Thing 1

I read "Truth: Can you handle it?" by Monica Hesse weeks ago and the phrase "truth by consensus" still stands out.

Ms Hesse make it sound like "truth by consensus" is new. But hasn't it always existed? Whenever there has been genocide haven't we seen "truth by consensus" in action: one group determining that the other has no value and seeking to destroy. History has always been about rewriting "truth" in a way that is palatable for the people of the day. For example, the Christopher Columbus in today's textbooks is vastly different from the Christopher Columbus I was taught about in elementary school: explorer vs conquerer.

One of our jobs as educators has always been to help our students learn to think critically. We have always needed to teach them to recognize fact from opinion, hype, or propaganda. It is imperative that we teach them how to look past emotional responses to see the hard facts. The internet has pushed the need for critical thinking skills to a much higher level. But in many ways it is just a new spin on an old problem.

The question that I always struggle with is, what is the best way to teach these necessary skills.