This course is an opportunity for teachers and future teachers (including school library media specialists as teachers) to practice methods in critical thinking about information/media, and to use the process as a means to teach their students to be critical reviewers and communicators as well.
Name - Annette Lamb, Ph.D.
Mail-forwarding Address - 238 Rainbow Drive #13839 Livingston TX 77399-2038 Dr. Lamb will be moving throughout the semester. Email me for me latest address if youd like to send something direct.
Email - alamb@eduscapes.com or anlamb@iupui.edu
Lamb Voice Mail and Fax - 620 343 7989
Personal Page http://eduscapes.com/lamb
This course makes the assumption that you are able to work independently. There are no required face-to-face meetings. There are no required synchronous online meetings. However, feel free to email or arrange a chat with your instructor any time!
This three-credit hour course is an introduction to the inquiry process and the methods, techniques, and concepts that may be useful in teaching students and other teachers the skills associated with information literacy, media literacy, creative thinking, and critical thinking.
This is not a course in how to teach "use of the library" and the location skills generally associated with such training. Resources held in library collections will be useful, but more effort will be given in this class to identification of meaningful information from whatever format that is accessible. Information becomes meaningful when it serves as evidence to help describe an event, explain a phenomenon, substantiate or counter a claim or argument, suggest support or rejection for a hypothesis, or define and justify an action.
Information inquiry involves the processes of searching for information and applying information to answer questions we raise personally and questions that are addressed to us. Techniques for gaining meaningful information may involve reading, listening, viewing, observing, interviewing, surveying, testing and more. Meaningful information application comes from analysis of information need, analysis of information gained, and synthesis of information to address the need in the most efficient and effective manner possible. The interactive components of information inquiry are:
There are several models that illustrate different perspectives on the actions for learning and teaching effective search and use of information. The major ones will be examined in this class and students in this course will have the opportunity to build their own model.
Questions in information inquiry may range from the most basic, factual reference questions to the most complex puzzles of life for which there are no answers. Questions tend be tied to one or more of three information environments: Personal, Academic, and Workplace. This class will concentrate on those questions that are more demanding than basic facts and yet far short of life's great mysteries. Exercises in this class will deal with questions that are of personal interest and can be placed into the academic context relevant to learning standards commonly found in K-12 public education.
Information inquiry involves the techniques for teaching information literacy skills. This may range from instruction that is very guided with specific techniques, steps and models to facilitating inquiry that is free and independent. Information inquiry involves critical thinking skills in selection and evaluation of information and resources. Information inquiry involves the use of creative thinking in the creation and presentation of information.
The degree to which an individual is information literate may be relative to his or her ability level. A second grader may be information literate for her age compared to her peers but not be a sophisticated in application and understanding of information literacy skills as the college senior, or the university reference librarian or researcher. Thus, levels of proficiency will be important in defining information literacy in this class.
According to the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), information literacy is a set of abilities requiring individuals to "recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate and use effectively the needed information." Some of the resources used in this class define media literacy as a set of abilities to deal with information that is pushed on us through popular mass communications and the ability to produce one's own communication through the use of visual and audio media. Both information literacy and media literacy for purposes of this class are sub-sets of information inquiry.
This course will expand your thinking about the integral role of information inquiry in K12 education. This course will be taught entirely online including web-based readings and resources, threaded discussions, plus online presentations and activities. Choices allow graduate students with varied backgrounds and interests to select activities that meet their professional needs
Course Goals Each student will have the opportunity toL551 also meets a portion of the new standards for Teachers of Library Media in Indiana as approved by the Professional Standards Board:
Standard 1For a current calendar with readings and due dates, go to http://eduscapes.com/info/syllabus.html#calendar
| Week 1 | Life-Long Learning Inquiry |
| Week 2 | The Evolving Definition of Literacy Information, Visual, Media, Technology |
| Week 3 | Approaches to Information Inquiry Information Inquiry Models: 8Ws, Big6, InfoZone, Information Search, I-Search, Pathways to Knowledge, Pre-search, Research Cycle, Stripling & Pitts |
| Week 4 | Ws of Information Inquiry Watching (Exploring), Wondering (Questioning), Webbing (Searching) Wiggling (Evaluating), Weaving (Synthesizing), Wrapping (Creating) Waving (Communicating), Wishing (Assessing) |
| Week 5 | Model Analysis and Comparison |
| Week 6 | Teaching, Learning, and School Library Media Programs |
| Week 7 | Key Ideas for Information Age Instruction |
| Week 8 | Assessment, Constructivism, Cooperative Learning, Creative/Critical Thinking, Individual Differences, Meaningfulness & Motivation, Problem & Project-based Learning, Questioning, and Technology |
| Week 9 | Theory to Practice Connection |
| Week 10 | Information Fluency Collaborative Planning |
| Week 11 | Evidence-based Programs and Practices |
| Week 12 | Planning for Information Inquiry |
| Week 13 | Exploring Existing Instructional & Learning Materials |
| Week 14 | Reflection |
Required: Callison, Daniel (2003). Key Words, Concepts, and Methods for Information Age Instruction: A Guide to Teaching Information Inquiry. Baltimore, Maryland: LMS Associates. ISBN 0-9742537-0-7
Order Information
1) Go to the IUPUI bookstore.
