Teaching Critical Thinking to Teenagers How Kids Can Be Street Smart about AI, Algorithms, Fake News and Social Media

At a time of growing concern about the influence of social media, algorithms and artificial intelligence, this book provides a practical toolkit for secondary teachers and parents, supporting secondary teachers in helping their students understand the importance of critical thinking.Every day, teens are faced with a torrent of content tailored to their preferences and reinforce their biases. It is essential that they understand how businesses or actors promoting certain agendas can target them, and recognize artificial intelligence that may manifest itself in forms such as fake news. This guide offers teachers and parents an exciting way to teach critical thinking to teenagers, combining theory with everyday issues and situations.This book brings together neurological explanations for the importance of teaching critical thinking to adolescents, and explains key ideas in the field through illustrations and links to videos with scenarios performed by adolescents. The author presents diverse perspectives on critical thinking and presents a model of “practical intelligence” designed to make critical thinking accessible to everyone, and to establish it as an essential skill that transcends the confines of the classroom.Essentially, the book emphasizes the role of dialogue in helping teens engage in constructive discussions that focus on ideas rather than resorting to hurtful personal attacks. With its focus on the essential critical thinking skill for adolescents, this book is an indispensable reference for secondary teachers, teacher trainees, teacher training program developers, parents, and other professionals working with adolescents and young adults.