INFORMATION LITERACY WHAT IS INFORMATION LITERACY? THOMPSON & HENLEY Information Literacy is knowing how to learn.

It is knowing how to find information, evaluate it, and use it wisely and effectively. NATIONAL FORUM IF INFORMATION LITERACY (1989) Information Literacy is defined as the ability to know when there is a need for information, and to be able to identify, locate, evaluate and effectively use that information for the use or problem at hand. UNESCO & NCLIS Information literacy encompasses knowledge of ones information concerns and needs, and the ability to identify, locate, evaluate, organize and effectively create, use and communicate information to address at hand .it is a prerequisite for participating in the Information Society. DIFFERENT LITERACIES BASIC LITERACY INCLUDES THE SKILLS OF READING, WRITING, SPEAKING, LISTENING, COUNTING, CALCULATING, PERCEIVING AND DRAWING. Everyone of these skills should be taught and reinforce by every teacher, in every subject, and with gradually increasing levels of sophistication in every grade K-12 in our day, a person lacking any of these skills cannot truly be considered literate. LIBRARY LITERACY Too important to be left to chance. Every student needs to understand the difference between fiction and non-fiction. Every student needs to know how to effectively use reference books and periodicals. Students needs to understand Dewey Decimal System as a useful, logical system of hierarchical organization and recognize its similarities to other such systems. Students should use indexes and the library catalog so often it that becomes subconscious skill. MEDIA LITERACY Includes an understanding of the many different types of media and the purposes for which they can be used. Students should be taught the difference between fact and opinion, and be able to distinguish between information, entertainment, and persuasion. They should learn that all information has a source and that knowing the source and its biases is an important part of understanding any information. COMPUTER LITERACY
Basic computer operations: booting the computer, saving and retrieving files, loading program, and perhaps some rudimentary word processing skills such as cut and paste. It refer to the comfort level someone has with using computer programs and other applications that are associated with computers.

VISUAL LITERACY Is the link between MEDIA LITERCACY AND TECHNOLOGY LITERACY. Media images and sounds are end products created using the tools of digital technology.

Visual literacy means the skills and learnings needed to view visual and audio/visual materials skeptically, critically, and knowledgeably Changing Views of Education (Thompson and Henley, 2000) LEARNING: Learning is now perceived as a process, not a product; people do not quit learning when they leave school, but remain lifelong learners. CURRICULUM: Now objectives are flexible, taking individual and cultural differences into account. Current events, local resources, and students interests are also taken into account as curriculum objectives are adjusted to make learning more relevant. CLASSROOM: Viewed as an environment where active learning takes place. Overhead projectors, television monitors, VCRs, and computers are standard equipment in the classroom. INFORMATION: Educators today realize that students need to be actively involved in seeking information and using it in some way as they create their own unique concepts of knowledge based on previous understandings and experiences. STUDENTS: Viewed as information seekers, information users, decision makers, and problem solvers. What they learn depends on what they need to know to make a decision or to solve a problem. TEACHERS: Facilitators of the learning process and are constantly learning as they work collaboratively with other teachers, library media specialists, community members, and even with overseas teachers via the Internet. ASSESSMENT: Now projects of all sorts are the rule. Authentic assessments are intended to gauge what students learn by measuring how well they use the information such as portfolios, presentations and written reports. LIBRARIES & LIBRARIAN: Library media centers are designed to provide not only efficient storage but also equal access to information and the convenient retrieval of it. Library media specialists now work cooperatively with teachers to plan units that integrate information literacy skills into subject-area curricula. METHODS OF TEACHING: The identification of information literacy skills needed for lifelong learning and thinking promot6es a change in what is taught. Brain-based research that shows how students learn and the abundance of information in all formats dictates a change in how teachers teach.

Old Teaching Compared to New Methods

Old Teaching Methods Lecture/ Listen Individual effort Subjects Facts

New Methods Actively engaged Group effort Integration Problem-centered

Sage on the stage Spoken/ written RRR= Recall/Recognize/ Retain (42 hours)

Guide on the side All resources Authentic/ Portfolio

Insular programs

Community collaboration

Educational Implications
Information Literacy skills are vital to fully participate in and contribute to the world we live in. The best hope for citizens to understand and function effectively in this data-intensive world is a comprehensive, hands-on, universal education in Information Literacy concepts and skills through schools. This course of study can and should be integrated with the traditional school subject areas, but it should also be considered as a separate core discipline especially for purposes of goal setting, curriculum design, and evaluation. The goal is to prepare students early on to learn how to learn and carry these skills into other areas of their lives so that they can be independent seekers and consumers of information throughout their lives (Humes, 1999) Becoming information literate will involve a change from the way many students are accustomed to learning. Students will be required to assume more responsibility for their own learning. The impact of moving from text-based learning to resource-based learning will involve heavier use of library materials and a demand for more and varied media resources, including print and non print. According to Lenox (1993) teachers must be prepared to teach students to become critical thinkers, intellectually curious observers, creators, and users of information.

EQUINAN, JULIAN INSIGNE, SHERRYL III-D BSE FIL