"Know the Facts: A WPA poster, imploring the public to develop critical thinking skills.
Circa late 1930-early 1940s." by polkbritton is marked with Public Domain Mark 1.0.
Reflection
Humanity is chronically behind on our development of critical thinking skills, to paraphrase the host of The Liturgists podcast. In reality, is it possible to fact-check the “abundance of information” that bombards us in our “technology and media-driven environment,” as stated in the Framework for 21st Century Learning?
Reflecting on this week’s assigned readings and activities led me to think of something my father has shared a time or two: Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad. (Note: Knowledge is knowing my father is a well-read and intelligent man; wisdom is knowing this quote is not original to him.) Therefore, I decided to Google the phrase “who said knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit”. Here is a screenshot of the result:
A cursory glance at the first Google search result might lead a fast and furious researcher to determine that Brian O’Driscoll is credited with this phrase. However, that is not the case. O’Driscoll, an Irish rugby player, is well-known for saying the phrase at a press conference after a match in 2009. The actual origin of the phrase is credited to a British journalist, Miles Kington, but a researcher would need to do some further digging and cross-reference a few sources to confirm this is a fact.
The example I have provided is not groundbreaking and would not necessarily constitute the label fake news. However, it is a straightforward example of how having a proverbial “world of knowledge” at our fingertips and smartphones can lead even the most casual search off track. Therefore, more than ever, LMS professionals need to preach, teach, and support our colleagues, co-workers, and students in developing media literacy and critical thinking skills.
