Information Literacy in school libraries Sheila Webber Information
Information Literacy in school libraries Sheila Webber Information School, University of Sheffield June 2011 International IL Logo: http: //www. infolitglobal. info/
Progression of Information Literacy • Progression = steady development of IL, year on year • Progression through school years • Progression within subjects (IL within geography, English etc. ) • Lifelong learning: progression from early years, and helping transition to college/ university • Can be helped by adopting a model or framework for IL
Model/ framework of IL • Many models (e. g. Big 6, James Herring’s model) • Success when adopt clear, easily understood model and make it widely available – Model adopted by school – Known by teachers and students – Used in lessons – Visible in classrooms e. g. on wall • Which model is chosen: may depend on country/ curriculum/ school
Contextualising IL in school/ national curriculum • In UK: national curricula dictate what is taught • Williams and Wavell’s research: even teachers interested in IL feel they have no space to teach it • Therefore importance of getting IL formally into national curriculum • Otherwise: can show IL supports key elements of the curriculum • Example: Curriculum for Excellence in Scotland: Scottish Library and Information Council (2009) Improving libraries for learners.
National frameworks for IL • Frameworks for IL through life – Scottish IL framework – Welsh IL framework • Welsh example – Involving key government agencies (not just librarians) in core planning – Linking framework to national educational framework • Developing examples of IL in different contexts to demonstrate value – Scottish “case studies” in schools at different age levels – Welsh examples including IL helping employability
Status of librarian • Obviously valuable if law saying that school has to have a librarian ; -) – Campaign for librarians not just libraries • Being seen as trained professional colleague by teachers • Being supported by senior managers in schools (Head Teacher etc. ) • Being respected by pupils (personal qualities and confidence of librarian + how treated by teachers)
Approaches to teaching Copyright Kevin Sheehan, School Librarian of the Year 2010
Looking @ Practice Finding and using information: Early Level I listen or watch for useful or interesting information and I use this to make choices to learn new things. LIT 0. 04 a Information Literacy in Junior (Primary) 1 St Margaret’s School, Edinburgh Irving, Christine. (2010) “Begin at the beginning - Information and Critical Literacy in Curriculum for Excellence Early & First Level (Nursery & Primary Schools) “ Presented at the LILAC Conference, Limerick, 29 March 2010.
Critical and digital literacy • Creating information • Managing online identity • Assessing information from web, people, print etc.
Goals • Helping people customise IL to national/ school context (rather than attempting to get a model of IL to fit everyone’s needs) • Ammunition, examples, support in getting IL into national education strategy and into local school strategy • Models of school librarian education, role and status • Recommendations/ roles for other stakeholders: parents, government, teachers, public & university libraries • Examples of IL in different subjects, levels (age and ability), meeting different learning outcomes;
Web resources • James Herring’s blog http: //jherring. wordpress. com/ • Scottish IL Project http: //caledonianblogs. net/informationliteracy/ • (UK) School Library Association http: //www. sla. org. uk • Welsh Information Literacy Project http: //library. wales. org/en/informationliteracy/
UK documents • Morris, E. (2010) School Libraries: a plan for improvement. Museums, Libraries & Archives Council, and the National Literacy Trust. (Report of an official Commission inquiring into school libraries) • School Library Association. (2010) Primary School Library Charter. Swindon: SLA. • Scottish Library and Information Council. (2009) Improving Libraries for Learners: supporting learning and meeting needs. Motherwell: SLIC
Sheila Webber s. webber@shef. ac. uk Information School, University of Sheffield, UK http: //informationliteracy. blogspot. com/ http: //www. slideshare. net/sheilaw ebber/ Twitter and Second Life: Sheila Yoshikawa
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