Literacy News

Education reform is a top priority for this Administration, President Obama said to the National Urban League, because the “status quo is morally inexcusable” and “economically indefensible.”

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There is interesting material on the La Trobe University (Australia) website. They have their information literacy strategy& related documents, and a report with details of how information literacy was embedded in a first year health sciences prgramme: Building blocks: Embedding research/inquiry (information literacy) graduate capabilities in the curriculum. They have developed two “key tools”: “Library Skills Online – a set of five modules designed to introduce information literacy skills to first year students” (which there are links to) and “LibAnswers – a web based Q & A system and FAQ knowledge base that enables students to search the knowledge base and ask questions from anywhere at anytime.”http://www.lib.latrobe.edu.au/building-blocks/Photo by Sheila Webber: Glasgow Botanic Gardens, July 2010 (Source: Information Literacy Weblog)

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Great to see this very interesting research from such a respected researcher on web communication and web use as Eszter Hargittai.The Headline Comes from a Northwestern University Announcement:Google it. That’s what many college students do when asked to read an excerpt of a play for class, write a resume or find the e-mail address of a politician.They trust Google so much that a Northwestern University study has found many students only click on websites that turn up at the top of Google searches to complete assigned tasks. If they don’t use Google, researchers found that students trust other brand-name search engines and brand-name websites to lead them to information.The study was published by the International Journal of Communication. (Abstract and Full Text)[Our Emphasis] “Many students think, ‘Google placed it number one, so, of course it’s credible,’” said Eszter Hargittai, associate professor of communication studies at Northwestern. “This is potentially tricky because Google doesn’t rank a site by its credibility.”What we also find interesting is that the students who participated in the study have grown up in, for lack of a better expression, Google world. Yet they have no idea about how it and other web search tools work. A great example for the importance of information literacy. Five or six years ago people said to us that a significant portion of the “lack of understanding” about web search would go away as users, especially younger ones, would get more familiar and comfortable with the technology. Well, it appears that it hasn’t. Btw, the phrase “how they work” doesn’t mean an in-depth, several semester class about info retrieval, info seeking behavior, and other concepts. …

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Head of Instructional Services (Portland State University, Oregon) General Description:The Head of Instructional Services leads the design, implementation, and assessment of the Portland State Library’s instructional services; coordinates the teaching activities of the Library; and integrates information literacy into the curriculum. The Head of Instructional Services develops creative strategies to deliver library instruction; identifies best practices and standards of excellence for teaching; develops a positive and shared vision of library instruction; and provides training and continuing education to library instructors. The Head is responsible for the collection and reporting of data for the instructional program and student learning outcomes assessment. …

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State: OregonPortland State University LibraryHead of Instructional Services(Unclassified, Tenure-Track)Position AnnouncementJuly 2010General Description:The Head of Instructional Services leads the design, implementation, and assessment of the Portland State Library’s instructional services; coordinates the teaching activities of the Library; and integrates information literacy into the curriculum. The Head of Instructional Services develops creative strategies to deliver library instruction; identifies best practices and standards of excellence for teaching; develops a positive and shared vision of library instruction; and provides training and continuing education to library instructors. The Head is responsible for the collection and reporting of data for the instructional program and student learning outcomes assessment. She or he also manages and develops library teaching facilities, including the Library instruction classrooms, participates in providing reference services, and serves as a liaison to one or more departments within the Graduate School of Education. The Head of Instructional Services supervises the Distance Learning Librarian and the University Studies and Education Librarian ( responsible for the coordination of general education). The Head of Instructional Services is professionally active and contributes to developments in the field. Portland State faculty contribute to faculty governance activities within the Library and the University, engage in community and professional service, and pursue an active publication and research agenda. This full-time, 12-month, tenure-track faculty position with the rank of Assistant Professor, reports to the Assistant University Librarian for Public Services. All faculty members must adhere to University and Library policies and procedures, including Portland State University’s Professional Standards of Conduct. …

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Secretary Duncan announced that he will form a bipartisan commission to examine educational equity and will pursue federal policies aimed to advance equity in K-12 schools.

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Secretary Duncan announced that he will form a bipartisan commission to examine educational equity and will pursue federal policies aimed to advance equity in K-12 schools.

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On the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Secretary Duncan applauded the legislation and rededicated ED to its effective implementation.

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This book is free online:Cummings, R.E. and Barton, M. (Eds) (2008) Wiki Writing: Collaborative Learning in the College Classroom. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press and University of Michigan Library. http://hdl.handle.net/2027/spo.5871848.0001.001Information Literacy is mentioned specifically in the chapter by Mark Phillipson, Wikis in the Classroom: A TaxonomyPhoto by Sheila Webber: Back from the farmers’ market, July 2010. (Source: Information Literacy Weblog)

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The 21st Century Fluency Project provides educators with an innovative resource designed to cultivate 21st century fluencies, while fostering engagement and adventure in the learning experience.Here you’ll find useful guides and other resources. To assist us in cultivating these new skills in our students, they have built an interactive online lesson and unit planning tool and have a team of dedicated educators developing hundreds of lesson plans. I’m looking forward to the public beta.Meanwhile, you’ll enjoy their video about INFOWHELM:We live in a 24/7 InfoWhelm world. We have access to more information than we will ever need. This video will tell you just how much information there is out there. It requires a different set of skills than the ones we leave school with today.Filed under: Information Literacy, Learning 2.0, Media literacy, Search Tagged: 21st Century Fluency Project (Source: heyjude)

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