A long time ago a wise parent said to me, "I'll believe half of what I hear, if you believe half of what you hear." Essentially she was pointing to the fact that stories from home or school heard through the grapevine often hold some truth and some fallacy. I've always remembered that and if I hear something alarming from an online thread, the news, or in person, I don't believe it to be truth until I investigate more, and I only investigate more if the words affect the important work we do in schools.
I read multiple online threads on Twitter, blogs, websites, news, and more. I use the same rule of thumb for what I read online. I see repeated words as pointing to possible trends or needs. I don't believe everything I read, and I know that if I really want to know more I need to contact an individual in person to hear the whole story, comment, or belief.
This is the kind of critical thinking and analysis we want to foster in our students. They need to be discerning consumers of information and opinion. They also have to know deeply what they think and believe in and be willing to revise their understanding when they learn of new information that impacts that.
