My Literacy Information Skills Paper

8/11/2019 My Literacy Information Skills Paper

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The role of Media Specialists and Teachers Preparing Students for the 21stCentury

Cynthia Johnson

FRIT 713

!r" Judith Rep#an

Fall$ 2%%&'cto(er 7$ 2%%&


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In the classroo# as a for#er #iddle school teacher no) turned ele#entary #edia

specialist$ I ha*e o(ser*ed (oth sides of the spectru# of Infor#ation +iteracy" ,s I

taught lessons that re-uired research s.ills and ho*ered o*er students to assist the# )ith

their research and )ishing I had help )as a (it frustrating at ti#es" 'ther ti#es I en/oyed

o(ser*ing a group of students that had so#e infor#ation literacy s.ills and )ere a(le to

use it effecti*ely" 0eing a #edia specialist no) ha*e gi*en #e the opportunity to )itness

)hat the role of the teacher and the #edia specialist need (e in order to prepare students

for the 21stcentury in the direction of infor#ation literacy"

Michael isen(erg$ Carrie +o)e and athleen Spiter 42%%56 states that no #atter

)hat our interpretation of infor#ation literacy #ight (e$ it is related to the ,#erican

+i(rary ,ssociation Presidential Co##ittee on Infor#ation +iteracy definition$ )hich

states that Infor#ation +iteracy is the a(ility to .no) ho) to locate$ e*aluate and use

effecti*ely needed infor#ation" ith this definition I thought a(out the role of the #edia

specialist and teachers teaching today8s generation pertaining to infor#ation they *ie)

posted on the internet" The internet is full of infor#ation$ so#e true and so#e not true$

and students need to (e a(le to e*aluate )hat is true and )hat is not" Students are li#ited

in their s.ills of e*aluating )e(sites and searching the internet for *alid infor#ation"

astanis 42%%56 reports that literacy is #ore than .no)ing ho) to read and )rite$

students need to (e a(le to o(tain infor#ation$ .no) )hen it is *alid$ and ho) to use it

)hen it is necessary" In the inter*ie)s it )as e*ident that students$ #iddle$ high$ and

especially in ele#entary schools lac. the s.ills to locate infor#ation and use it

effecti*ely"


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For #y inter*ie)$ I decided to as. t)o ele#entary teachers$ one #iddle school teacher

and t)o #edia specialist$ one ele#entary and one #iddle school$ 9hat did #edia

specialists need to do to integrate infor#ation literacy into the curriculu#:; ach stated

that the #edia specialist should (e an i#portant part of teaching infor#ation literacy to

all classes" , se*enth grade language arts #iddle school teacher$ Ms" Martin stated that

she )ould li.e to see the #edia specialist set up (i she stated she understood literacy infor#ation" I e=plained the

definition discussed in class of students (eing a(le to find infor#ation$ .no) )hen it is

*alid and ho) to use it )hen needed" She said that she does not ha*e ti#e to teach the

second graders infor#ation s.ills and )ould appreciate the #edia specialist ta.ing this on

as a pro/ect or at least teach her ho) to integrate it into her curriculu#$ especially if it

in*ol*ed teaching the# to access the internet"


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I inter*ie)ed t)o #edia specialist and as.ed the# 9?o) did they thin. the #edia

specialist could prepare students for the 21stcentury:; Ms" ?a(ersha#$ if ele#entary

#edia specialists )ould plan lessons for all students (eginning )ith indergarten$ (y the

ti#e they reach fifth grade they )ould ha*e little trou(le locating and understanding

infor#ation" She stated$ as the #edia specialist she #ust #a.e sure the use of the internet

as )ell as hard print #aterial is incorporated into student8s curriculu#$ if this happens

then students )ould (eco#e infor#ation literate" She said that teachers )ere /ust

(eginning to feel co#forta(le allo)ing her to help )ith lessons" It )as a slo) process$

(ut it is getting (etter to #eet )ith the teachers and plan infor#ation s.ills lessons" She

hopes to (egin )ith the indergarten class ne=t year (y sho)ing the# ho) to locate

(oo.s in the li(rary$ )hat the internet is a(out and ho) to use co#puter soft)are"

,fter conducting the inter*ie)s$ I (elie*e that teachers don8t #ind #edia specialist

offering the# assistance )ith their classes in order to pro#ote infor#ation literacy and

transport students into the 21stcentury" @o) that accounta(ility has (eco#e such a

priority$ teachers are see.ing *alid assistance in the classroo#" ,ccording to Friesen

42%%36$ teachers and the #edia specialist should )or. together )ith a pro/ect )hen

researching infor#ation" The #edia specialist can pull resources for the teacher as )ell as

help the students locate appropriate resources )ithout spending so #uch ti#e )ith

in*alid searches" The ne=t inter*ie) )as )ith a #iddle school #edia specialist$ Mrs"

!e((ie ea*er" Ms" ea*er is the #edia specialist of #y for#er school" Ms" ea*er

stated that she attends depart#ental #eetings$ professional learning classes$ tal.s )ith

teachers as they *isit the #edia and as. if they ha*e any concerns or can she help the#

any class assign#ents or pro/ects" hen I )as a se*enth grade language arts teacher$ I


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re#e#(er as.ing her to assist students in researching infor#ation to help create dual ti#e

lines of authors they )ere researching" The #edia specialist ca#e to the class and taught

)hat a dual ti#e line )as$ infor#ation needed on one and set up ti#e for s#all groups to

*isit the #edia center to research the infor#ation and create the ti#eline" This turned out

to (e a great pro/ect for the students and )as *ery infor#ati*e and less stressful for #e

and at the sa#e ti#e #et the A+, standards for the pro/ect" I a# a fir# (elie*er in

colla(orating )ith the #edia specialist" Thin.ing (ac. on this lesson I a# ready to #eet

)ith teachers$ colla(orate$ set student goals and assist the# )ith any infor#ation s.ills

needed for their classroo# and students"

?o) can the #edia specialist and teachers prepare students for the 21 stcentury: ,s

Bohe 42%%76 e=plained the first ite# is to #a.e sure Infor#ation +iteracy standards (e

put in the spotlight and get noticed" Teachers$ students and parents need to .no) )hat

infor#ation literacy is and )hat the standards are and ho) they are i#portant to students

(eing prepared in the 21stcentury" e #ust use all #eans to get the standards pro#oted

and de#onstrated and connected in education"

,s I plan to pro#ote infor#ation literacy$ I #ust choose )hat path and ho) I )ill

i#ple#ent it" Taylor 42%%6 gi*es a *ariety of Research #odels a #edia specialist can

use" The (est one to use appears to (e the 0ig #odel" The 0ig is a si=


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2" Infor#ation see.ing strategies< identifying the possi(le resources and

selecting the (est ones"

3" +ocation and access


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articles$ and te=t(oo. I ha*e concluded that the role of the #edia specialist is to help

create infor#ation literate students ready for the 21stcentury> therefore #edia specialist

#ust (eco#e teacher


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ReferencesE

isen(erg$ M"0"$ +o)e$ C","$ Spiter$ "+" 42%%56"Information Literacy: Essential Skills for the Information Age. estport$ Connecticut and +ondonE +i(raries nli#ited"

isen(erg$ M" 42%%36" , 0ig S.ills '*er*ie)" Retrie*ed Septe#(er 25$ 2%%& fro# httpEAA(ig"co#A

Friesen$ J" 42%%3$ MayAJune6" i*ing Students 21stCentury S.illsE , Practical uide to Conte#porary +iteracy"Multimedia Schools$ 22

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My Literacy Information Skills Paper