Scottsdale Unified School District is ‘keeping it REAL’ for local students
Staff Reports | Digital Free Press
With so much information today communicated and shared widely on digital platforms, empowering students with skills to navigate the digital world safely, responsibly, and with a critical eye has become an essential element of classroom instruction.
The Scottsdale Unified School District is kicking off the new school year with a new initiative, called “Keeping It REAL.”
“REAL” stands for Research, Evaluate, Analyze, Lead with Respect. In their online engagements, students will be encouraged to:
- R: Research Thoroughly – ensure the information being presented in print, broadcast and social media, on the internet and/or through Artificial Intelligence (AI) programs is accurate and reliable
- E: Evaluate Sources – evaluate the credibility of the information’s source to determine what it’s trying to achieve
- A: Analyze Content Critically – consider what the content’s intention may be and whether the evidence provided supports the claims being made
- L: Lead with Respect – avoid engaging in or promoting cyberbullying and be mindful to engage respectfully online
SUSD embraces the potential of artificial intelligence as an educational tool, according to the district’s Director of Teaching and Learning, Dr. Kim Dodds Keran.
“Online safety is a priority for educators and families today,” Ms. Dodds Keran said in a prepared statement. “Equipping our students with skills to discern whether something they see or read is based in fact – what we’re calling ‘REAL’ – or whether it’s an effort to mislead them is yet another way we are preparing them for the future.”
Parents will play a major role in the SUSD initiative as ‘Keeping It REAL’ will encourage parents to engage with and guide their children’s online activities, most of which take place outside of school, and to set appropriate boundaries.
For their part, students will be encouraged to take responsibility for their online actions and to strive to apply critical thinking and ethical considerations in their digital interactions.
The final piece of “Keeping It REAL” falls to teachers, who will be tasked with integrating digital media literacy into the curriculum, where appropriate, and providing students with the tools and knowledge they need to navigate the digital world safely and responsibly.
“Helping students become technologically literate, informed digital citizens requires the deep thinking that will serve them well throughout their lives, regardless of the path they choose,” Ms. Dodds Keran adds.
