Investigating+with+Technologies

=Investigating with Technologies=

What are the essential skills students need to be //information literate//?
====Information literacy is the ability to use and manage information that we obtain from all different sources. In order to be information literate, students must be able to apply strategies to all different content areas. They must be able to use the information to gain a deeper understanding of the information that they have read.====

====In order to be effective and information literate, students must first be able to plan what information they will be looking for. Students then must be able to use strategies to search for the necessary information. After finding information they have to " analyze it to determine its value, relevancy, quality, and suitability" (http://www.libraryinstruction.com/infolit.html) . Lastly, they must be able to link and tie the gathered information together to serve as a solution to their initial problem or question. ====

Information literacy is important because we are surrounded by large amounts of information each and every day. Not all information is created equal: some is authoritative, current, reliable, but some is biased, out of date, misleading, false. The amount of information available is going to keep increasing. The types of technology used to access, manipulate, and create information will likewise expand.

Information literacy skills are used for academic purposes, such as research papers and group presentations. They're used on the job - the ability to find, evaluate, use and share information is an essential skill.


 * Teaching essential technology skills to an integrated approach is an important step that takes a great deal of planning and effort. Over the past 25 years, library professionals have worked hard to move from teaching "library skills" to teaching "information skills." They found that information skills can be integrated effectively when the skills, directly relate to the content area curriculum and to classroom assignments, and are tied together in a logical and systematic information process model.Schools seeking to move from information technology skills instruction will also need to focus on both of these requirements. Successful integrated information skills programs are designed around collaborative projects jointly planned and taught by teachers and library media professionals. Information technology skills instruction can and should be embedded in such a curriculum. Library media specialists, computer teachers, and classroom teachers need to work together to develop units and lessons that will include both technology skills, information skills, and content-area curriculum outcomes.**

====Information literacy is considered a critical skill because being information literate will help you to understand and find meaning in reading. Being information literate gives students the opportunity to learn why some information is so important. Being information literate means you know how to sort through information that may or may not be relevant. When you are information literate you are also able to make connections with thing that you have read or learned in the past. Information literacy fosters critical thinking and application skills.====

====As teachers we can foster this skill in many ways. The students must first know a strategy for effective searching. “One strategy for effective searching is understanding the different types of search tools that are available, their unique characteristics, how they work, and when a specific type is appropriate”. (Jonassen et al. 16) We also must teach students how to search the web effectively, by using the I-Search model. I-Search is a process that includes four general steps: ====

====**Selecting a topic**  - exploring interests, discussing ideas, browsing resources ==== ====**Finding information**  - generating questions, exploring resources ==== ====**Using information**  - taking notes, analyzing materials ==== ====<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">**Developing a final product** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> - developing communications, sharing experiences ====

====<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Teachers should act as a guide for students learning to be information literate. Part of being information literate is knowing how to use information to learn new things. Teachers can guide students in the right direction when teaching them these skills, but it is also important for students to learn how to learn.====

====Every individual should become information literate. You want your student to be able to sort through and understand what information is necessary and what information is not necessary. You want your students to make connections and apply that knowledge to the outside world/other skills. One way teachers can do this is by practicing reading comprehension. This will help students understand information by answering questions regarding the text in front of them. This will help them begin to understand what it is to be information literate. Teachers need to act as a guide to their students and ultimately helping them succeed.====


 * This is considered a critical skill because it helps you find the meaning of what you are reading. being information literate lets students learn more and more about what is important on their reading. Students will learn how to sort through information, pick out the important stuff, and gather all their ideas and information to process the main points or the story. The tools that should be taught about reading through a story is to select a topic, find the important information, processing that information and then forming a product from all of the information. This will help the student understand their reading more in depth.**