Common Core State Standards mapped to the Information Fluency Model

The Common Core State Standards provide a framework for teaching information fluency in Grades 3 through 12. To help educators in this task, relevant information fluency competencies are mapped to the appropriate standards.

Click here to visit our hyperlinked crosswalk of standards. 

Why Kid's Can’t Search

• 

  Why Kids Can't Search: Clive Thompson / Wired
  
  Why Johnny Can't Search: A response by Peter Pappas
  Response to this month's piece in Wired Magazine titled:  Why Johnny Can't Search.  
  
  Tags: thompson
  • - Saved By Donna Evans

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Search Stories: Zack Matere: Growing Knowledge

Search Story: Using the Internet to find information that changes lives. Zack Matere uses a village bulletin board to tack up vital knowledge he gets from the net. Real change, now.

Smart Search for Parents and Kids

• Teach Your Kids the Secrets of Smart Web Searching
  From Common Sense Media: Safe Searching for your kids.
  Tags: 21cif, Information fluency, research
  • - By Dennis OConnor

  • Advice & Answers

    Help Your Child Search the Web Like a Pro
    Why It Matters
    Tips for Effective Online Searches
    Great Google Searching Shortcuts

    
    

    Help Your Child Search the Web Like a Pro

    “Let’s google dinosaurs.” Sound familiar? Searching the Web is so commonplace that even young children know what it means to “google.” But when your children really need to do research for a report – or dive deeper into a subject they’re interested in – it helps to know some strategies for improving their results.
    
    Effective online searching can make a huge difference in the quality and relevance of the content your children find on the Internet. But it takes a bit of know-how to improve the chances of getting back the information they’re looking for. You can help your child search smarter – and waste less time – by explaining how to search like a pro.

Posted from Diigo. The rest of Info Fluency group favorite links are here.

Big6 Rocks!

• Big6 Resources
  Tags: BIG6, information literacy, 21cif, Information fluency, research 2.0, writing
• ALA | Big Six Information Skills Research Study
  Tags: BIG6, research, ala, 21cif, information literacy, Information fluency, research 2.0

Posted from Diigo. The rest of Info Fluency group favorite links are here.

ISTE 2011: Put On Your ‘Big Girl Panties’

ISTE 2011: Put On Your ‘Big Girl Panties’ (School Library Journal)

This is a call to arms By Kathy Ishizuka. Many Library Media Specialist attended the ISTE conference in Philadelphia this summer. 

The "gorilla-in-the-room issue of threatened obsolescence" is what it's all about.  Read this insightful 3 step program for standing up for ourselves!

Tags: research 2.0, Information fluency, information literacy, 21cif


Posted from Diigo. The rest of Info Fluency group favorite links are here.

50 Free Online Games for Teaching Information Literacy and Information Fluency

Learn to Search & Evaluate Internet Resources
The 21st Century Information Fluency team just published menus leading to 50 flash based games that teach how to locate and evaluate digital information.

Check it out: Links to nearly 50 learning games, including the new three part Snow Sport Challenge. If you've been wanting to put a menu of learning games on your library or classroom computer come see what we have for you.

They also have an index of all of their Kits: Resource Kit Master Index:

You get easy access to all Articles, Podcasts, Videos, Assessment Articles, Tutorial Games, Curriculum Connections, Annotated Web Resources

Login for free resources:

All of these resources are available to you without charge. (FREE).

Don't miss the free newsletter: register with the site so they can track demographics to support their grant based work.

Check it out!

Investigative Searching Tutorials: Website Evaluation

Website Evaluation: Part of the WSI (Web Site Investigator) Series

• Interactive Website Evaluation Tutorials

  10 online Flash games to teach 'investigative searching'. Learn how to dig deep into a website to determine credibility of the resource.

  Tags: 21cif, website evaluation, information literacy, information fluency

  • Investigative Searching Tutorials

    Use these interactive tutorials to strengthen your skills locating and evaluating information.

Posted from Diigo. The rest of Information Fluency group favorite links are here.

Information Forensics Goes to School: See you at NECC 2009!

Website Investigator: Information Forensics Goes to School

Add to Planner [Formal Session : Lecture]

