“Information Literacy Instruction at BIS” Stefany Anne Brown Libraries’ Manager

Aims of the session To provide a personal guide to information literacy To demonstrate the value of information literacy To identify possible approaches strategies for establishing information literacy To showcase the delivery of information literacy at a practical level

Personal Experience Involved in the running of school libraries since 1998 Active member and promoter of the School Libraries Group committee & their work Involvement in high profile events and projects in the library community – i.e.The Carnegie shadowing scheme February 2005 guest speaker: “Shedding a light on Shadowing: Making CILIP Carnegie work for you and your library” with Julia Eccleshare (children's editor of The Guardian Review). Named as ‘Link’ contact responsible for developing good practice June of 2005 ran training session for head teachers and deputies on how to support library staff in creating promotional schemes of their own

What have I learnt from my experience? The demands of the present day curriculum require pupils to have access to wide range of materials. The role of the library and the role librarians is one that is more than providing fictional and recreational material. The library is the ideal place for information resources and for acquiring the study skills necessary for success in school. As the heart of the school, it co-ordinates resources throughout the school, provides an apt environment for learning and ensures that students as well as staff acquire the skills needed to locate and use information. Children and young people need to be equipped with the right skills to take up the opportunities, which are open to them and to deal with the challenges they face.

How can we meet these needs? - Getting started Information literacy starts with a framework. A series of lessons and planned activites dealing with essential skills. Need to establish curriculum time and liaise with staff. Sell yourself and the opportunity you are offering Clear understanding of the stages through which a learner progresses – planning, presentation and evaluation. Refer to existing sequences e.g. Marlands Information Skills Secondary Curriculum, David Wray and Maureen Lewis. There are a range of these models at the following website;

Practical delivery of Information Literacy – Year 8 lesson plan I make use of the Gwen Gawith model from the book ‘Information Alive’ What exactly is it I need to know? What do I know already and what am I going to do with the information? Where could I go to find this out? What does it tell me about what I need to know? What do I need to make a record of? What do I need to do to pull it together and present it well? What was the outcome? - The process of doing it? - The final product?

Practical Advice To ensure that these skills are properly taught, a specific focused lesson is planned for each point listed in the model.

Lesson Plan To begin, I use a template for each lesson plan. This can be broken down into four stages; Desired Learning Outcome for students: Lesson Plan (Sequence of activities): Key Words: Resources Required:

The Desired Learning Outcome (DLO) Make these clear and focused Keep them direct and limited in number Pupils should be able to tell you at the end of the lesson what they have learnt and ideally this will match the DLO. Always refer back to the DLO during the lesson to help keep pupils focused and on track. The DLO are shown below in the lesson plan format: Desired Learning Outcome: 1. Pupils will be able to identify exactly what the teacher requires of them for a specific piece of work 2. Pupils will be able to identify “what” they are looking up, “why” they are looking it up, any what they know already? in relation to the research task

Planning Tips – Thinking Ahead Gather information in advance though discussion with teaching colleagues, support staff, students. Draw up a grid for each half term cross referencing the departments and their teaching topics.

Stage 1: Deciding – Worksheet You may have been given a topic or you may be lucky enough to be given a free choice of topic. Whichever is the case, this is your deciding stage. This can be split into three more stages, these are: 1. Do I know exactly what I need to know to do this project? 2. What do I know already? 3. What do I need to find out?

Task 1 Write three questions you will need to ask your teacher or yourself before you can start your research. If you get stuck use the W questions (who, what, why, when, where, which, how) e.g. What exactly do I need to know? When is it due in? What format should it take?

Task 2 WIKA? Can you sort these key words into categories? E.g. People, places, dates, mode of transport Voyages of Discovery

Task 3 What do I still need to find out? Finding out – this time ask questions about the topic, not about what is need to do to complete the project Write one question, about voyages of discovery for each of the W words who, what, why, when, where, which and how.

Lesson Plan: Lesson Plan: Talk about when a teacher sets homework. For example if they are set “research a subject” before they can start writing, what do they need to know about the piece of work they have just been set. Deciding: How can you look up a topic if you don’t know “what” you’re looking up, “why” you’re looking it up, and if you haven’t worked out what you know already? (There is a three page worksheet, Work through, one page at a time, share the answers in groups, then add another page) Task 1 - Do I know exactly what I need to know to do this project? Write three questions Task 2 - Brainstorm and sort into categories. Task 3 - What do I still need to find out? Students make notes in the back of their books, on the three procedures they need to follow, which form stage 1, the deciding stage, of any research undertaken

Key Words: Deciding, Finding, Using, Recording, Presenting, Evaluating Key Words:

Resources Required 1.Worksheet located at D:\Documents and settings\Stefany\My Documents\Lesson Plans \Year8 2. Glue sticks

Completed Lesson Plan Desired Learning Outcome: 1. Pupils will be able to identify exactly what the teacher requires of them for a specific piece of work 2. Pupils will be able to identify “what” they are looking up, “why” they are looking it up, any what they know already? in relation to the research task Lesson Plan: Talk about when a teacher sets homework. For example if they are set “research a subject” before they can start writing, what do they need to know about the piece of work they have just been set. Deciding: How can you look up a topic if you don’t know “what” you’re looking up, “why” you’re looking it up, and if you haven’t worked out what you know already? (There is a three page worksheet, Work through, one page at a time, share the answers in groups, then add another page) Task 1 - Do I know exactly what I need to know to do this project? Write three questions Task 2 - Brainstorm and sort into categories. Task 3 - What do I still need to find out? Students make notes in the back of their books, on the three procedures they need to follow, which form stage 1, the deciding stage, of any research undertaken Key Words: Deciding, Finding, Using, Recording, Presenting, Evaluating Resources Required. Worksheet located at D:\Documents and settings\Stefany\My Documents\Lesson Plans \Year8 Glue sticks

CONCLUSION I hope the demonstration of a lesson plan and delivery will be of some practical assistance in helping you design and implement your own information literacy schemes of work for pupils or will further your understanding of the concept of ‘Information Literacy’ and its application in schools.

FINAL THOUGHTS REFLECT, REALISE & REACT Information Literacy is essential to effective learning. If you have taught the children the stages to follow, individual teachers can then build these steps into their curriculum planning and delivery, helping pupils to become competent information handlers THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME – please feel free to ask any questions or (Please collect my business card)