As students and parents get ready for a new school year, teachers are also making preparations to head back into the classroom. For Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS), professional development is a big part of that preparation.
Each year, VBCPS offers its Digital Teaching and Learning Conference (DTALcon) in early August, providing sessions for hundreds of educators from the region to learn new techniques for teaching digital skills.
WHRO educators Janie Everett, Educational Technology Manager, and Alice Agnew, Manager of Education Resources, presented at this year's conference on the topic of Teaching Media Literacy in the Age of AI.
The session provided practical and evidence-based strategies on media literacy, classroom tips on utilizing AI, and ready-to-use student resources from leading PBS content creators. Teachers learned how to embed essential news literacy skills and concepts into their teaching in engaging and meaningful ways.
"It is important for teachers to help students develop strong media literacy skills because students are interacting with AI and digital media on a daily basis," Alice explained. "As a life skill in the digital world, students need to be able to evaluate information critically and thoughtfully and make informed decisions about the content they encounter."
The session helped teachers identify easy ways to incorporate practical strategies into their teaching.
"Teachers can help students develop media literacy skills by analyzing sources together in the classroom," Janie said. "Lateral reading, or the process of evaluating a source by comparing it with other reputable sources, is one of the most efficient media habits that both teachers and students can practice when vetting websites, articles, and videos. Learning how to cross-check sources from a young age is just one of many valuable digital citizenship strategies that can shape lifelong responsible media consumers."
Educators in Virginia have come to rely on WHRO Education to help them meet the needs of their students. From providing hands-on workshops about the newest educational technology to creating SOL-aligned curriculum, WHRO Education supports Virginia’s teachers with innovative classroom resources and exceptional professional development.
Next Scheduled Professional
Development Session:
- Catch the King: Engaging Students in Community Science
- Tuesday August 25, 5:00 - 6:30 p.m. EST
- Join staff from Wetlands Watch and Old Dominion University's Measure the Muck program to learn how your students can participate in Catch the King this October. Catch the King is a community science event in which volunteers help collect valuable data by measuring rising seawater during the highest tides of the year. Learn more and register.
Did you miss a recent professional development session? Watch recorded webinars.
WHRO is proudly owned by the 21 school divisions in the southeastern Virginia region, including Virginia Beach City Public Schools.
Learn more about the many educational resources that WHRO Public Media provides to educators and families.