A:1: Information literacy

Ashley Pence

August 23, 2007 

Plotnick, E. (1999). Information literacy. ERIC Clearinghouse on Information and Technology. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED427777)

TAP:  The topic of this article is a look at what today’s school systems have created as ways to increase the information literacy among students.  This article also mentions the importance of the student themselves making an effort to continue in a lifelong education in order to expand their knowledge by using their information literacy skills.  This article is geared toward an audience that is interested in the future of information literacy and those who are interested in becoming more information literate.  The purpose of this article is to inform people of the importance of information literacy and that skills have expanded from reading, writing and arithmetic.  This article gives pretty good detail into what schools are doing to help students reach information literacy criteria in order to succeed in the information age.

Claim:  In today’s society we can no longer count on the basics of reading, writing and math to get a job.  Your ability to work with more information based ideas come into much greater use than the requirements that had to be met when we were an industrial society.  It is evident by the questions on a job application that we must be able to use information that we gain and turn it into knowledge rather than a simple memorization task that is becoming outdated.  If you cannot use a calculator, computer or fax machine, then you may fall behind in this fast paced society.

Evidence:  The SCANS report that Plotnick refers to is evidence that information literacy skills are needed in an increasing abundance in the workplace.  One example was given that workers are no longer simply reporting to higher management, but are now active participants in the businesses accomplishments which in turn lead to their own.  In order for this to happen the workers need information literacy skills beyond reading and writing.

Connections:  I have found that I relate to this text simply by living in the information age.  As a young student it was required that I obtain these types of skills in order to move on from point A to point B.  Point A could have been a research paper in 3rd grade and point B could have been something as substantial as passing a computer skills class.  Whatever these skills were I now realize that if it were not for them I could have easily been left behind with only the basics that my parents were expected to achieve.  This text relates strongly to the other two articles based on information literacy skills.  All three articles emphasized the importance of becoming a more user friendly society if we could all accel by using information literacy.  As a future Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) I realize that I could not have made it to this point in the program had it not been for my past with information literacy.  I also realize that if I continue to educate myself I can become an ever more literate person in this area and be a successful SLP. 

A:1: Information literacy in an information society

Ashley Pence

August 23,2007

Information literacy in and information society.  (1994)  ERIC Clearinghouse on Information and Technology.  (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED372756)

TAP:  The topic of this article is that information literacy is the key to succesful learning and extension to successful living.  In todays society we have gone from being a society based on goods and import to a society that is based on information.  This article is geared toward any citizen that is interested in successfully learning and living.  The purpose of this text is that in order to prepare for the twenty-first century we must take on not only reading, writing and math, but also critical thinking, problem solving and communication.

Claim:  The claim of this article is that in order to be an information literate person there are several criteria’s that you strive to meet.  All these criteria deal with finding information and knowing how to use it correctly.  The information that is obtained is no longer just information but it becomes a part of you, because when you use that information correctly then it becomes knowledge.

Evidence:  Evidence supports this article in many ways but one way that I noticed is the impact that it has on technology alone.  Information literacy in technology helps when users know how to use the technology they are dealing with.  This becomes something they can research, delve out and share with other users.  If we are able to do this then we will have skills to help us with a changes that continue in the information age.

Connections:  The connection that I made with this article to my self was my ability to understand and use information.  I did a self inventory and realized that I am not all that great when it comes to being effective with what information I obtain.  I have reasearched many things throughout my school years and I fear that I have not accomplished one of the things that the author of this article says should happen and that is turning information into knowledge.  This text connects with other texts in the sense that it is extremely intent on the importance of literacy in today’s world and the need for a change to better ourselves and society.  The text connects to my future as a Speech Language Pathologist especially when it comes to researching things for my field.  If I am unable to obtain good information by using good information literacy skills I will not only be hurting myself but also my patients, their parents and my co-workers. 

A:1: Expanding the concept of digital literacy

Ashley Pence

August 23, 2007

Daley, E. (2003). Expanding the concept of digital literacy. EDUCAUSE review, 33-40.

TAP: The topic of this article is an intent call for today’s society to realize that literacy is no longer based on the ability to read, write, and understand the information.  The author feels that an expanded defintion of literacy is needed.   This article is geared toward those that use or will be using sources to higher educate themselves.  The purpose of this article is to change the definition of literacy from simply text to multimedia language.

