Option 1: Information Literacy
My beginning hurdle when approaching this Tech Play was
understanding what was being asked of me. Even reading the explanation of the assignment
I still was not clear. My first step was
to go to Google to get more insight on the NFIL's Information Literacy and review my
infographic chart. After going through each of these I decided to search activities
that I can engage students in to help them have a better understanding about
how to use the library resources in this technology driven age.
First, I decided not to use the Content subject format. No matter what the content there are specific
skills that any researcher should become familiar with. So I choose to study Option 1, Information Literacy Tutorials and Activities:
Of this list, I have chosen the four that I felt would help
me most with areas I have difficulty. Also, they would be helpful when teaching
any class, but would be most beneficial for the subject I teach which is
science.
1.
Subdomain vs Domain – When students are
searching for information for their science fair projects the confusion of
subdomain vs domain can leave them often confused. Having a clear understanding of domains will help the student
comprehend if the main name which can vary from these listed below:
a.
.com which stands for commercial (retail)
b.
.net which stands for network
c.
.org which stands for organization (non-profit)
d. .gov
which stands for government
The domain, which is
found at the end of the web address, is the top-level domain name. The words
just before the .com is the second-level domain name. In the tech play activity,
you can clearly see how they fit and work together. The first part of a web address where we see http: is called the protocol. This
activity would clear up many misconceptions about web addresses. The amusing
part about this is that I just learned this fact last week. If I had this activity to play with I would
have learned it sooner and saved myself much grief.
2.
The second choice was Gaming & Academic
Libraries. This site dealt with
different types of games designed to be fun but are interactive to help
exercise your thinking skills. These games where designed to foster one’s
abilities in using digital media. They
review historical eras, lead organizations in virtual worlds and offer young
people a chance to interact with individuals globally. They are designed to
train your thinking and sharpen your wits.
I enjoyed this series of activities because I think it would
appeal to the student who loves gaming and the gaming atmosphere of these
activities would appeal to a younger audience. It’s all about making learning
fun.
3.
Choose Your Own Library Adventure was my third
choice. This one was cute and full of cartoon
like drawing that might appeal to every age group. When I did my earlier study on forms of
technology apps that could be used in the classroom there was one called Comicbook
which this program reminded me of. The
figures where cartoon-like and they were on an adventure through the library.
It was cute and would appeal to many ages. This activity takes you on a virtual
experience finding books in a library based on keyword search items.
This activity has many parts and would help the student who
is not sure of where to find information in the library. It discussed visiting
the Reference Librarian and how they can help you in your search. There were
many part of the NFIL that this activity touched upon that will fit right into
the listed literacy principles. You get to define, access, evaluate, manage, integrate,
create and communicate just following through these series of activities. Plus,
you get to know the Reference Librarian for support and help.
4.
Sharpen Your (Google)Search Skills was the last
one I chose because I personally find Google a ready source for
information. I have tried Bing, Chrome,
Netscape, and Firefox and Google is still my go-to search engine. This is a tool students should be familiar
with and understand how to best use it. This activity first introduced its use on how to
download Google to your device and how to maneuver through the program when
making a search. Again, it was in a nice cartoon-like format that I think would
appeal to any user because it was non-threatening.
These resources would be extremely helpful for students who
think they know how to use many of the functions of technology to help them
find information. What I discovered that
I didn’t know a lot of things and I’m sure students would find there was a lot
to learn here as well. We use certain
devices with the belief that we have learned how to use them from friends and
relatives but most of time we have not even taken the tutorial that comes with
its initial use. Assigning these
resources as a means of helping students to be able to use them more
efficiently and effectively would help them tremendously in using the resources
properly. After reviewing the resources, it has changed my pedagogical stance
and the value that familiarity and proper use of these sources can help you in
completing assignments and doing effective research. My view now is that each teacher should spend
the beginning days of each term addressing one or more of these important
features to help students become more familiar with the tools that are available
to them. The most unusual aspect of this is that most people feel that already
know how to use them and that they don’t need additional help. Now
that I have reviewed these resources I’m going to take the time to use the ones
that I have identified that will help me the most.
I don’t fool myself as to what I think I know, there is much for me to
learn. Being able to use these tools
effectively will help me in future study. The more I learn the more I need to learn. Onward with the adventure!
Resources:
Elementary
Higher Education
The Sites I reviewed for my blog comments
