14 | MAY 16 • 2024

Academy, says her high school
teachers reinforce the digital
literacy skills taught at Hillel
and provide guidance on
finding trustworthy sources
for projects where internet
research is required.
The West Bloomfield
School District also weaves
media literacy into many
aspects of its curriculum.
“Our youngest learners
explore digital citizenship
and how what they see
online may or may not be
true. As students mature, our
English and social studies
classes spend time discussing
credible sources and how to
fact check,” said Scott Long,
assistant superintendent of
Learning Services for West
Bloomfield Schools.
“We have brought in
experts to help students and
families understand the legal
ramifications of sharing

information, as well as the
social/emotional impact on
our learning environment.”
Stevie Ryke, a student at
the International
Academy in
Bloomfield
Hills, said the
high school
curriculum builds
on the concepts
she learned at
Bloomfield Hills Middle
School, identifying reliable
sources for in-text citations
and using social media
responsibly.
“If something is posted,
check the source and see if it’s
backed up by another source,”
she said, adding that, outside
of school, students are more
likely to share social media
posts without vetting them
first.
“We’re not used to taking
the time to vet our sources,”

said Bean. “In the past,
we didn’t have to, but this
generation does.”



LEGISLATIVE EFFORTS
“Evidence is mounting that
digital culture plays a critical
role in the emotional lives
and well-being of children
and teens,” says Tamara Sobel,
national adviser on Health
& Media for Media Literacy
Now, a national organization
dedicated to ensuring public
education includes the skills
students need to consume
and convey information
responsibly.
Sobel says media literacy
is essential for young people,
who are often oblivious to
the potential risks and more
prone to acting impulsively
due to age and and
inexperience.
Bean, who serves as the
organization’s Michigan

Chapter Leader, is helping
to craft legislation requiring
Michigan public schools to
incorporate media literacy
into their K-12 curricula.
Currently, eight states have
enacted legislation mandating
some form of media literacy
instruction while other states
require schools to create
standards for teaching the
subject.
Hillel’s Diem feels fortunate
to be at a school that
understands the importance
of teaching media literacy
at every grade level and
believes it should be required
throughout the public
education system.

LOOKING FORWARD
While the situation may
appear bleak, experts believe
it is possible to combat the
disinformation epidemic.
Media literacy education,

Stevie Ryke

About the Authors

Bias Is All Around You: A Handbook for Inspecting
Social Media & News Stories by Erik Bean, Ed.D.,
provides a step-by-step guide to evaluating all forms
of communication to distinguish fact-based content
from false information.
Dr. Bean outlines the seven sources of bias and
how critical thinking is used to identify bias and
assess the legitimacy of information before passing
it on. The book explains how
social media sites use algorithms
to target certain audiences and
why sharing falsehoods can be
detrimental to mental health.
Simple assessment tools are
provided, including a one-page
Bias Assessment Form readers
can use to determine the
level of bias in any piece of
information.
Bias Is All Around You:
A Handbook for Inspecting
Social Media & News Stories
is an official project of the

Ethan Bean Mental Wellness
Foundation, a nonprofit
organization founded by the
Beans in memory of their son,
Ethan, who passed away
in 2018. The organization
is dedicated to removing
societal stigma and improving
acceptance and support for
those with mental health
issues by creating awareness
and providing educational resources.
You can meet Erik Bean, Saturday, June 1, 10 a.m. to
7 p.m., at the Farmington Author and Book Festival.

Attack from Within: How Disinformation is Sabotaging
America by Barbara McQuade
This New York Times bestseller provides a
comprehensive, multi-sourced explanation of
disinformation and the ways it is used to sow
divisiveness and manipulate voters, along with
practical solutions for combatting this dangerous
epidemic. It is available from several booksellers,
including Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com.

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