Wednesday, February 1, 2006

Updates on Information Literacy in the SEA Region

Some news and insights on the recent Information Literacy workshop I attended last January 31-31, 2006 at the Ateneo de Manila University. The questions are all mine.

Updates, Trends and Developments on Information Literacy
* Governments spend large sums of money on ICT infrastructure. Therefore, there is a parallel need to develop a base for the effective use of ICT. This need is one that led to becoming a wise information consumer and a self motivated lifelong learner.

* Development of IL best begins in the school level. It is imperative to exert greater efforts to teach information literacy skills in schools. School administrators (principals and school directors) play an important role in the advocacy for an IL culture in their learning community as they are the ones who have a direct hand on the improvement of the curriculum.

* The possible inclusion of IL in college courses, particularly, teacher training courses.

* A national plan to promote IL is necessary, likewise, the support of ministry/department of education.

* There are many IL models that can be used. From the South Asia experience, they came up with the Empowering 8; the IL guide which was the product of the South East Asia experience, the 8w's was used as an IL model. Currently, Xavier Grade School LRC is using the Big 6 Model.

Back to Xavier

Upon reading the IL guide and listening to the input provided by the guest consultants, I have the following questions and insights.

Insights
• IL is also a culture. As a culture, it begins with an awareness and understanding of IL. The IL culture develops through the process of acculturation.

• Teachers, librarians and school administrators model the IL culture best only if they recognize its importance in this age of ICT.

• If we are, as a learning community, concerned with how our students use technology and how they process, create and communicate information, we shall work on ways to better facilitate learning and instruction.

• IL is integrative and collaborative in nature.

• IL can work in manual and automated library environments.

On the ILSP

We have a working framework for IL via the ILSP and it is currently being implemented. The framework, however, necessitates evaluation. The evaluation of the ILSP should go beyond the time and schedule for class meetings. Areas to look into are- the integration process and teacher-librarian collaboration; a stand alone program or a philosophy that permeates the curriculum; impact to student learning; effects to library services and librarians implementing the program.

Some questions to consider -

Does the current IL model (Big 6) fit into the context and culture of XS?

How can IL help enhance the GS curriculum in light of UbD?

What is the depth and breadth of collaboration between teacher and librarian?

How can we describe the school administration's support to ILSP in particular?

Is the collaboration a shared responsibility? Or we still work in isolation?

Against the IL guide, how do we measure?

What is the GS LRC’s priority - library automation or improvement of ILSP?

As a department, is the GS LRC prepared for further integration of IL skills in the curriculum?

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