Blog Post #2 Information Literacy
I think the best place for me to start is at the Facebook post that I saw describing the snowfall that occurred in Jackson Hole, Wyoming around June 16, 2024. That sounded so strange to me and I decided that it probably was not true and decided to investigate. It took some time but I did find more evidence that this had happened but not on any national news sources. I still am not quite sure what happened, but I think it did. I start with this to highlight how much information there is out there and really how hard it is to ascertain what is true and what isn’t.
The ideas of information literacy, technology, and digital/media literacy are increasingly intertwined in education. We have to prepare students for the modern world. This week’s readings, resources, and podcast have helped me to better my understand these interrelated concepts and their practical implications.
Information literacy is being able to recognize when information is needed and then to go out and find, evaluate and make use of that information. We have to be able to determine what is credible and what is not. Research is is a key part of the standards that students are expected to master during their k-12 years so it is vital that they are taught these skills beginning in kindergarten. Technology has made this easier and harder. While students have easier access to the information, the abundance of it makes it more difficult to sift through and determine reliability. Therefore, digital literacy has become an integral part of education. Its not just the act of accessing information on the internet, but evaluating it, analyzing it, using it to communicate, and also determining ethical use. This is alot for kids as young as 5 years old to undertake.
These literacies cannot be taught in isolation, but must be taught together. Information today is found through technology and kids have to learn to use technology appropriately.
These are three resources that I found helpful in thinking about how to teach children how to spot fake news and decipher what is reliable.
My own information diet involves more social media sites than it probably should. I use it as a break from the more scholarly reading that I have from work and the classes I am taking. I personally know not to believe everything I read, but I fear our students don’t, which is why this topic is so important.
Therefore, I need to enhance my information diet and be an example for my students, I need to take more time to read local new articles, read more scholarly articles, and reduce my time on social media.
The information diet of school librarian must be mixed with reading for fun and reading to learn. This would include new books in the library and articles to improve instruction. Continuing to seek out and use professional development resources is important. It’s not enough just to save them on a Waklet. I was proud of myself for pulling some out for this post!
This week’s readings and viewings emphasize the importance of all three literacies and how they are intertwined. We must constantly keep this in mind as teachers, learners, professionals, and citizens of our communities, states and countries. As we do that maintain a critical and ethical mindset. Enjoyed this unit! Look forward to sharing more with you soon!
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