Networked Literacy

Take time to read Jeff Utecht’s thoughtful post from ISTE 2010 about networked literacy.   Jeff’s working definition of networked literacy:

Networked literacy is what the web is about. It’s about understanding how people and communication networks work. It’s the understanding of how to find information and how to be found. It’s about how to read hyperlinked text articles, and understand the connections that are made when you become “friends” or “follow” someone on a network. It’s the understanding of how to stay safe and how to use the networked knowledge that is the World Wide Web. Networked Literacy is about understanding connections.

You can read the rest of Jeff’s thoughts on networked literacy by visiting his post; stay tuned for additional posts that will be forthcoming in the next few days from #iste10.

Bridges to the Future Initiative Aims to Cross the Digital Divide by Improving Literacy and Computer Skills

[tweetmeme source=”librarianbyday” only_single=false]An approach to bridging the digital divide in South Africa with technology

Bridges to the Future Initiative (BFI) addresses the Digital Divide of education and technology in emerging economies by improving literacy, basic education, and technological literacy, thereby assisting the world’s poorest peoples to better determine their own social and economic future. With funding from multilateral agencies and private foundations, BFI has major projects underway in India and South Africa, with projects in other countries under development. The BFI focuses on assisting poor, disadvantaged, and marginalized children, youth and adults in developing countries to take advantage of new information and communications technologies (ICTs) for improving basic literacy and technological literacy skills as a means to participate in the global information and economic marketplace. A selection of videos about the BFI project can be found on our media page.

Libraries and Transliteracy Google Group

[tweetmeme source=”librarianbyday” only_single=false]We’re expanding! There is now a Google Group for Libraries and Transliteracy.  We will use it to announce special events, like presentations or upcoming webinars, calls for conference proposals and other things related to transliteracy.  Anyone can join and post messages, so go sign up! We promise no spam! 🙂

Digital Literacy and Inquiry

In this presentation, scholars  Dr. Leo Casey of the National College of Ireland and Dr. Bertram (Chip) Bruce argue

…for a new approach to pedagogy based on the Inquiry Cycle and making the most of digital media capabilities to initiate,  sustain and enhance that cycle.  It’s not so much that the vision of learning as inquiry is new – it is in fact a well established idea but that the new media of today make it possible to realistically achieve in a school setting.

You can read more at this blog post and check out the slidedeck below:

Information Literacy for the 21st Century

[tweetmeme source=”librarianbyday” only_single=false]This presentation was given by Sheila Webber at the 10th INFORUM conference held in Prague, Czech Republic, 25-27 May.

She also wrote a short paper to accompany it (pdf)  in which she expands the definition of information literacy

“Information Literacy is the adoption of appropriate information behaviour to identify, through  whatever channel or medium, information well fitted to information needs, leading to wise and ethical use of information in society.”

Appropriate information behaviour means IB that is best for the context. If your context is writing an essay at university, searching electronic journals may be best. If you are seeking information about using Google Docs to share material, then you might go to a specialist online discussion group for advice.

Webber outlines 7 key aspects of 21st century information literacy:

• IL as context specific and context sensitive;
• IL demanding a variety of behaviours: not just searching, but also encountering, browsing, monitoring, managing and creating;
• People moving along complex paths to meet their information needs: moving between the virtual and physical worlds, and using different sources and spaces;
• IL in digital environments;
• IL with people sources;
• People being information literate individually and collaboratively
• People being aware they are information literate: you cannot be an information literate 21st Century citizen without being conscious of the need to develop these IL skills and attitudes, and continue to update your IL through your life!