Information Literacy Curriculum Bill Clears Assembly Panel in New Jersey
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New Jersey’s students are now one step closer to enhancing their research abilities.
Last Thursday, the Assembly Education Committee unanimously approved a bill that mandates the state to establish a set of learning standards focusing on information literacy. Eventually, these standards will require students to learn research and critical thinking skills.
Advocates of the bill emphasized the growing importance of these skills, particularly in a fragmented media landscape and an increasing partisan divide.
"Information literacy is currently one of the most crucial skills we can teach students. Considering what is happening around us, students truly need this skill," stated Francine Pfeffer, associate director of government relations for the New Jersey Education Association, during the panel discussion.
The bill would compel the state Board of Education to develop information literacy standards for all grade levels, ranging from kindergarten to 12th grade.
Among other things, these standards would educate students on how online information is created and its potential applications in social, economic, and legal contexts. According to the bill’s supporters, these are areas where children currently lack understanding.
"We have all witnessed children, even toddlers, using phones and other electronic devices. Do they grasp the capabilities of these devices?" inquired Mary Moyer Stubbs, a consultant with the New Jersey Association of School Librarians. "Often, they use them without any guidance."
As more Americans turn to social media as a news source, information literacy has become increasingly crucial, according to advocates.
A recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Center in July discovered that 50% of adult Americans occasionally or frequently obtain their news from social media platforms that are struggling with misinformation and disinformation.
"While I enjoy using Twitter, I prefer the Philadelphia Inquirer," commented Olga Polites, the leader of Media Literacy Now’s New Jersey chapter. "It is essential for us to make these distinctions. Otherwise, the K-12 students we educate today will grow up to be the adults who marinate their chicken in NyQuil."
Last week, the FDA issued a warning advising Americans against marinating chicken in NyQuil, allegedly due to a challenge that originated on TikTok.
The bill progressing today will mandate the New Jersey Board of Education to hold at least three public hearings to gather input from residents regarding the new curriculum.
Furthermore, the panel made amendments to the Senate version of the bill to align it with the version being reviewed by the Assembly.
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