Students today are consistently bombarded with information
everywhere they look. As teachers and teacher-librarians, I feel that it is a
crucial part of our job to help students gain the skills they need to
effectively navigate their way through various types of media in order to find
what they are looking for. As I have discussed in other courses in this
diploma, one of the main reasons I decided to enter the field of
teacher-librarianship was the joy I felt in helping students become efficient
researchers so that they can ultimately be self-directed, lifelong learners.
Since that is essentially my goal when teaching any class or individual
student, I am planning to explore the topics of information literacy and
digital citizenship for this Reading Review. I am also delving into these areas
further in LLED 462 for a Learning Curation project, so some of my research
findings may overlap.
Some key words and phrases that I will plan on researching
for the next instalment will likely include:
Media literacy/Digital literacy/Information Literacy
Ethical online behavior
Digital natives
Critical thinking
I
already had these areas in mind for this assignment, but a statement in Why School really reiterated my beliefs
and goals as a teacher-librarian: “Access doesn’t automatically come with an
ability to use the Web well” (Loc. 171). Just because our students are digital
natives and know how to use an iPhone and a computer from very early ages does
not necessarily mean that they are using them efficiently, safely or ethically.
The older our students get, the more complicated (and possibly dangerous) the
web can really be, which is why I am hoping to use my position at the
elementary level to try out some strategies to improve younger students’ skills
in this area. I have also included critical thinking for a key phrase as well,
as this is one of the most basic aspects of teaching students how to use the Web
(or any kind of resource) properly. As I research these topics, I am hoping to
find case studies and real, authentic exercises to use in the library with my
students this year in order to improve their literacy skills and have success
in the classroom. I also have a number of professional and pedagogical queries
to explore, as much of my experience in teaching media literacy has been at the
secondary level. For example, when and how does one start teaching these
skills? How does one engage a kindergarten student who is just beginning to
explore the world around him or her? How can I get more teachers on board? I’m
sure I will end up having more questions than answers as I begin my research
but I am looking forward to delving in!
References:
Richardson, Will (2012). Why
School?: How Education Must Change When Learning and Information are
Everywhere. Kindle Version. Retrieved from Amazon.ca
Excellent first post! Your passion and goals are clearly idenitified and they are directing your research into interesting areas for Teacher-Librarianship. Your discussion of the disconnects we see between access and ability is a very big issue as we move further into the 21st century. I am very pleased with these topics and look forward to reading more of your research and findings.
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