Blog Post #2: Tech and Student Learning, Information Literacy (ISCI 761: Mod 3)

This week I was eager to dive into learning about technology and student learning along with information literacy. Regarding the technology portion related to school librarians, there is a considerable relationship. As a media assistant who experiences school librarian duties to the school, I have learned that there is so much involved with digital media and information literacy. I was intrigued to gain a further understanding of fake news and how to identify it. After listening to the podcast Fake News & Media Literacy, it was overwhelming to hear how fake news is often identified. This would oftentimes become frustrating to learn. However, especially in middle and high school, students learning how to conduct research for projects and daily assignments is an essential need. Identifying what is true and false is a skill that takes practice.
One goal for me is to teach students how to use technology to find true information and how reading and dissecting that information can be applied in different ways. As I read the Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education it was interesting to understand in each section the benefits. “The Framework will help librarians contextualize and integrate information literacy for their institutions and will encourage a deeper understanding of what knowledge practices and dispositions an information literate student should develop” (Dmueller, 2015, p. 24). I would use this framework as a school librarian to help instill good practices in students learning. 
After reading Truth, truthiness, triangulation: A news literacy toolkit for a “post-truth” world I truly understood the dangers of “fake news” and how it is potentially harmful to human beings. It takes critical thinking skills to know what is considered reliable and credible information. Examples of when students experience “fake news” could include their own social media accounts. Common ones that I have experienced are FaceBook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. I worry that students will experience harmful effects due to misinformation and disinformation from social media. “Fake news” “use[s] fabricated stories to lure traffic, encourage clicks (click bait), influence or profit using intentionally deceptive, but highly intriguing, often sensational information” (Valenza, 2016). I enjoyed reading this article especially since I can use more knowledge and information on how to instruct students on these topics. 
My information diet is purely based on self-education. It took exploration on my part to understand different types of information. When I created my own FaceBook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts I realized how addicting news could be whether true or false. I believe an information diet of a school librarian should look professional and educational. If I were teaching students on similar topics, I would certainly have hands-on activities for students as well as an engaging lesson on information literacy and digital media. Along with those lessons, I would also use the Framework for 21st-Century Learning as a support system to help with student outcomes.  

References

Battelle for Kids. (2019). Framework for 21st Century Learning.                 https://static.battelleforkids.org/documents/p21/P21_Framework_Brief.pdf

Dmueller. (2015, February 9). Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL). https://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/ilframework

The Liturgists Podcast. (Host). (2017, March 7). Fake News & Media Literacy (No. 1) [Audio podcast episode]. In Google. https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy81NmVhMWU3OC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw/episode/aHR0cDovL3BvZGNhc3QudGhlbGl0dXJnaXN0cy5jb20vZS9tZWRpYS1saXRlcmFjeS0xNDg4ODkyNDg1Lw?sa=X&ved=0CAUQkfYCahcKEwjg-dDOnN7yAhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQEg&hl=en

Valenza, J. (2016). Truth, truthiness, triangulation: A news literacy toolkit for a “post-truth” world. School Library Journal. https://blogs.slj.com/neverendingsearch/2016/11/26/truth-truthiness-triangulation-and-the-librarian-way-a-news-literacy-toolkit-for-a-post-truth-world/