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. 

continued from page 12

OUR COMMUNITY
COVER STORY