Information Power states, "We must be preparing students for an information society...We must teach students to be learners, because in their lifetimes so much new knowledge will be generated that they cannot expect to stop learning when they leave school. What are learners? They are people who inquire, who seek information, evaluate it, apply it to new problems, questions or decisions, and how well the information has met their needs" (131).
How do I teach the students the kind of skills needed to participate in an information world? I believe that it must be integrated into the curriculum. If something is not taught contextual, then it is not valid and students will not remember the information taught them. "...information literacy instruction is most effective only when it is taught in the context of content-based courses, assignments or projects" (Mokhtar).
This is where collaboration comes in as an important tool in teaching the information literacy skills. I believe I must be the one to initiate the collaborative effort if I want to teach these skills. For instance, if a teacher comes to me with a research project idea, I would propose a lesson on using the Internet and evaluating websites for information. I would also propose a lesson on citing sources and plagiarism. Students can then apply that information throughout the research process and hopefully, take those lessons onto other curriculum areas.
Throughout this semester I have learned that the biggest part of a library media program is collaboration with the classroom teachers. This is how I reach the students on an in-depth level. I enjoy the helping students on a one-on-one level with simple questions, but my true love is teaching and fostering students who become independent inquirers as well as information literate. I strongly believe that our lives are so full of information and I have the huge responsibility to teach students what to do with the amount of information that comes their way.
Information Power: Building Partnerships for
Learning. Chicago: American Library
Association, 1998.
Mokhtar, Intan A., and Shaheen Majid. "Teaching
Information Literacy for in-Depth Knowledge
and Sustained Learning." Education for
Information 24 (2006): 31-49.
