157: News Literacy Matters Now More Than Ever...

Be a Better Ally: critical conversations for K12 educators

Explore the profound impacts of digital literacy and political engagement initiatives by CIVIX, and discover resources that can transform classrooms into hubs of critical thought and respectful discourse. This week Tricia switches gears and points you to an episode from her other show: Shifting Schools podcast with her co-host Jeff Utecht. Learn more at www.shiftingschools.com We sit down with Dimitri Pavlounis, the Director of Research at CIVIX. Our discussion unravels around two pivotal programs at CIVIX: CTRL-F and PoliTalks, which are meticulously crafted to bolster digital literacy and political awareness among the youth. Our guest explores the resources and tools available for educators aiming to ignite engaging political discussions in classrooms. They share a vision of nurturing students to practice active listening, perspective-taking, and respectful self-expression, laying down a robust foundation for contextual awareness in political discourse. Links: - [CIVIX Official Website](https://civix.ca) - [CTRL-F Program Overview](https://civix.ca/programs/ctrl-f/) - [PoliTalks Program Overview](https://civix.ca/programs/politalks/) - [Center for Research And Evidence on Security Threats](https://www.crestresearch.ac.uk) Dimitri Pavlounis is the Research Director at CIVIX, a Canadian educational charity dedicated to building the skills and habits of active and informed citizenship among youth through experiential learning opportunities. As part of his work, he helped manage the development and evaluation of CTRL-F, a digital literacy program aimed at helping students navigate our polluted information environment. Prior to joining CIVIX, he completed his PhD in Media Studies at the University of Michigan.