by Irena Grizelj | 29 Nov 2023 | Decoder Replay, Personal Reflections, Politics
Young people are caught in the crossfire in war. Those who survive are left with long term consequences. But we don’t think to include them in peace making. Ukrainian youth huddle in prayer on 8 April 2022, as the group disbands after spending nearly a week...
by Marcy Burstiner | 2 Oct 2023 | Education, Journalism, Media Literacy, Personal Reflections
Your opinion matters. But how you express that opinion in print can mean a yawning reader or one who can’t stop thinking about your ideas. Girl reads by flashlight under the covers. Illustration by News Decoder. If you go to a gathering and someone starts to...
by Jeremy Solomons | 17 Aug 2023 | Africa, Educators' Catalog, Health and Wellness, Personal Reflections, Religion
We carry complicated identities inside us. But others see only the outside and they carry their own biases. That can result in privilege or prejudice. A man holds a placard. Photo illustration by News Decoder. This article was produced exclusively for News Decoder’s...
The way we perceive others and ourselves shapes our lived experiences and may result in privilege or prejudice. In this article, correspondent Jeremy Solomons reflects on his own identity as a Jewish man who grew up in England with Lebanese and Persian heritage.
Exercise: Read the article with your class. Then, introduce the Big 8 Identities as a framework for understanding the complexities of identity. Independently, students should identify their Big 8, then discuss the implications of these identities in small groups of three or four. Which elements of your students’ “Big 8” may grant them privilege or subject them to prejudice? How might this change given various cultural contexts? Note: A level of trust and comfort is required for this activity to run effectively.
by Joyce Yang | 8 Aug 2023 | Education, Media Literacy, Personal Reflections
Living in a globalized world means appreciating the nuance of diverse perspectives and shared experiences. Global Citizenship Education (Canva). The field of education loves its buzzphrases. Standards-based grading. Project-based learning. Media literacy education. ...
by Joyce Yang | 17 Mar 2023 | Europe, Personal Reflections
Think of Paris and your mind brings up the scent of fresh baked baguettes, not the reek of rubbish on the Rue de Rivoli. Trash accumulates meters away from the Notre Dame Church in Paris, 16 March 2023. Typically, my morning commute to the News Decoder co-working...
by Nelson Graves | 16 Dec 2022 | Journalism, Media Literacy, News Decoder Updates, Personal Reflections
News Decoder has been a return to roots for me — a startup with slim financial returns that belie both its social worth and the joy of working with youth. The author is the founder of News Decoder. This month he is turning over management of the educational nonprofit...
by Maame Afua Kome-Mensah | 8 Dec 2022 | Africa, Contest winners, Personal Reflections, SOS-HGIC, Student Posts, Youth Voices
I often wondered what it meant to be a ‘winner.’ Now I know a winner sees a problem and, with teamwork, finds solutions. The author receiving an award for placing 5th in Orator of the Year competition at her school. This article, by high school student...
by Asher Lefkoff | 7 Dec 2022 | Culture, Education, Europe, Personal Reflections, School Year Abroad, Student Posts, Youth Voices
It’s the serenity and commotion that I love about Spain. I must seize the day because I will never again be 17 running around a Spanish city I love. Zaragoza (Photo by Asher Lefkoff) This article, by high school student Asher Lefkoff, was produced out of News...
by Aline Itege | 1 Dec 2022 | Education, Health and Wellness, Kepler, Personal Reflections, Student Posts, Youth Voices
When the language of instruction in Rwanda shifted from French to English, I stumbled academically. My father taught me to ask for help when in a jam. The author with her father in Kigali, Rwanda, in 2008. “That was my first time in Kigali. My father had...
by Helen Womack | 24 Nov 2022 | Culture, Personal Reflections
Writing should not tie you up in knots. It is no more formal than speaking. Write as you would speak. Think of writing as speaking on paper. (Courtesy of Lansing Community College Library) Two authors taught me how to write. One was British civil servant Sir Ernest...