Textual literacy is not about learning to read a book - though it is certainly an important part. But if you've made it this far you can obviously read.
Textual literacy is looking at any sort of resource, be it a book, an internet page, or even a picture and being able to understand it, put it in context and how what you see or read relates to what you are trying to study, accomplish etc. I'll give you a quote to keep in mind that might help when remembering about textual literacy -
"Repeating what someone has written or said requires education. Challenging it requires brains."
That is the aim of textual literacy. Challenging information, synthesising it, adding to it, going beyond the boundaries set by the text you are looking at. Don't just look at a painting- study it. Is it oil or pastels? Look at the brushstrokes? Landscape or still-life? All of these are questions that are a part of textual literacy.
If you are looking at an atlas for a geography do you know when it was published? This is important because country boundaries and names can change. Does the atlas have USSR in large print over Russia? This means that the map is out of date.
If you want to find weather patterns for the last year, the weather service is a great resource because they have archives on this information - however, finding information on the weather in Japan? Try the internet or the international new on the SBS channel.
These are just some of the examples of how textual literacy plays an important part in your studies. It requires you to push beyond the boundaries of what you can see, into what you can know.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Learning Styles, Multiple Intelligences and Critical Thinking Skills
The use of Information Literacy Skills allows you to access, use, manipulate, present and evaluate information across the curriculum. Understanding your learning style is a useful tool to include with the use of Information Literacy Skills.
There are several theories about the learning styles and intelligences of students today which can be easily accessed to determine the type of learners within a class group. Most people are a blend of different learning styles and intelligences, often with a strong preference towards one or two styles of learning. Knowing which styles suit learning best can aid students in their academic pursuits. Also teachers are able to help students to develop skills in other styles of learning to increase the students' use of information within a task.
One theory of Learning Styles is used as a proponent of The Big 6 - an Information Literacy Skills programme. There are 3 styles of learning, referred to as - Visual, Audio and Kinesthetic. These styles of learning are also referred to as Modalities.
Visual Learners: learn from written directions; use pictures, books, and
diagrams; need to see materials to learn.
Audio Learners: learn by hearing instructions; listening to lessons, notes;
recite information to learn.
Kinesthetic Learners: learn by using a hands on approach to their work; like to move
while learning.
Next is Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences, which is an expansion on the 3 Learning Styles above. As with any learning styles and intelligences, people are a combination of more that one style of learning.
There are 7 Multiple Intelligences:
Verbal/Linguistic: uses words in speech and writing.
Visual/Spatial: uses pictures, diagrams, images,and spatial understanding.
Musical/Aural: uses sound and music; involved in performing, composing and listening.
Logical/Mathematical: uses logic, solves puzzles, and performs calculations.
Bodily/Kinesthetic: uses body, sense of touch, involved in movement.
Social/Interpersonal: high social skills, learns well in groups or with other people.
Solitary/Intrapersonal: self-understanding, works well alone, uses self-study.
By using these Intelligences, students can see themselves as having particular learning styles and intelligences with which they can approach academic tasks and use ICTs. It is of course helpful to know about the other intelligences so as to develop strengths within these areas as well.
There are several theories about the learning styles and intelligences of students today which can be easily accessed to determine the type of learners within a class group. Most people are a blend of different learning styles and intelligences, often with a strong preference towards one or two styles of learning. Knowing which styles suit learning best can aid students in their academic pursuits. Also teachers are able to help students to develop skills in other styles of learning to increase the students' use of information within a task.
One theory of Learning Styles is used as a proponent of The Big 6 - an Information Literacy Skills programme. There are 3 styles of learning, referred to as - Visual, Audio and Kinesthetic. These styles of learning are also referred to as Modalities.
Visual Learners: learn from written directions; use pictures, books, and
diagrams; need to see materials to learn.
Audio Learners: learn by hearing instructions; listening to lessons, notes;
recite information to learn.
Kinesthetic Learners: learn by using a hands on approach to their work; like to move
while learning.
Next is Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences, which is an expansion on the 3 Learning Styles above. As with any learning styles and intelligences, people are a combination of more that one style of learning.
There are 7 Multiple Intelligences:
Verbal/Linguistic: uses words in speech and writing.
Visual/Spatial: uses pictures, diagrams, images,and spatial understanding.
Musical/Aural: uses sound and music; involved in performing, composing and listening.
Logical/Mathematical: uses logic, solves puzzles, and performs calculations.
Bodily/Kinesthetic: uses body, sense of touch, involved in movement.
Social/Interpersonal: high social skills, learns well in groups or with other people.
Solitary/Intrapersonal: self-understanding, works well alone, uses self-study.
By using these Intelligences, students can see themselves as having particular learning styles and intelligences with which they can approach academic tasks and use ICTs. It is of course helpful to know about the other intelligences so as to develop strengths within these areas as well.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
The Information Literacy Process
 | Defining What is the problem I have to solve? What are the main ideas? What information do I need? What do I already know? What more do I need to find out? How can I use focus questions to help me organise the task? What are the keywords that will help me? |
 | Locating Where can I find the information I need? Which sources best meet my needs? Which sources do I already have? Where can I find those resources I don't have? Do I need help to find the resources? Do I need help to access or use these resources? |
 | Selecting How can I search these sources effectively? Are there any clues and cues to help me? Which main ideas am I looking for? Which search terms will help me find these? How will I know that the information is recent, relevant, accurate and unbiased? How will I record the information I find? How will I credit my sources? |
 | Organising How can I organise this information so that I can understand it better? Does it need to be in a special order? How can I arrange it so that it is easily understood by others? Have I solved the problem? Have I answered my focus questions? Do I need more information? |
 | Presenting What is the purpose of the presentation? Which would be the best format to meet these needs? What do I need to do with this presentation? Have I included everything I want to share? |
 | Assessing What have I learned from this? Did I answer my focus questions? Did I use the rubric to ensure I did all the things I needed to do? Did I manage my time well? How have my skills improved? Which parts did I do really well? Which parts would I change if I did the assignment again? Which parts do I need support with in the future? |
 | Reflecting How have my knowledge and understanding changed? What will I remember for the rest of my life? How does it help me make sense of the world? Now that I know this, how can I use it? |
Information Literacy is regarded as an Across the Curriculum Perspective, which means that it is to be embedded within all the Key Learning Areas. Each of the KLAs incorporates an Information Literacy strand which focuses on processes specific to that KLA.
Why Information Literacy?
What is Information Literacy?
How can I become information literate?
Why Information Literacy?
Our students will live in a world where the only certainty will be change. If they are to manage their lives fulfil their dreams they will need to become independent lifelong learners able to make intelligent and informed decisions.
Therefore, we are committed to helping our students develop the skills needed to
- access and use resources in print, pictorial and electronic formats
- understand and use effective and efficient research strategies
- select, interpret, evaluate and use information from all sources and media
- expand their own knowledge base and understanding of the world and its people
- think critically and make decisions according to personal needs, beliefs and values as well as factual evidence
- share information and opinions and be able to justify these through reasonable argument
- understand and respect the values and beliefs of other cultures
What is Information Literacy?
If you are information literate, you are able to
- know when you have a need for information
- find the information you need
- evaluate it and use it effectively to meet your needs
- reflect on it and where appropriate assimilate it into your existing knowledge
- apply it to solve similar problems in new situations
- use it to construct new information
How can I become information literate?
The Information Literacy Process is a guide to help you meet your information needs. It is a process which can be used whenever information is required, and modified to meet your needs and circumstances. It is based on how we believe you learn and encourages you to become an independent, lifelong learner.
Monday, April 9, 2007
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