News-O-Matic, EdGate’s partner, and its standard-aligned news content.
Educators have the monumental task of adapting their teaching methods to the rapidly changing technological landscape, thereby preparing students for the challenges that lie ahead in the modern world. While many programs and apps have emerged to increase student achievement and encourage engagement, nothing supports students’ acquisition of knowledge quite like genuine learning experiences. It’s imperative to provide students with opportunities to explore their world and embrace diverse perspectives.
Over the past 18 months, News-O-Matic has been partnering with EdGate to successfully align daily news content to national and state standards. With a collection of over 14,000 authentic and relevant news articles, News-O-Matic supports the ELA, social studies, science, and SEL curricula.
Why are current events important?
Students possess an innate curiosity, always eager to unravel the mysteries of their world. Early exposure to current events and news cultivates individuals as global citizens, preparing them to make well-informed decisions about important issues.
By reading the news daily, students learn skills required for navigating dense information, understanding complex concepts, and extracting relevant data. News-O-Matic encourages students to explore the viewpoints of experts and formulate their own opinions by thinking critically. In addition to critical thinking and media literacy skills, reading news articles allows students to practice empathy and compassion, fostering a greater understanding of the struggles and successes of individuals and communities.
Additionally, news articles expose students to a wide range of vocabulary, enhancing their language skills and making them more proficient readers and writers. And students who are aware of current events improve their communication skills through discussions and debates. Staying up-to-date with the news leads to more engagement in a student's academic learning by relating contemporary global events to topics discussed in the classroom.
How can reading current events impact student learning?
News articles play a pivotal role in enhancing students’ comprehension abilities. Apart from fostering critical literacy skills, they are a great resource when teaching students how to interpret multimedia to form their own conclusions.
News-O-Matic incorporates comprehension questions for every article, acting as a guide for students to acquire nonfiction reading skills, such as identifying the main idea and summarizing the content. This not only improves their ability to infer information, but also encourages them to differentiate between their own perspectives and those presented in the articles. News-O-Matic improves students’ vocabulary acquisition, listening comprehension, and oral communication skills.
How can educators incorporate the news into everyday teaching?
Incorporating current events into the school day offers teachers a chance to foster healthy discussions about global affairs including complex topics such as wars and natural disasters. Such exposure nurtures empathy and respect, especially for those with perspectives that differ from one’s own.
Allowing students the freedom to choose texts that align with their passions and ignite their inner drive fosters a positive and individualized approach to learning. Whether it’s our most recent edition or a searched-for article from the past, News-O-Matic supports student agency and encourages independence.
Alternatively, teachers can make use of the Search by Standards feature to easily locate safe, authentic, and relevant articles supporting their current curriculum.
EdGate strives to achieve their vision of an enlightened world by inspiring and supporting companies like News-O-Matic with informed and dedicated support coupled with advanced data and technology.
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