Teaching Students to Think Critically When Chatbots Agree with Them: Metacognition and Media Literacy in the Age of AI

School librarian, Brooke Baker, and Project Look Sharp co-director, Chris Sperry, explore adolescent metacognition and media literacy in the age of AI. REGISTRATION REQUIRED.

Primary Audience: this webinar is designed for middle school and high school educators and librarians; library media specialists; teacher librarians; school administrators; college faculty; and librarians.

It’s easy to question an answer we disagree with, but what happens when a chatbot tells us exactly what we want to hear? This interactive webinar explores how the affirming and validating nature of conversational AI can make critical evaluation more difficult for students. We’ll connect emerging research on adolescent AI use with Project Look Sharp’s approach to metacognition and Constructivist Media Decoding, then put those strategies into practice with a hands-on media literacy activity. Participants will leave with Project Look Sharp resources and practical ways to help students pause, question, and think critically about AI responses–even when those responses feel right.

MisinfoDay2026

The Misinfo Day California Media Literacy Event is for 10-12th grade high school students to learn how to distinguish between fact and propaganda, build critical thinking skills, and become civically engaged. The event is scheduled for October 29, 2026 in Monterey, California. Teachers are invited to complete and share this form and learn more at medialiteracycoalition.org/events. Registration is open on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Navigating Misinformation Today

Join us for an exploration of misinformation and disinformation in the digital age. Our panelists will decode the tactics used to manipulate and divide us, and how we can take productive steps to counter them. You’ll leave with practical tools for navigating today’s information landscape with confidence.

Register here: https://bit.ly/DemocracyHappyHour

Inside Your Local News: A Conversation With the Renton Reporter

Go beyond the headlines and learn how local news gets made! Join journalists from the Renton Reporter for a lively conversation about the stories happening right now in your backyard, and how to spot untrustworthy news.

Program Flow (60 minutes):

Welcome & introductions (5 min)
Panel discussion with moderator (35 min)
Audience Q&A (15 min)
Small group rotations/meet and greet (15 min)

This event is open to all RTC students, employees and the general public.