From the Head of IT’s Desk

HeadMrs Ros Lee, Head of IT

of IT

2021 Year 9 BYOD programme

Our new intake of Year 9 students are expected to bring their own devices in 2021. Parents can view information about approved devices and recommended suppliers in the enrolment section of our school website at https://www.otc. school.nz/school-information/ our-students/enrolments

We have had reports from suppliers that stock of Chromebooks may be in short supply due to problems with global supply chains and distribution at the moment. If you are needing to purchase a device for Term 1 of next year, don’t leave it too long to put your order in.

Trusting online information

One of the challenges we all face when reading information online is deciding whether or not the information is fact or fiction. Sometimes it can be very hard to know, but here are some questions we can ask ourselves which may help us tell the difference.

Can I trust the authors?

• What information is available about the person or organization who wrote the article? • Are they qualified to do so? (There are many examples of articles online written by freelance writers with little knowledge of the subject). Are they likely to present a biased viewpoint? Do they stand to gain financially? Tip: Look out for an “About” page with a biography, qualifications, a code of practice or ethics, or membership of a trusted organization

Can I trust the information or story?

• Can I validate the information here by checking other sources? • Can I trace the information back to its original source?

Has the writer provided references. For example, you might read “a study has found “. Does the article tell you which study, who did the study, how many people were included in the study, when the study was done? • Are the facts correct? What fact checking can I do?

What independent factchecking website could help me? • Is the headline “clickbait” - designed to “hook me in” with the choice of words.

Is it written to shock or inflame me? Does it try and persuade me to take a particular point of view about the article? Is the article just a reproduction of an unreliable story from somewhere else?

Am I biased towards one point of view?

• Do I believe this story because it confirms my beliefs, even though it may not be from a reliable source? • Do I believe this story without checking the facts because it was shared with me by someone I know or a group I belong to?

It’s a great temptation to share information with others even if we are not sure it is true.

How often do we see on social media: n”I’m not sure if this is true so I’ll leave you to decide”? This is a sure way to share fake news.

In 2018 a study by 3 scholars from Massachusetts Institute of Technology into how rumours spread found that fake news travels faster and further than true stories. (https://science.sciencemag. org/content/359/6380/1146) We can all play a part in slowing the spread of fake news if we stop, think and fact-check before we share.