Tuesday, April 5, 2011

"Digital" or "Information" Literacy?

Two Teacher Librarian (TL) colleagues who attended a recent CSLA (Calif. School Library Assoc.) Southern Section Workshop related that the current CSLA Vice President Governmental Relations is urging us to switch from using the term "information literacy" to "digital literacy."  Evidently the rationale is that new California government education initiatives are using "digital."   By our using the same term, it will make it more clear that one of the unique value-added services TLs bring to a school, teaching students to find, evaluate, and use information from a variety of sources, is exactly what these initiatives refer to.

That makes sense, but it also brings to mind two other reactions:
  1. "Digital" immediately brings to my mind online--or at least onscreen.  If "digital" literacy is a new priority in education, does that leave the broader "information" literacy behind in the dust?  Does this suggest that print information sources--e.g. books and magazines--are no longer a priority... or even important?  If so, is it because print sources are being abandoned as our students (and their under-30 older brothers & sisters) get their information exclusively online/onscreen... and is this a tacit recognition of that trend?
  2. I mentioned the switch to my wife, who while not an educator is nevertheless college-educated and highly intelligent and well-read.  Her response was (roughly), "'Digital literacy' sounds like being able to operate all kinds of modern technology, from computers to DVD players and DVRs to knowing how to use your cell phone and set the time and alarm on a clock or watch.  Everything's digital these days."  Not exactly the same thing as what we have been calling "information literacy."
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1 comment:

mlaiuppa said...

Very true.

It's isn't the same as information literacy. And it's not like we're abandoning our calling or training.

We're basically using the term digital literacy to drive home that *we* are the experts this law pertains to. It's a job security thing.

However, your wife is also correct. We aren't just talking some big box with a keyboard that sits in the library with access to the inter tubes. We're talking e-readers and smart phones.

We're not just talking alternatives to Google. We're talking Facebook and Twitter. We can include information literacy in all of those things.

While parents are most concerned about cybersafety the number one problem with the digital natives is copyright infringement and plagiarism. That is information literacy. And you can teach it whether you're using print media or digital resources. More likely you'll be using digital resources since copy paste and failure to cite is now most often associated with the internet.

I'll take any opportunity to hammer home to TPTB that *I* am the expert here. Not the computer teacher or the i21 trainer.

April 9, 2011 at 10:23 AM

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