Pre-Assignment 7: Information Literacy - A Neglected Core Competency

We can ensure that there is a progressive development of information literacy competency in the formal education settings from kindergarten though post secondary education through exposure, interaction and teacher training.

First, we need to expose students to the various forms of information literacy.  This can happen as early as kindergarten in two ways: teachers can model the use of this information to students in individual or group settings and students can explore information while using a classroom computer in a restricted setting (access to certain sites only).  As students get older, they can take more ownership in the searching and selecting of different forms of information literacy.  Teachers will continue to guide this process until post-secondary.

Secondly, students need to be able to interact with the information in order to learn how to use it and apply it in their daily lives and to see the value of the process as a form of education and not just for getting a grade.  Teachers need to develop meaningful uses of the literacy in order for it to be most effective.

None of this can occur without teacher education.  Until teachers are fully literate in this field, they cannot be effective educators in this subject.  School boards need to develop their staff professionally or else this is a lost cause.  In addition, we should not forget the value of knowledge that students bring to the classroom - we can also learn from them.