“Who are we to tell the children of others what they should learn, and how? Who are we to know what’s better for others, what’s to be bettered? Such questions become particularly relevant in cultures that are not homogeneous – in multi-cultural groups where different value systems have to learn to co-exist” (Ackermann, 2001, p. 2).
I work in a school where I sometimes feel really connected, and other times, I feel really out of place. On reflection, I think that this is because my current learning community is quite different from my own cultural upbringing. Hence, Ackermann (2001, p. 2-11) in her paper Piaget’s Constructivism, Papert’s Constructionism: What’s the difference? really spoke to me. As a teacher librarian (TL) in this community, I was reminded that I can be a collaborator and that open ended, inquiry tasks might be the way forward. To structure learning from the starting point of students own experiences does makes sense in such a diverse learning environment. And, working alongside this, I have come to realise that an expansive view of information literacy (IL) is required.
The information landscape grows more complex by the day. It follows therefore, that to develop true literacy within this information society, the chosen IL model should also develop in complexity. Thereby, as this landscape continues to evolve, then so should our approach to literacy. I find it exciting but daunting that as a TL, I can chose and develop a model that will suit my unique student cohort. I feel like I need to be brave, as what is safest for me is based on my own learning at school, which might not fit in this new learning and cultural context.
If I consider the information continuum for a moment, then I see that knowledge is one of the goals of information literacy. Paiget believed that “knowledge is experience that is acquired through interaction with the world, people and things” (Ackermann, 2001, p. 3). In my learning community, social interaction is a vital life force. Many students come from big families, with many siblings, cousins and even some aunts and uncles at the school! For my community, so much knowledge is shared though social interaction. So, to harness this energy in the classroom is a must! Therefore, if knowledge is to be created through a more social and cooperative approach to learning, then choosing an IL model that facilitates this cooperation is imperative. It appears vital that the IL model also needs to be expansive enough to facilitate these increasingly complex ways of processing, sorting and understanding information.
In reflection, it is imperative to consider the school context when deciding on an approach to information literacy. However, in my context, I am with Ackermann, a constructivist and expansive approach to IL is the way forward for me.
Reference:
Ackermann, E. (2001). Piaget’s Constructivism, Papert’s Constructionism: What’s the difference? Future of Learning Group. https://learning.media.mit.edu/content/publications/EA.Piaget%20_%20Papert.pdf