Information Literacy - Part I

1. I definitely agree that computer literacy is an essential part of information literacy. Without the development of these skills, we will fail to meet the 21st century learning expectations. Students and educators must demonstrate they are effective communicators, critical thinkers, creative problem solvers and lifelong learners. Information literacy learning outcomes allow us to participate as members of literacy communities that operate within the new definitions of literacy -- "Information literacy is the ability to effectively access and evaluate information for a given need" (Breivik, 1985, p. 721). I particularly agree with the author's perspective on the role teachers and library media specialists play in an educational setting. Hubbard (1987) reports that "information skills are the mutual responsibility of teachers and library media specialists, and must be infused into instruction across curriculum (Irving, 1985). It is important that library media specialists develop an understanding of the academic standards so they can connect to teachers' standards based curriculum -- curriculum that includes information literacy learning targets within a unit of study. For example, The Standards for the English Language Arts emphasizes the importance of technology as a tool in literacy learning. Teachers and library media specialists can collaborate to help students master the following two academic English language arts standards that focus on the role of information literacy:

• Standard 7: "Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ides and questions, and by posting problems. They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources (e.g., print and non print texts, artifacts, people) to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and audience" (Standards for English Language Arts, p. 3).
• Standard 8: "Students use a variety of technological and informational resources (e.g.,libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge" (Standards for English Language Arts, p. 3).

2. I do believe that information literacy can assist with learning problem solving skills so we minimize the missed learning opportunities for students. Problem solving learning outcomes are embedded in the content area academic standards as mentioned in the above-mentioned English Language Arts standards examples. However, due to the common practice of teacher directed instruction and isolated student activities, this skill is often ignored throughout the learning process. Examining the academic standards within the context of 21st century skills, a thematic, or problem-based learning experience would help educators design units that require students to identify, apply and evaluate the knowledge and skills related to information literacy. Making connections to students' lives and relevant through experiential learning ensures students will be able to demonstrate they can problem solve outside the walls of a traditional classroom setting. The role of the teacher will be to mentor and guide students through the problem-solving process. This does not mean giving students a handout listing a 7-step approach to solving a problem. Instead, the academic standards and the developmentally appropriate pedagogy should help students move from novice to advanced levels of problem solving. On Thursday evening, I attended a high school band concert and observed the Jazz Band take on a challenge that required they perform impromptu. Students demonstrated they could learn the music skills in class and apply them independently in a new setting.