Claim:  The claim is that multimedia language is now what dominates our lives, whether it be through television or computer screens.  This only makes sense that literacy can no longer be defind by its previous definition of reading and writing through text.  The author mentions four points that were taken from the Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television.  The following points shape her demand for a revised definition.  Point one states that multimedia language is the new and current vernacular.  Point two says that this language is capable of constructing complex meanings independent of text.  Point three says that multimedia language can enable modes of thought, ways of communicating, conducting research, and methods of publication and teaching that are essentially different from those of text.  The last point really drives home the need for the change of definition.  It states that those who are truly literate in the twenty-first century will be those who learn to both read and write the multimedia language of the screen.

Evidence:  The evidence that supports the basis for expanding the defintion of literacy comes with common sense.  By broadening the defenition to include multimedia language we must take a look at how we broaden any other abilities when learning a new language.  If we were to move to a foriegn country, Spain for instance, we are not going to go there with the thought in our mind that I will not need to learn their language, I can survive with my own.  This could happen, but in most cases if you want to accomplish much and become more comfortable with their language, you have to accept that English is not the only language just as text is not the only form of literacy.

Connections:  I can relate to this text because as my life has advanced I have seen the language of the multimedia screen.  We no longer mail letters and to some extent we have stopped mailing bills as well.  With the new age of multimedia we can email, instant message and we can now pay our bills online.  It’s almost as if paper is no longer needed.  This is good for the forests, but can become an inconvienence for those who are not connected with the multimedia world.  This is why it is of such importance to expand the definition and make those who are not aware of the multimedia language aware of it.  Other texts that this relates to are those that talk about the importance of digital literacy.  I never knew that there was such a concern with this until I was introduced to 5 other sources that talk about the importance of digital literacy and the need for education on it.  As a future Speech Language Pathologists it is imperative that I be up to date with multimedia language in order to communicate and work with my clients, their parents, and other co-workers.  If I am unable to achieve this I will not be performing my job to the best of my ability and could harm others on my path.

A:1: Experiments in digital literacy

Ashley Pence

August 22, 2007

Eshet-Alkali, Y., P.h.D & Amichai-Hamburger, Y., P.h.D. (2004). Experiments in digital literacy. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 7(4), 421-429.

TAP:  The topic of this paper is to present the performance on digital literacy skills among three groups of scholars.  They consist of high school students, college age students and adult college graduates.  They were tested on several types of digital literacy skills that consisted of photo-visual skills, reproduction skills, branching skills, information skills and socio-emotional skills.  The audience for this reading could be anyone interested in digital literacy, but especially for teachers who wish to improve their students skills in the areas that this study shows the scholars weaknesses in.  The purpose of this reading is to show where the scholars weaknesses are whether for the teachers improvement or simply to make us aware as the scholars ourselves.

Claim:  The claim of this article is that by testing these areas of digital literacy we can see that  the younger scholars performed better than the older ones with photo-visual and branching literacy tasks but the older participants were found to be more literate in reproduction and information literacy tasks.  By uncovering these results the teachers and other software creators are capable of creating new and helpful ways to make the digital environment more user friendly.

Evidence:  The evidence of this study is in the way in which the scholars performed.  The results show that there are some areas of digital literacy that showed no significant differences among the three groups.  However as stated in the claim the younger scholars scored better on the photo-visual task and the branching literacy task.  Whereas the older scholars performed better on the information and reproduction literacy tasks.  The whole point of performing this type of experiment was to obtain evidence in order to help make the digital literacy environment a friendlier place for all users.

Connections:  My connection to myself is that I am sure that if I were to be involved in this type of survey I would most likely fall in line with those in the college age area. It is completely understandable that the category that the younger scholars performed better in are the ones that are newer types of techonology.  We have been introduced to digital technology such as these things and more than likely had a class that involved some if not all of them.  On the other hand the older scholars performed better on the reproduction and information literacy tasks which is also not surprising.  I think this is likely due to the era that they were brought up in.  They were not exposed to the digital world nearly as much as the younger scholars and based all their knowledge from their sources of information and had to decipher this information rather than have other devices in which to do so.

This text is not very similar to any that I have ever been exposed to before based on subject matter.  However this is similar to other studies that I have read in the sense that they used different age groups and fields to obtain the best results.

The text relates to the world in many different ways, but the one that I find most influential is its ability to further the teachers and digital software creators to make digital literacy more effective for all age groups.

A:1: What it all means

Ashley Pence
August 21, 2007
Richardson, W. (2006). Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

 The topic discussed in chapter 9 of Will Richardson’s book is the official summing
up of the entire book.  I thought it was quite interesting to begin with the last chapter,
but in all honesty it made quite a bit of sense.  I now have an overview of what to expect
within the chapters of Richardson’s book.  In this chapter and I’m guessing throughout the
book the goal is to express to students the importance of the read/write web and the types of technologies that are going to be flourishing in the near future.  The central claim that has been made by Richardson is that the internet will continue to expand as a huge source of information in our history.  It is also of great importance that teachers and students become familiar with this resource in order to make that expansion fruitful.

