This school year I have been teaching a class for 6th graders called "Information Literacy". I love teaching this class and feel that it may be one of the most important courses a student will take in the middle school - or perhaps in their life! Of course I created the class so my opinion of it is high, but I still believe that if students come away with better skills to find, evaluate, and use information, they will be head and shoulders above others in high school, college, or the workplace. What this course provides by way of introduction is truly a life skill for life long learners.
Students come to the class with almost no understanding of what "information literacy" is and even less about how it relates to their life and education. There are many definitions ... I've placed some of the major ones from organizations like ALA and prominent libraries at my web site here. When I start talking about "information retrieval" and "evaluating information" I can see student's eyes glaze over sometimes. So, I had to develop a way to spark their interest in what I had to say. The result is what I call my "Five Rules for Looking Like a Computer Genius"! And while I know - and I suspect most adults know - that "information" is not limited to what can be found on a computer, most 6th graders have already developed bad habits and turn to a computer for everything. My rules are designed to address students where they are and move them forward into a greater understanding of information literacy.
So here are my five rules for looking like a computer genius ...
Rule #1 - Read the screen!
Rule #2 - It's all about the words!
Rule #3 - Computers are dumb!
Rule #4 - Think before you compute.
Rule #5 - What's on the Internet, STAYS on the Internet!
In future posts I will elaborate on each one of my rules and attempt to illuminate the principles behind them.
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