Information Literacy, Technology, and Digital/Media


We live in a society that has instant access to information twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. If we want to find information about something, we simply have to open our smartphone and search a few key words. Some of us might even be able to ask Alexa our question without even lifting a finger! This instant access to information is mainly due to our constant exposure to technology and media. However, if we do not have the tools to analyze this information, it can quickly result in an information overload.

Due to this continuous rise in exposure to information, technology, and media, it is no wonder that a major component of 21st Century Learning is information, technology, and media literacies. The P21 Framework Definitions reading was the most helpful to me when understanding these concepts and how they intersect. Information literacy incorporates the ability to access information, evaluate the information critically, and the ability to use and manage information from a variety of sources (p. 5). These sources of information include finding and analyzing information from media.

I believe that information literacy, technology, and media are all interconnected. In order to be information literate, one must be able to access information from a variety of sources, including different types of media, often by using technology as a research and communication tool. In order to successfully be able to find information from these sources, one must be able to analyze and evaluate the information by using media, technology, and information literacy skills.

My information diet currently consists mainly of social media and some local news sources. It is easy to log on to social media and fall down a rabbit hole. Sometimes I will look at the clock and realize I have been on social media way too long and learned nothing of substance. I do follow and read the Post and Courier, a local newspaper here in Charleston each day. I also watch the local news each evening if I make it home in time. I love the idea from the Fake News & Media Literacy Podcast, of cross checking media sources with those of different biases by looking at different media sources each day. I think this is a great idea, but also very time consuming while working and in grad school.

I believe the information diet of a school librarian should consist of keeping up with information that pertains to schools, the state, libraries, research, and technology. I do not think the information diet of a school librarian should consist of too much information in order to avoid "gorging" or experiencing an information overload. A school librarian should know how to be selective in the information they encounter. The Fake News & Media Literacy Podcast had several great tips (and a hilarious rap) for determining fake news from legitimate news media.


References:

Gungor, M. (Producer). (2017, March 7). Fake news & media literacy [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from https://theliturgists.com/podcast/2017/3/7/fake-news-media-literacy

Oh, E.W. (2017). The future of fake news. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/article/future-fake-news?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=socialflow

P21 Framework Definitions. (2015). Retrieved from https://learn-us-east-1-prod-fleet01-xythos.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/5dd6acf5e22a7/11824564?response-content-disposition=inline%3B%20filename%2A%3DUTF-8%27%27P21_Framework_Definitions_New_Logo_2015.pdf&response-content-type=application%2Fpdf&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Date=20200130T235124Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=21600&X-Amz-Credential=AKIAZH6WM4PLTYPZRQMY%2F20200130%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Signature=a06500e576571abb1638f908c30e4cdf47e1306b2253073e11d380f2ce00a5e4

Comments

  1. Jennie RichterJanuary 31, 2020 at 8:30 AM

    Marie, I agree with you about how fast we can reach an information overload in today's world. Even with the tools to analyze information it can be a lot to take in! I also think that information literacy, technology, and media are interconnected. I would venture to say that most of the information our students are accessing is done through technology and utilizes digital media. The most interesting thing to me this week is that because of technology and our access to media platforms, never before have people been so much part of the news and what is being spread to consumers. I shared with my students the example from the podcast that when someone is outraged by something in social media and then shares it, they are now participaing in the financial success of what they were outraged by! This was eye-opening to me! I also agree with you that it can be very tedious to sift through all the media sources and crosschecking all of their information. Hopefully after grad school, we will be able to handle this a little easier! I think like you said, having a focus and avoiding an overload of information is going to be key when we are in our librarian roles.

    ReplyDelete
  2. LaraWRussellFebruary 1, 2020 at 8:39 AM

    Hi Marie, I, too, find myself occasionally "falling down the rabbit hole" of social media, which I find completely maddening when I come across conspiracy theories like the ones described by Johnson in the Fake News & Media Literacy podcast. In fact, it got so bad a couple of months ago that I decided to put myself on a strict diet with Facebook, where I see the bulk of fake news originating. I'm with you when you talk about our needing to be "selective" in the media that we consume on a daily basis. I've found myself moving away from some of old media sources (CNN, for example) and moving increasingly to sources like the Associated Press, where I feel more confident that I'm just going to get the facts. I'm with you, though, the constant fact-checking is "time-consuming," especially working full time and going to grad school at the same time. Hope your year is going well.

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  3. Brittany CobbFebruary 2, 2020 at 10:17 AM

    Hey Marie,
    I loved the rap haha! You stated, "... In order to be information literate, one must be able to access information from a variety of sources, including different types of media, often by using technology as a research and communication too." I think so many adults understand the concept of research but they lack the ethics needed for communication in the tech environment. In this respect, I think teens can teach us about how to be more literate. It is incumbent on us all to fact check and cross reference, but it is so easy to get lazy in that regard. Lastly, I think trying to discuss the information diet with young people is important and something I will definitely take away from this lesson. Actually, I am sitting at a juice bar writing this blog and I asked the 19 and 20 year old young ladies what they knew about their "information diet" and they had no clue. When I explained they found it interesting. I think young people are open now that we have standards,it is our duty to educate them.

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