MLK Day: What are some good online resources?

Hello colleagues, I'm sure many classrooms will be focused on Martin Luther King Day this week and next. What are some excellent online resources you have used for your lessons highlighting this historically important holiday? Thanks for letting us know!

Cheers, Susan Finn Miller

Moderator, Teaching & Learning CoP

 

Comments

A resource I often use in training is http://martinlutherking.org/

But BEWARE! I use this to show how distorted information on the web can be. This is a site owned and operated by Stormfront - w white supremacist group. I usually begin by asking what we know about sites from their extensions - .org, .com, .gov, etc? We rate how trustworthy information is based on the extension. Then I show this site and scroll to the bottom where it says "Hosted by Stormfront". I ask if anyone knows this site and then click on it to reveal the fact that this site is polar opposite of the message we would hope people take from Dr. King. It is a powerful way to teach how careful we must be with sources on the web, the importance of knowledge in a free society, and I think even the importance of the First Amendment. While we don't agree with the bigotry and hatred of these groups, we must honor their right to exercise their freedom of speech. In fact, when they speak is when they typically do the most damage to themselves. When they are stifled is when they enjoy a "martyr-like" effect and often draw people to them. A fool is easily identified as soon as he opens his mouth!

Hello colleagues, I'm so curious how the learners respond when you engage them in this critical thinking lesson, whereby they are asked to evaluate the credibility of a website. Could you tell us more?

I clicked on the sponsor's link and was taken aback -- even though I am well aware of the hate-filled sites that exist on the web.

Cheers, Susan Finn Miller

Moderator, Teaching & Learning CoP