TEACH-SHARE!
TY Update’s printed
version of TeachMeet
This edi(on of TY Update introduces a new regular column;
“TeachShare”. In short, it’s a printed version of the popular TeachMeet
talks that give teachers a plaCorm to share their ideas with fellow
teachers. In this inaugural column Patrick Huff explores how to
encourage students to engage cri(cally with news media.
Mr Patrick Huff
English teacher in
Ardscoil Mhuire, Corbally,
Limerick
WHAT’S THE SCOOP…?
ENCOURAGING STUDENTS
TO E N G A G E C R I T I C A L LY
WITH THE NEWS MEDIA!
!
!
!
WHY THE ‘SCOOP’ ?
I am a big believer in hitting
multiple birds with one stone
(figuratively of course) and try to
hit as many JCSA Principles, Key
Skills, and Statements of
Learning as possible with most
class activities. Primarily though,
I find myself withered from the
realisation that many students do
not engage with the news in a
meaningful way and, as a result,
have opinions that are heavily
seasoned by others (family and
friends) or no idea how events
around the world can impact on
their lives.
!
!
WHAT’S THE ‘SCOOP’ ?
Inspiration came from a
colleague, Ms Mags Clancy (Head
of the English Department), who
invited weekly informal
responses from her students on a
topic that caught their attention
(to great success I might add). I
decided to formalise the process
with a small worksheet that
asked students to summarise an
eye-catching news story, respond
with an opinion, and reflect on
how the story affected them. The
news story could come from any
medium and I am always careful
to drop some hints during the
week for the benefit of any
student who may not have come
across anything interesting.
!
‘What’s the Scoop?’ would take
five to ten minutes once a week
with my Second Year students
(drawn at random with lollipop
sticks) presenting their thoughts.
!
!
SUCCESS ?
My hope was that, by making
engaging with the news and
reporting one’s opinion back to
their class a small but regular
feature of my classes, that my
students would start by simply
engaging with the news and that
my feedback would guide them
towards deeper critical
evaluation as time went by. I
have been blown away by the
response. The topics dealt with
have been wide-
(cont….)
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