Reading Reflection
This week's readings and content reminded me of the acronym THINK. Is it True? Is it Helpful? Is it Inspiring? Is it Necessary? Is it Kind? I remember learning about this acronym when researching information as an elementary school student. Although this acronym is still relevant today, there is so much more to information and digital literacy than THINK. The readings and resources helped me to solidify this thought. The resources provided will be especially helpful when planning lessons about digital and information literacy to students. The American Library Association states: "Information literacy is the set of integrated abilities encompassing the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued, and the use of information in creating new knowledge and participating ethically in communities of learning" (2015, para 6). Students and educators alike need information literacy skills in order to research ethically, safely, and reliably.
How School Librarians Can Help
The first research project I have ever done was conducted in my elementary school's library facilitated by my school librarian. We were shown which websites were safe to use and which websites to avoid. This lesson has always stuck with me considering I never use Wikipedia for anything. This lesson was told time and time again in middle school, high school, and college. I have never forgotten the lessons my elementary school librarian instilled in my young mind about using the web and researching. This is one role of many of a school librarian. "With the advent of the digital revolution and the opportunities and challenges that this disruption provides, the school librarian is one of the most prepared professionals to make momentous choices on behalf of students" (American Libraries, 2014, para. 2). School librarians are here to help! It is our responsibility as information professionals to incorporate these lessons into the school library activity time as well as make teachers aware we can and want to help them incorporate information and digital literacy into their classroom and lessons.
I recently had an older gentleman ask me about my graduate studies. When I told him I was in school to become a school librarian, he asked me "Why? Isn't the profession obsolete?" It was his understanding that libraries and school librarians were on the decline. I had the amazing opportunity to inform him that libraries and librarians are needed now more than ever before in today's digital age. I was able to tell him about the role I would take on as a school librarian, and hopefully it impacted his perspective on the profession. As school librarians, we must advocate for our profession to help make people aware of our role. Laypersons think of books when they think of librarians. Although curation and physical collections of books are a part of our job, being a librarian is so much more!
Information Diets
School librarians must consume information reliably in order to share this content with others. Critical thinking skills are important for everyone who partakes in social media consumerism. It can be easy to dive down the rabbit hole of "fake news" and conspiracy theories. When conducting research for my current job and for my MLIS program, I tend to use peer reviewed articles and evidenced based research. While obtaining my undergrad in psychology, peer reviewed research and articles were a hot topic. For fun, I enjoy listening to podcasts. My favorite types of podcasts come from people discussing first hand accounts and experiences that they have had. I feel like these are reliable since they are first hand accounts. I also enjoy the mind numbing social media reels on TikTok and Instagram. From time to time I will come across something that peaks my interest and then can reliably research it on my own, but I try to never believe information I obtain from these platform without researching on my own.
References
American Libraries. (2014, June 18). Digital resources in school libraries. American Library Association. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2014/06/18/digital-resources-in-school-libraries/
American Library Association. (2015, Feb. 9). Framework for information literacy for higher education. https://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/ilframework
Cari. (2020). Cute pupils and teacher looking at computer in library at the elementary school. [Image]. Library Learners. https://librarylearners.com/free-library-lesson-plans/cute-pupils-and-teacher-looking-at-computer-in-library-at-the-elementary-school/
I love that the lesson you had in elementary school was so impactful that it stuck with you as you continued on in your education! It just goes to show how important it is that librarians are good stewards of information and that teaching information literacy is a key to helping students grow as individual learners. Overall, a great blog post!
ReplyDeleteAs an elementary school teacher myself, I connected with your use of the THINK acronym to help facilitate discussion around credible media sources for younger students. At this level, students are just being introduced to different types of literacy at the same time learning critical thinking skills. They soak up any and all new information as true facts because they have not yet learned to question it.
ReplyDeleteYour experience with your first research project is amazing. I have done these exact projects with my fifth graders and I am so happy to hear that you still remember yours. While I agree that Wikipedia is not the best source for academic research, it can often be a great starting point for students to find resources in the footnotes/reference section of the topic's page and then go from there to more credible sources. The podcast from this week had a great rap to identify credible information/ sources that I would love to adapt for a cleaner version for my elementary students.
Thank you for your thoughts,
Sam Howard
Katie,
ReplyDeleteYou made a great point when you talked about how we, as school librarians, must know the credibility of a source before we can quote it or use it with our students. I agree that peer-reviewed sources are the best and most reliable sources available when conducting research.
I also completed my undergrad in psychology, and when I need to take a reality break, TikTok and Instagram are my go-to social media platforms. Good luck with this semester!
Kelly