2) You can order directly from LMS Associates, 1-888371-0152 or email them at info@crinkles.com.
Required: Curriculum Connections through the Library (2003). Barbara K. Stripling & Sandra Hughes-Hassell (Eds.). Westport, Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited ISBN 1-56308-973-4
Order Information
1) Go to the IUPUI bookstore.
2) You can order directly from LU, 1-800-225-5800.
3) Amazon or another online source.
Required: Information Power: Building Partnership for Learning (1998). Chicago: American Library Association. ISBN: 0-8389-3470-6 Many of you may own this from other SLIS courses. We will be concentrating on Part One focusing on Information Literacy Standards for Student Learning.
Order Information
1) Go to the IUPUI bookstore.
2) Order from ALA online at http://www.alastore.ala.org/ or by phone at 1-866-746-7252
3) Order from AECT online at http://aect.org
4) Go to Amazon or another online source.
Required: Indianas Academic Standards for English/Language Arts, Social Studies,and Science (available online at http://www.doe.state.in.us)
Required: enGauge 21st Century Skills: Literacy in the Digital Age (2003) fromNCREL (North Central Regional Educational Laboratory). (available online at http://www.ncrel.org/engauge/skills/skills.htm)
Required: Key building blocks for student achievement in the 21st century: Assessment, alignment, accountability, access, analysis (Year 4 Report) (PDF document -http://ceoforum.org/downloads/report4.pdf) by CEO Forum on Education andTechnology (Washington, DC, 2001).
Required: Course Readings - http://mypage.iu.edu/~anlamb/info/ or http://eduscapes.com/info/
Optional: Additional References - http://eduscapes.com/info/infobib.html
The course requirements will be addressed within three inquiry-based learning areas called CourseQuests. For a complete description of the requirements, go to the Course Requirements page at http://eduscapes.com/info/require.html
For a nice checklist of the course activities, check out L551 Course Checklist at http://eduscapes.com/info/checklist.html
The points awarded for each activity are indicated on the Course Requirements. High expectations have been set for this course. Please notice that outstanding achievement will require careful attention to course criteria and exceptional quality in course assignments.
Final grades are based on the following range within the total 100 points possible:
| A | 98-100 |
| A- | 94-97 |
| B+ | 91-93 |
| B | 88-90 |
| B- | 85-87 |
| C | 81-84 |
| D | 75-80 |
| F | below 74 |
The meaning of the letter grades follows the SLIS Grading Policy:
A: Outstanding achievement. Student performance demonstrates full command of thecourse materials and evinces a high level of originality and/or creativity that far surpassescourse expectations. The grade of A+ is not granted in SLIS, except in very exceptionalcases.
A-: Excellent achievement. Student performance demonstrates thorough knowledge ofthe course materials and exceeds course expectations by completing all requirements in asuperior manner.
B+: Very good work. Student performance demonstrates above-average comprehensionof the course materials and exceeds course expectations on all tasks defined in the coursesyllabus.
B: Good work. Student performance meets designated course expectations, demonstratesunderstanding of the course materials, and has performed at an acceptable level.
B-: Marginal work. Student performance demonstrates incomplete understanding ofcourse materials.
C+, C, C-: Unsatisfactory work and inadequate understanding of course materials.
D+, D, D-: Unacceptable work; course work completed at this level will not count towardthe MLS degree.
F: Failing. May result in an overall grade point average below 3.0 and possible removal
from the program.
A final grade of "I" or "Incomplete" will NOT be given except in extreme situations. Please let me know if you're having difficulty completing the requirements of this course. Students needing accommodations because of disability must register with Adaptive Educational Services and complete the appropriate form before accommodations will be given. The AES office is located in Cavanaugh Hall 001E, 425 University Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46202-5140 and may be reached by phone 317/274-3241 or 317/2782050 TTD/TTY; by fax 317/274-2051; or by email aes@iupui.edu
For more information, go to http://www.life.iupui.edu/Who/Adaptive/
Students should be sure to read the Academic Handbook for the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct.
The Academic Handbook states that faculty members have the responsibility of fostering the intellectual honesty as well as the intellectual development of students.... The faculty member should explain clearly the meaning of cheating and plagiarism as they apply to the course....Should the faculty member detect signs of plagiarism or cheating, it is his or her most serious obligation to investigate these thoroughly, to take appropriate action with respect to the grades of students, and in any event to report the matter to the Dean of Students. The necessity to report every case of cheating, whether or not further action is desirable, arises particularly because of the possibility that this is not the students first offense, or that other offenses may follow it. Equity also demands that a uniform reporting practice be enforced; otherwise, some students will be penalized while others guilty of the same actions will go free. (p. 172).
For more information, go to http://www.life.iupui.edu/Who/Dean/Code