Information Literacy. It can at times be a very overwhelming topic considering there is so much information regarding its definition, what it is (a skill or process) and how it relates to life in the sense of its use in the workplace and things we do. 

As I think about my current class, a lot of my teaching is telling them about the topic and then expecting them to complete a worksheet, produce a writing piece or display what they have learnt – it doesn’t allow them to think or learn for themselves. My classroom is basically running under the Content Frame as outlined by Bruce, Edwards & Lupton (2006) where I teach and then the students are required to recall what they have learnt by completing a test. While this serves a purpose, in the long run are my students going to be able to have the skills for information literacy and be able to process what they are required to do on their own? Or by being a teacher in the lower years is it our job just to teach the 3R’s (reading, writing and arithmetic) as their foundation and then as they move through school they will continue on their learning journey with the help of other teachers and the teacher librarian. 

Reading is such an important concept as it is something that is needed for life. Reading doesn’t come naturally, it is something that is taught and is something that can be very tough as the English language is full of many conventions and rules. But as much as we can be preoccupied with children progressing through the reading levels and meeting benchmarks, it is important that eventually students will want to read something of interest to them but also criticise what they are reading and relate it to their own personal experiences.  

So what do I need to do now? Have a think about how I can change my practises to allow my students to engage in information literacy that is not just, teach and recall. 

Bruce, C., Edwards, S., Lupton, M. (2006). Six frames for information literacy education: A conceptual framework for interpreting the relationship between theory and practice. ITALICS, 5(1).