Digital Badge #I

Information Literacy as a Learning Goal:

Information literacy transforms an ordinary student into a "wise information consumer" and "lifelong learner."  I always thought Information literacy was just something you "do" to learn about in college; I never looked at it as a way of becoming "information literate" which is something you become, via your coursework and personal experiences and interactions with information. Information literacy skills are not learned right away but, it’s something developed over time. In addition We, have learned the basics aspects of information literacy include using information technologies, such as personal computers, e-mail, software programs, and the Internet in the comforts of our homes in a way of entertainment and social media, however, information literacy involving the evaluation of the information you obtain using the Internet and online electronic resources I have personally only learned and used in college for academics such as writing a research papers. By reading this section in the book I can now see the relationship between college work preparing a person beyond college into a career the primary goals are to get people thinking critically about the information they encounter, the ability to use information technologies effectively to find and manage information, and the ability to critically evaluate and ethically apply that information to solve a problem are the characteristics of an information literate individual, Which includes the spirit of inquiry and perseverance to find out what is necessary to get the job done. These are the characteristics employers look for in an employee. I never would have made the connection that information literacy is the hidden source linking the two together. Now I do not have to wonder anymore about if I will ever use all the classes I am paying for in college in my career.

Evaluating online Information:

We live in the Information Age, and "information" is increasing at a rapid pace. We have the Internet, television, radio, and other information resources available to us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. However, just because so much information is so easily and quickly available does not mean that all of it is worthwhile or even true. Because of resources like the Internet, finding high-quality information is now harder than ever, not easier!  Finding the good stuff is not always quick!  And the good stuff does not always come cheaply, either! (In short, to make it in today's Information Age, you have to be even faster--not lower--than your computer but how can that be) To make matters worse, just because you know how to use a particular information technology today does not mean that there is not another one right behind it that you will have to learn how to use tomorrow! Once seemingly exotic technologies like "word processing" and "electronic mail" are now commonplace, but at one time, they were amazing and revolutionary. (To some of us, they still are). Today's employers are looking for people who understand and can adapt to the characteristics of the Information Age. If a student has "learned how to learn," upon graduation, they are a much more attractive job candidate. An information literate individual--with their strong analytical, critical thinking and problem-solving skills can be expected to be an adaptable, capable and valuable employee, with much to contribute.

Teaching Students about Internet Searching:

            There are billions of pages of information on the World Wide Web, and finding relevant and reliable information can be a challenge. Search engines are powerful tools that index millions of web sites. When entering a keyword into a search engine, you will receive a list with the number of hits or results and links to the related sites. The number of hits you receive may vary a great deal among different search engines. Some engines search only the titles of the web sites, and others search the full text. Search engines designed for younger students are useful tools for the classroom. They screen for inappropriate material and provide appropriate sites for students on topics related to educational and entertainment purposes. Using these sites helps to narrow the scope of hits on a search inquiry. As a result, the student will spend less time reading irrelevant material. I think this is great information I did not know there were so many kid friendly web search tools. Speaking as a parent I like the fact that some  search engines allow you to turn on filters to help filter out adult content, they are not always thorough or accurate. There are several good search engines that are specifically designed for the younger audience, such as Ask Jeeves and Yahooligans. My children safety is my main concern when they are on the web. I often wondered why some websites like National Geographic, and PBS kid’s content is so easy for children to comprehend. Their website is a search site designed for children with age- appropriate curriculum resources. Think when students are able to read and understand the material they fine online they do learn how to access and assess the information independently. I also think this maybe why most children like surfing the web.

           

Resources:

Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.