We wanted a way for students to be able to have access to credible and reliable news that was relevant to them in order to foster their development as responsible and socially aware young citizens.
NewsBytes takes place simply through an online interactive board (in our case we use Padlet) or a physical board in school. Every month, pressing news articles and issues are presented to students in the form of news articles sourced from reputable sites and journalists. Students from 2nd Grade to 6th Grade then have free access to the board where they may answer the question of the month and share their thoughts and opinions with members of the community. Students are also encouraged to respond to peers' comments and start conversations - even a little healthy debate is welcome!
Over the past few years, we have seen a growing interest in our students to seek out news and current events on their own. The board (which is cleaned out every month) is often filled with comments and reactions from students of all ages.
Parents have given feedback that their children have been asking and sharing more about local and global issues at home, and teachers have found that their students are able to speak out more openly on their opinions while maintaining respect for that of others'.
To try out NewsBytes at your own school, you will need:
1. Print-outs or copies of your chosen news article (make sure it's age-appropriate) to be posted on the board
2. A "Question of the Month" - ideally something that will solicit varying opinions and really get your students thinking about how this news affects them
3. A dry-erase board or an interactive board for student answers
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