Information Literacy has been defined by the American Library Association in the following way:
To be information literate, a person must be able to recognize when information is needed and has the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information.Digital Literacy seems to be very similar: In Wikipedia it starts with a definition that is almost word for word identical to ALA definition of information literacy but adds on three new words:
Digital literacy is the ability to locate, organize, understand, evaluate and analyze information using digital technology.Then it goes a little further and defines digital technology as computer hardware, software, the internet, cell phones, PDAs and other digital devices. It also adds on the concept, not of just finding and using the information, but also the skills of creating and communicating information.
Digital citizenship refers to the use of these skills to interact with society.
Last week I was in the library classroom at a time when our librarian was reading the book "Our Librarian Won't Tell Us Anything!" Robert, the main character in this book, finds that although the librarian won't actually place a book in his hand or find him a web site, she will teach him how to search the online catalogue and find the information he wants. What she does is give him the tools to find the answers for himself.
It seems that both our library and IT teachers have the same role in this respect. We are teaching the students to use the technology that is available to find the answers to the questions they have come up with as a result of their inquiries.
As our roles are changing, perhaps our titles should be too. The library and IT departments are central to any programme where students are inquiring and constructing their own knowledge, our focus is not on the technology but on the learning. As I was reading last week, we should not be thinking in terms of technology integration specialists (which is a role that many IT teachers have now taken on in schools), but of 21st century learning coaches.
Photo Credit: L'amour toujours by Blair 25