Friends,
Last Wednesday, the California Department of Public Health released new guidelines and recommendations with suggestions about how to lower exposure to cell phone radiation. So what does this information really mean? Have you been following the conversation in the news?
Newsweek's update provides an important summary of this original report.: "Undercutting those suggestions just a bit is this acknowledgment from the California Department of Public Health: “Although the scientific community has not reached a consensus on the risks of cell phone use, research suggests long-term, high use may impact human health."
I felt this information was worth sharing for two reasons. First, how do we get students to read beyond the headlines and discover the details in the articles. As the headlines suggest, cell phones produce dangerous radiation that is harmful to our health. But on deeper reflection and reading, those findings are disputed. How do we get students to move beyond the headlines?
Secondly, beyond the depth of reading, how can we use this article / headline to teach students about the importance of understanding scientific research?
I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Sincerely,
Kathy Tracey
@Kathy_Tracey