Matthew C. Winner

Moderating Weekly Discussions

June 3, 2006

The Pondering Cats have discussed standards 3 and 9 of the Information Literacy Standards for Student Learning. These are the conclusions we’ve drawn on each standard:

Standard 3- The student who is information literate uses information accurately and creatively:

*Tell each other what you think it means for a person to meet those standards in their use of the Internet.

In order to meet this standard, we feel a student must:

1. Use information effectively through real world application, whether communicating through writing, orally, or electronically

2. Use information found on the Internet (whether through news podcasts, email, websites, discussion rooms, etc.) in an applicable manner

3. Read Internet sources with a critical eye (consider the source of the information, determine the reliability of the information, look for evidence of endorsements by reputable organizations, evaluate the material for authenticity

4. Assimilate the information found, comprehend where and how to use the information, and then apply it appropriately in real world situations.

5. Read information, organize it in your head, and then apply that information to what you already know

6. Deviate from traditional expectations regarding the use of information (emphasize the information process, not the information product)

**What do you want your students to be able to do, related to each of those 2 standards?

In this standard, we want our students to be able to:

1. Access information via the Internet (and reliable, accurate websites therein), and apply that information in a way that is both accurate and creative

2. Take ownership of the information and use it to create an original piece of work

3. Improve their abilities to make and draw inferences from a given set of information to other real world applications

4. Make a personal connection with the article and tell how the content affects their life

5. Recognize the importance of taking what they learn from the information, and applying it in accurate and creative ways

6. As interns, find sites on the Internet that will provide meaningful information they can use in their internships - information regarding the type of community from which the students come, the socioeconomic level of the parents in the community, the culture of the school, the state voluntary curriculum in their major field, the results of their school’s recent MSA scores, etc. They should use this information appropriately in their communications with students, staff, administrators, and parents in their assigned schools.

Standard 9- The student who contributes positively to the learning community and to society is information literate and participates effectively in groups to pursue and generate information.

*Tell each other what you think it means for a person to meet those standards in their use of the Internet.

In order to meet this standard, we feel a student must:

1. Be capable of successfully and effectively transmitting and receiving information with individuals, groups, and communities

2. Seek and share information effectively and, in some cases, collaboratively

3. Practice using information effectively and making sense of it

4. Use technology to link people of different cultures with different ideas

5. Exhibit the behaviors necessary for meeting Standard 3 – accessing, evaluating, and applying information – but also be able to communicate and collaborate with others regarding informational problems

6. Share ideas and seek out others’ perceptions of the problem.

**What do you want your students to be able to do, related to each of those 2 standards?

Here are some activities we thought our students would enjoy while demonstrating the goals of Standard 9:

1. Work collaboratively with a set of given information in which they could assess a reading or results from a project, evaluate the results, and think about how they could improve upon the issue. These ideas could then be shared via email or discussion board with students of other schools in the county, state, or county (or globally) for students to have an opportunity to interact with yet another perspective and culture

2. Encourage diversity, an exposure to different cultures, and hopefully some collaborative effort between students and people who could offer unique and valuable insight into a different walk of life.

3. Share the information they find and ask others for their insight into problems encountered, then collaborate in finding possible solutions.

Other concerns, revelations, and otherwise discussion-worthy points:

1. The focus of research has been as much on the ability to evaluate sources as it has been on finding the necessary information to begin with

2. Be aware of information that is too advanced. Students need to be taught evaluative strategies so that they aren't seeking sites with the most visual appeal, the most challenging texts, or simply information that is not useful to them.

3. Sometimes students have too much pride to admit that even though they can read the words on a site, they have no idea how to apply what they just read

4. Getting our students involved in the natural use of the technology, when technology is the most effective tool for completing the task, is an invaluable tool.

5. If teachers are not willing to teach it, then how are our students going to learn it?

6. Teachers assume that students already know how to use technology. Although most students are coming in from a technological background - learning to use computers at a young age - this does not mean they have the skills required to properly complete school related tasks such as researching and determining credibility. Teachers should be aware that although students can find the information, they do not always understand the who, what where of it....

7. There is a general reluctance among teachers to learn technology that is so unfamiliar and frustrating (as I am sure we all have discovered). You can bet that part of the problem is the fact that most teachers I know feel like they are barely holding on with the basic curriculum, standardizes tests, portfolios, and other expectations all weighing down on them. I would also guess that lack of availability and reliability of technology is a problem in some places, which could contribute to the problem. I also notice an attitude among some teachers that because they have developed perfectly good, interesting, and informative lessons on a subject, they don't NEED to reinvent and recreate what is already there

So we say, “Teachers, don’t be afraid of technology. Embrace it. Empower your students who know how to use it. Teach your children how to use technology effectively. Allow your technology experiences to build from real life applications. This helps make learning stick.

Thank you and MEOW!!