We communicate by language, not numbers by story, not statistics.Įmotional, anecdotal evidence is always going to be more compelling than stats. We are, after all, storytelling creatures. But emotional, anecdotal evidence is always going to be more compelling than stats. Severe allergic reactions to the vaccine-which received undue attention online-are exceedingly low, likely around five cases per one million vaccinations. Much of the information around COVID-19, for example, required the public to not only take in many numbers, rates, and percentages, all while weighing their individual tolerance for risk, but misinformation around COVID-19 vaccines proliferated by taking advantage of people's basic discomfort with and misunderstanding of statistics. Health literacy was further complicated by the need to make decisions under uncertainty and the rapid pace of scientific advancement, which meant that decisions had to be continually reassessed with new information. Public information around the virus has also been less accessible to some Americans because of the language or literacy level at which information is written, further perpetuating disparities. Social media has certainly played a major role here, serving as a vehicle for dissemination of misinformation around COVID-19. This “Truth Decay” has challenged the very concept of what it means to be health-literate. Yet, in recent years, and particularly since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, health literacy has become a far more complex endeavor.įor starters, there has been an erosion of public trust in the sort of hard data and solid facts from trusted sources that were long assumed to be more or less unassailable. At the same time, however, the idea of being a health-literate person relies on a few key assumptions: that the information is easy to locate is written in a way that people understand and that the information is largely static and points to a single, graspable “truth.” For example, someone with competent health literacy might simply be looking up instructions for properly using a new medication they've been prescribed, or they might be looking for ways to make changes in their behavior to improve their health. Health literacy simply means an individual's ability to find, understand, and use accurate information to make informed decisions about their-or their loved ones'-health. This deluge of information caused us, as health researchers, to realize that health literacy is more important than it ever has been before. Good information was always out there, but there was just so much of it to sift through, and more and more each day. From the very start, the “infodemic” of often confusing and inaccurate information about the virus and vaccines, the shifting guidelines for protecting one's self and one's household, and the restrictions on gatherings or travel to protect society at large created a sense of panic and confusion. World language teachers can use this site to have students listen to books in the language they are learning.įorgot your password? | Learn about the benefits ofġ998-2023 by The Source for Learning, Inc.As the official public health emergency comes to a close, now is as good a time as any to reflect on how the COVID-19 pandemic transformed both health care and social life in the United States and globally. Symbaloo is an excellent bookmarking tool to use with elementary students due to the easy to use design and use of icons for identifying information readily. During remote learning, consider assigning your elementary students reading and follow up activities using Symbaloo, reviewed here. Share a link to the site on your website or newsletter for use at home or use during remote learning. Unite for Literacy is perfect for use with ENL/ESL students for reading and hearing books in both English and their native language. This site is one you must bookmark if you work with young readers! Create a link to the site on classroom computers for students to explore and listen to books on their own. Tag(s): audio books (21), independent reading (81), interactive stories (19), preK (246) In the Classroom The narration is also available in many languages, from Arabic to Vietnamese. Click the speaker icon to hear each page. Narrow down your choices using picture icons for different themes such as animals or families. Browse through the home page to choose books to read from the library shelves. The Unite for Literacy Library offers many online books for young readers with audio.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |