College Readiness Q & A: information fluency. How did you get interested in this line of education? What led you to be interested in information literacy?

College ReadinessQ & A: information fluency

How did you get interested in this line of education? What led you to be interested in information literacy?

Q & A: information fluency

•IMSA assignments•Training•Looking to the Future

I was fascinated by the distinction between investigative and speculative searching. Almost all of the searching done in my library (p-12) is the second type. •At what grade level do you begin introducing investigation?•In what grade do you think that students should be exposed (for the first time) to information literacy?



What is the difference between Digital Information Fluency and Information Literacy?

To see the differences, look at the assessments, e.g.,Trails and Information Investigator


Trails (Kent State)

1. Develop a topic2. Identify potential

resources3. Develop, use,

revise search strategies

4. Evaluate sources5. Use information

responsibly

Information Investigator (21cif)

1. Search strategies• choosing effective

methods and tools2. Search techniques

• queries, browsing, truncation, skimming…

3. Investigative techniques• authority, fact checking,

freshness, references…4. Plagiarism/Fair Use



Trails (9th grade)

If you were using the Internet or a database, which of the following search phrases would find information on either of these two terms: "Hurricanes," "Florida"? CHOOSE ONE ANSWER.

Hurricanes not FloridaHurricanes and FloridaHurricanes or FloridaHurricanes but Florida



Information Investigator (middle school – high school)

Watch this YouTube video: Growing Organs from Stem Cells

One strategy to fact-check the claim that new organs can be grown from a patient's stem cells, and a first step to investigate the authority of the source, is to search for the name of the lead surgeon on the project.

Using clues you find in the video, search for the name of the lead surgeon. Copy/paste the name of the lead surgeon in the box below:

http://newmedz.com/

When to start?Thinking about Information Fluency and StandardsState Standards (Illinois Language Arts #5)Early Elementary•Locate information using a variety of sources•Select and organize information from various sources•Cite sources usedLate Elementary•Locate information from… [list includes digital sources]•Determine accuracy, currency and reliability…•Cite sources used


When to start?Thinking about Information Fluency and StandardsISTE – NETS for students#3: Information Fluency -- Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate and use information.Grades 3-5 (from profiles)•Identify and investigate a global issue and generate possible solutions using digital tools and resources•Select and apply digital tools to collect, organize, and analyze data to evaluate theories or test hypotheses. •Recognize bias in digital resources while researching an environmental issue with guidance from the teacher.


When to start?Thinking about Information Fluency and StandardsCommon Core State StandardsRI-5: Grade 3: Use text features and search tools (e.g., key words, sidebars, hyperlinks) to locate information relevant to a given topic efficiently.

W-8: Grades 3 – 5: Gather relevant information for print and digital sources


Thinking about Information Fluency and Standards

Do you think that the Common Core Standards put information literacy in the spotlight when it comes to curriculum? Is there a breakdown of DIF model by grade level? I am looking for a staircase of instruction for the library teacher and/or classroom teacher.

https://21cif.com/resources/difcore/ccss-dif.html


Five things every child should understand about online searching before starting Middle School

1 There are three ways to search online Most search engines (still) perform literal matching Subject Directories are best for finding ideas Browsing is the slowest and hardest way to search



2 Effective searching depends on Keywords (choosing them thoughtfully produces the best results) Objects are better than Actions (who, what, where, when

and why are better than how) Proper Nouns and Numbers are the most powerful Keywords



3 The first thing you find is probably not the information you need. Information at the top of the list is not always relevant Every search result contains clues that will improve your

search



4 The information you find may not be accurate. Use information only from trusted sources. Younger—search only trusted sources Older—evaluate to determine if a source can be trusted



5 The information you find belongs to someone else--you need to give them credit. Information to be cited (minimum): (who) Author or

Publisher, (what) Title, (where) Web address, (when) date found online.


I recently came across a story about an elite private school in Silicon Valley that educates the children of many executives from Google, HP, Apple, Yahoo, etc. This school, a Waldorf model, does not allow students to use technology until around the 8th grade, and even then use is limited. •As a person who designs curriculum to help students become more knowledgeable of the internet, what do you think of this school's decision? •Will waiting to learn how to search and use the internet be beneficial or harmful? •In general, do students learn better when they can incorporate technology into their educational experiences?

sourcehttp://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/23/technology/at-waldorf-school-in-silicon-valley-technology-can-wait.html


http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/23/technology/at-waldorf-school-in-silicon-valley-technology-can-wait.htmlted=all




From the article:

“At Google and all these places, we make technology as brain-dead easy to use as possible. There’s no reason why kids can’t figure it out when they get older.” (Alan Eagle, Father of a Waldorf student and Executive at Google.) http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/23/technology/at-waldorf-school-in-silicon-valley-technology-can-wait.html


http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/23/technology/at-waldorf-school-in-silicon-valley-technology-can-wait.html?pagewanted=all

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/23/technology/at-waldorf-school-in-silicon-valley-technology-can-wait.html?pagewanted=all

The Google search engine is an incredible tool that has revolutionized access to information. •But, are students developing bad habits because Google seems to make searching so easy? •What are some of the downsides of kids growing up in a Google dominated world? •In what ways can we train students to harness the usefulness of Google while still recognizing its potential flaws (advertising influence, bias, etc.)?


Searching is ‘easier’Evaluation remains a challengeTraining experiences: Tutorial Indices

https://21cif.com/tutorials/challenge/index.html

Big Obstacle: Failure of Critical ConsumptionWith so many students conditioned to using Google (or something similar) to search for answers to questions, what are some ways they can evaluate the reliability of various sites?


•Fact checking (author, publisher, claims)Proper Nouns, numbers

•External References (link: operator or <site> -site:<site>)link:21cif.com21cif.com –site:21cif.com

In what ways is information architecture being designed and used to combat the challenges presented by information overload?


•Personalized (selective attention, filter bubble)•Networks (communities of trust)

Things are always changing and it seems that once you catch on to something they come out with something new.

•Where can we go to keep up on the latest technology or programs out there? •What resources do you use to keep your pulse on the changes in technology? •What are the top 3 web sites that you would suggest that educators should be looking at every day?


How I stay current

•Google Alerts: (e.g., Information Literacy OR fluency)•Diigo Groups (e.g., Web 2.0 Tools, Literacy with ICT)•Other networks: Classroom 2.0, Twitter, etc.•Habitually search (use search engines)•Accept responsibility


Are there any other good web sites to use with students about Internet search safety like the Martin Luther King site?

Lots:http://21cif.com/resources/links/hoax.html

Or query: hoax sitesBut not all are hoaxes: http://genochoice.com


http://21cif.com/resources/links/hoax.html

http://genochoice.com/

What do you feel is the biggest obstacle facing teachers when trying to teach middle school students to execute a productive internet search?


Bias – “I already know how to search”

Motivation – need to make a connection with the learner•Draw on a personal need or interest•Games, play: e.g., Search Challenges

Big Obstacle: In our district, elementary teachers are required to teach 90 minutes of math, 60 minutes of writing, 60 minutes of reading, and 30 minutes of word study each day. With lunch and specials, there is little time left for science, social studies, and intervention. •Can information literacy be embedded into the curriculum effectively? •If you recommend teaching it separately, how much time should be devoted to information literacy instruction on a daily or weekly basis?


Embedded ApproachLook for opportunities to integrate research skills•Custom Search Engine Integration: LINK

Separated ApproachSelf-paced instruction•Information Researcher •Preview key: info-2012 •http://searchwhys.com/CTD12/preview/login-form.php


https://21cif.com/resources/curriculum/custom-search.html

http://searchwhys.com/CTD12/preview/login-form.php



Seeing as you teach at IMSA, I would assume that all of your students are very tech savvy. That being said, what is the biggest deficit in their information literacy/fluency skills? What are the deficits that the current school aged generation face?


Spectrum (grades 7-8) n=430 Equinox (grades 9-12) n=426

Skills: Browse, skim, query, truncate, deep web query, evaluate authority, evaluate accuracy, evaluate freshness, evaluate bias, cite properly

Big Obstacle: Limited AccessHow do you recommend librarians in small schools with limited computer access teach research skills?


Four fluencies that don’t require computers: 1. What are you looking for?2. Where will you find it?3. How good (relevant, accurate, objective…)

is the information?4. How will you use/cite it?Offline research – Big 6Another obstacle: school filters Are we protecting students or failing to prepare them?

Themes in the Questions

What take-away do you have from today?

PowerPoint available at 21cif.com/resources/materials/

[email protected]


Documents

College Readiness Q & A: information fluency. How did you get interested in this line of education? What led you to be interested in information literacy?