Education is inundated with “research based” curriculum and supplements that say they will improve test scores and engage students. However, with capitalist intentions taking over education, it is important to scrutinize these products that are “researched based.” Daniel Willingham, in his book, When Can You Trust the Experts? (2012) attempts to tackle this issue. One problem is that people like to be right. We want our beliefs to maintain our “self identity, values, social ties, and manage our emotions” (Willingham, 2012, p. 51). We are more inclined to believe things that reforce ideas that we have previously heard or make us comfortable. What has become more chilling is how pervasive social media platforms have become since the publishing of Willingham’s book. Willingham stated, “People believe lots of things for which the scientific evidence is absent” (p. 12), and this is even more true in online spaces and on social media platforms. As the world gets taken over by more and more social media platforms, humans are interacting with more information than ever before, much of which is dubious and created with an agenda. Much of this is occurring due to automatic algorithms that are designed to keep us interested, but an unintended effect is seeing us fall into “filter bubbles.” Eli Pariser discussed this in his 2011 TED Talk. As we browse our experience becomes our own, links show us what we want to see, and unfortunately our reality also becomes our own. Considering this TED talk was in 2011, I am disappointed that conversations about social media are not addressed in When Can You Trust the Experts? Despite that, the book does illustrate how sinister these forces can be at manipulating our reality. Part of the problem is education's obsession with seeking the answers. We see this in the classroom with students looking for the shortcut to the answers and limited creativity. Recently, our department made an effort to shift the focus of our English 12 class to a humanities course that utilizes creative assessment models and choice menus to allow students to be successful. Each year, it takes students a solid month to get used to this style of class. At first, they are terrified of essay tests or projects that represent test grades. We wanted students to “play” with the material and then give us some combination of the content with their personal experiences. We want students to take risks, dabble, iterate, and ask better questions. Curiously, dabbling, iterativing, and asking questions can comprise good science, and following that method can get us closer to discovering the trustworthiness of a particular source. I look forward to finding out what we do next. I want all the tools to ensure that I share methods with my students to ensure they can do their best to overcome the power of internet algorithms and then echo chambers that are affecting our political landscape, friendships, safety, and ultimately, our happiness. References:
Pariser, E. (2011). Beware online “filter bubbles” [Video]. TED Conferences. https://www.ted.com/talks/eli_pariser_beware_online_filter_bubbles?language=en Willingham, D. (2012). When can you trust the experts? How to tell good science from bad in education. Jossey-Bass.
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David McGregorI am an English teacher and cat lover from Genesee County, Michigan who is eager to learn new things. Archives
August 2022
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