 The evidence that is provided in this chapter to support the claim is the fact that
the internet is ever growing.  We don’t have to be told that, we can see it before our eyes.
We can also understand that if we as students and teachers are not up to date and willing to use such helpful technology, then we will be left behind by those who are willing.  It only makes sense to put to use tools such as these.  For so many years our only source of information was gained by what was contained in books or other sources within a library or similar setting.
Now with much more ease we gain information at a much faster rate and have a broader scope to gain that information.  Richardson mentioned that the walls of the classroom are literally becoming irrelevant by the creation of communities of learners that span oceans, races, genders, and generations.  That seems so awesome to me and makes me wonder why someone would not take advantage of that.

 I can clearly see that this text relates to me very closely.  For several years now
I have been closely connected to the internet, however not as closely as I should be.  Whether it be by chatting on ICQ,MSN,AIM,posting messages on Facebook or the oh, so ancient email, I have been connected to the world in a much broader sense.  Had I used the internet more as a resource for learning, I would be doing much better. 
 
 This text has also connected with other texts that we are currently reading within our
CD 315 class.  The articles on Experiments in Digital Literacy and Expanding the Concept of Literacy are just two that can relate.  Richardson makes it clear that our ability to expand in the read/write web as students and teachers is of the highest importance.  We must be literate in order to expand for our own good and in order to help expand those that we come into contact with.
 
 As a future Speech Language Pathologist it is very likely that I will be asked to collaborate with other professionals to come up with the most helpful and creative ideas to further our field.  This could consist of research, diagnosis and therapy to name a few.  Regardless of what we are collaborating on it is still obvious that the most effective ways to achieve this is by being literate in the information and online technologies that are provided.

 I would like to end this response log with something from this chapter that really made
me think.  “For more than a hundred years we have defined being literate as being able to read and to write.  And altough those core abilites are still central to learning, they are no longer enough to ensure understanding.”

A:1: Information literacy for lifelong learning

Ashley Pence

August 21, 2007

Hancock, Vicki E. (1993). Information literacy for lifelong learning.  ERIC Publications: ERIC Digests in Full Text.

The topic of this article deals with the current information age and how it is quite different from any previous means of obtaining the information we need.  This article focuses on teachers, students, citizens and workers in the twenty-first century.
The topic expands on the fact that we must take seriously this new wave of possiblities to obtain information.  The one thing I found interesting about this information age is that it cannot be ignored by us and should become part of a new way of  learning in the classrooms, workplace and among every other citizen that still has the potential to learn.
The claim for this article is that for quite some time we have been aware that there is a wide range of literacies.  The author, Vicki Hancock, gave several examples; print, visual, computational, cultural, computer, and scientific.  Hancock emphasizes that information literacy is the key to all these types of things and more.  If you are information
literate, Hancock suggests that you can recognize a need for information, identify and locate appropriate forms of information sources, know how to gain access to information in those sources, evaluate the quality of information obtained, organize the information and use the information effectively.

The evidence that supports the author’s claim is that people no longer need instruction from a teacher to obtain the information they need.  We can become active learners by researching for ourselves and having the teacher change roles from dictator to
facilitator.  If we can find the answers for ourselves then we can not only teach ourselves, but teach the teacher as well by discovering new information on a broader scale.  For citizens information literacy is a huge help.  This includes research on their health, housing, schooling, cooking and traveling to name a few.  By exploring these topics they are better prepared to make decisions based on these such things.  For workers it is hard to even find a place to begin on how important information literacy is for them.  I realize that for different types of work there are different levels of importance for information literacy.  For example; Someone who is involved in banking or stock markets, things can change for them in seconds and if they are not up to date on the most recent thing, then anything could happen from stock markets crashing to someone losing their job.

This text connects to me through my school work.  I can’t even begin to imagine doing projects or research without the abundance of information that I can gain by simply understanding how to get it.  I could not have gotten the article that I am writing
about if I had not been exposed to the many different ways receiving information.

This text connects with other texts that I have just read.  That is my syllabus for my CD 315 class.  The reason for this course is to gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be a literate person in a digtal world and how I can contribute to developing and continuing literacy skills among those around me.

As a future Speech Language Pathologist this text relates to my obligation for continuing education for myself.  I will also be more prepared to inform my patients, parents and coworkers more easily and to hopefully help shape their information literacy as well.