voting session calls for the creation of a new educational content area and accompanying student learning standards. The public testimony - largely from education professionals, school librarians, and administrators - includes interesting discussion and questions from the senators…maybe some of the same questions you’re asking yourself after reading the definition of ‘Information Literacy.’
Listen to the June 2, 2022 NJ Senate Education Committee Testimony: S588 (Senate Committee Substitute) ‘Directs DOE to develop New Jersey Student Learning Standards in separate content area of Information Literacy’*
Why it matters:
Whether you are a parent or not (or, for that matter, a New Jerseyan or not) you should listen to the testimony. The overt word choices and subtle innuendo used by the witnesses provide a wealth of information for those with ears to hear. One senator inquired about the way Google algorithms and other search engine tools would figure into Information Literacy lessons. There was a discussion about the spread of mis- and disinformation on social media and via news content related to the war in Ukraine. And, of course, the NY Post/Hunter Biden laptop debacle came up. The NJ Disinformation Portal launched earlier this year by the NJ Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness was mentioned. References were made to the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post. Many other important statements and queries - for example, a brief examination of the peer review process for academic research - were entered into the public record which have national and international relevance on topics that reach far beyond the classroom. Peer reviewed sources used to be the student gold standard for credible content but the pandemic revealed institutional research is rife with bias and censorship, according to university whistleblowers. These revelations make clear no source is infallible in the hunt for facts.
Bottom Line:
While we have zero interest in telling you what to think about this proposed educational regiment against fake news, we would be remiss in not alerting you to PAY ATTENTION. The lack of probity displayed by many media outlets, news creators, and “experts” is partly what inspired the contributors of WANJ to dig deeper on the issues, come together in pursuit of the truth and publish this blog. Research skills, critical thinking, and access to information for everyone are integral to our identity and mission. Teaching children how to find, evaluate, and discern the difference between facts, opinions, and points of view is essential, but so is restraining the influence of corrupt, kleptocratic, and predatory institutional actors and overlords on the pool of information.