Information literacy in the Prep School – a job for the library? John Partis

What is information literacy?

Information literacy is knowing when and why you need information, where to find it, and how to evaluate, use and communicate it in an ethical manner. (CILIP ) literacy/pages/definition.aspx

‘How to get good at finding out about things and then telling others.’

Aim: To develop the pupils’ ability to understand and use information, at the same time encouraging critical thinking and independent learning. by: combining traditional teaching with a hands-on approach.

What can a librarian do?

You don’t need to be either a teacher or a professional librarian to be effective in training children to be effective users of information

But does depend on the support you get from the SMT – and from individual teachers

You may be allowed to teach the children yourself. Or you may be able to offer support to individual departments and teachers as they set their pupils project- based work.

How does it work at Hurst?

In practice Years 3 – 6 come into the library for Information Literacy lessons taught by me Years 3&4 - library skills Year 4,5 & 6 – project based on the Big6 system

For all years we work with departments when they are using project-based studies – These may be curriculum-based or “enrichment tasks”

When they are working in the library each pupil has a workbook.

The Big6 – an information research system Why the Big6?

The Big6 contains 6 steps - but the system should be recursive. “Research” means to search and search again.

What is the project? 1 Where is the information? 2 Getting the information 3 Using the information 4 Writing the project 5 Is it OK? 6

Buying a pair of shoes

STEP 1: What is the project? The task: To find a pair of shoes for £50: shoes that I like one’s that fit and that meet my needs

STEP 2: Where can I find the information I need? Where do I find out about shoes? In-town shoe shops & shopping malls Web sites Mail order catalogues Magazines & newspapers

STEP 2: Where can I find the information I need? Which might be the best source? Web sites and mail order catalogues will charge postage and I can’t try them on before buying. I’ll have to spend time and money visiting shops that may or may not have the size and style I am looking for.

STEP 3: Gathering the information sources Web sites will need internet access Shoe shops – where are the best ones? Ask around or consult Yellow Pages Are my mail order catalogues up to date? Do I need to send off for new ones? Look in newspapers & magazines

STEP 4: Using the information I need to find time to search the internet, peruse the catalogues and visit the shops. Do they have my size, do they fit well, do I like them, will they meet my needs?

STEP 5: Finalising the project Making the decision: Summarise all the information I have found and make a shortlist: - Where are they and how much? - Go and actually buy the shoes!

STEP 6: Is it OK? Am I pleased with my new shoes? Did I manage to decide? Are they comfortable? Do they meet my needs?

STEP 6: Is it OK? Look further afield? Did I miss a good sale? Are they fit for purpose? Am I a happy bunny? What about the ethics: sustainably sourced materials, carbon footprint, child labour? What could I have done better?

Where do we go from here? The problem of years 7 & 8: preparing them for senior school an unknown – the impact of IB