Carl Heine, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy with Dennis O'Connor Tuesday, 6/30/2009, 3:30pm–4:30pm WWCC 146 B Motivate students to evaluate websites with information forensics. Track down elusive authors, dates, check the accuracy of claims, and more using investigative search techniques. Recommended by ISTE's SIGMS Theme/Strand: 21st-century Teaching & Learning—Literacies for the Information/Creativity Age Audience: Technology Integration Specialists, Technology Facilitators, Technology Coordinators, Teacher Educators, Teachers, School Board Members, Staff Developers, Principals, Library Media Specialists, Curriculum Specialists Level: All Video on Demand: Yes NETS•S: 3 NETS•T: 3- 5 NETS•A: II, VI Keywords: Information Fluency Evaluation Credibility Searching URL: http://21cif.com/ Purpose & Objectives For most students, online research just doesn’t come naturally. Locating relevant information is not easy. Determining if the information is credible is even harder and requires investigative skills to evaluate sources. The purpose of this session is to provide participants with an understanding of efficient methods for evaluating online information and to demonstrate effective ways to teach these information fluency skills in classrooms. The new generation of NETS standards for students (ISTE, 2007), is based on the premise that efficacy and productivity depends on students’ abilities to conduct research and manage digital information fluently. An essential skill is the ability to evaluate information from a variety of sources and media. This session directly addresses this information fluency standard by helping participants… 1. Understand the role of investigation (information forensics) in evaluating information: • Two types of searching: how investigation differs from speculation; • Determining when investigative searching is necessary and when it is not; • Effective means of finding critical information with limited clues; • Using specialized search engines and browsing techniques to track down information; • Analyzing results to determine credibility of the source and content. 2. Observe effective methods for helping students exercise speculative search skills: • Off-line 'readiness' activities; • Group and individual Search Challenges; • Interactive tutorial games; • Think-aloud searches; • Evaluation reporting; • Group discussion about credibility. Outline Introduction to Information Fluency and NETS for Students (5 minutes) The big picture: Obstacles to Information Fluency--research discoveries: (5 minutes) • Problems with speculation: using the right words with the right databases • Homing in on increasingly relevant information • Problems with investigation: evaluating credibility Determining when to use investigative searching: (5 minutes) Effective investigative strategies and techniques—teaching demonstrations involving audience participation (35 minutes) • 'Readiness' off-line teaching and learning activities • Selected Information Forensics tutorials (finding the author, publisher, date) • Selected Search Challenges (think-aloud) • Determining a basis for credibility (group discussion) Questions (5 minutes) Supporting Research Burton, V. T., & Chadwick, S. A. (2000). Investigating the practices of student researchers: Patterns of use and criteria for use of Internet and library sources. Computers and Composition, 17 (3), 309-328. Heine, C. (2006). Evaluating digital information. Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. Retrieved Sept. 23, 2008, from http://21cif.imsa.edu/rkitp/ features/v1n4/leadarticle_v1_n4.html ISTE. (2007). National Educational Technology Standards for Students: The Next Generation. ISTE. Retrieved Sept. 23, 2008, from http://www.iste.org/Content/ NavigationMenu/NETS/NETS_Refresh_Forum/NETS_for_Students_2007.pdf Press release. (2006, March 24) School library media programs critical to high school reform. American Library Association. Retrieved April 11, 2006, from http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=News&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=121131 Presenter Background Main presenter: Carl Heine, Ph.D. is Director of the 21st Century Information Fluency Project at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, Aurora Illinois. He oversees research and the development of interactive learning games and interactive media used in the Project. He conducts numerous Information Fluency workshops each year in Illinois and other states, including the Illinois Principals Association, the Illinois Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, the Illinois State Library Media Association, the Illinois Educational Technology Conference, the Missouri Association of School Librarians, the Wisconsin Educational Media Association and the Alabama Educational Technology Association. Carl earned his doctorate in curriculum and instruction at the University of Chicago for research in flow and mathematical achievement. Previous leadership assignments include managing the Center for Youth Education at the College of DuPage (Glen Ellyn, IL) and directing educational programs at churches in Washington and California. Co-Presenter: Dennis O'Connor was an elementary and middle school teacher for 25 years. At the turn of the century he left the face to face classroom to become an online teacher, course designer and educational technology consultant. He earned an MS. in Online Teaching and Learning from California State University, East Bay (formerly CSU Hayward) where he also taught graduate students how to teach online. Mr. O'Connor recently earned an M.Ed in Instructional Design and Technology Integration at Western Governors University. He earned his undergraduate degree in English at the University of California, Berkeley. In 1995, groundbreaking work in technology infused interdisciplinary teaching led to a Milken National Educator Award. After working online with the ISTE, National Educational Technology Standards Project in 1998, Mr. O'Connor became a project writer developing units of practice for ISTE-NETS, Connecting Curriculum and Technology. Dennis remains active as a subject matter expert, standards review consultant and project writer for ISTE. Dennis previously worked as a Senior eLearning Architect for the 21st Century Information Fluency Program, which is sponsored by the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. He also teaches online professional development classes for the 21st Century Information Project and for the University of Wisconsin-Stout, where he is the program advisor for the E-learning and Online Teaching Graduate Certificate Program. Last year, Carl and Dennis presented a similar lecture at NECC in San Antonio and the year before were recognized as a Best of the Best for their Power Searching workshop at NECC in Atlanta.

Assessment of Information Literacy Skills

• TRAILS: Tool for Real-time Assessment of Information Literacy Skills

  Tags: 21cif, assessment

  • TRAILS is a knowledge assessment with multiple-choice questions targeting a variety of information literacy skills based on sixth and ninth grade standards. This Web-based system was developed to provide an easily accessible and flexible tool for library media specialists and teachers to identify strengths and weaknesses in the information-seeking skills of their students.

Posted from Diigo. The rest of Information Fluency group favorite links are here.

21Cif Evaluation Resources

Information Fluency Homepage

• Gateway to hundreds of free online resources focused on 21st Century Information Fluency.

  Tags: 21cif, information literacy, information fluency, evaluation, web, 2.0

  • Digital Information Fluency (DIF) is the ability to find, evaluate and use digital information effectively, efficiently and ethically.

• Internet Search Challenges - Evaluation Games

  6 online learning games that teach evaluation skills. Multiple levels. NETS alignment!

  Tags: 21cif, information fluency, learning games

• Web 2.0 Evaluation Kit

  Information Fluency Evaluation Kit. Online resources for evaluating author, publisher, bias, links, date, evidence, and accuracy.

  Tags: 21cif, information literacy, evaluation

  • Evaluating Digital Information
    

    Part Five of the series Five Things Today's Digital Generation Cannot do (and what you can do to help) discusses how searchers have to invent their own evaluation standards because schools are not teaching them.

  • Teacher's Guide: Personalized Evaluation Searches
    

    How to use Rollyo, Swiki and Google Co-op to create personalized search engines for safe Web page evaluation practice at all grade levels.
    

  • Teacher's Guide to Action Zone Evaluation Games
    

    Recommended uses for the Bad Apple and Use It! or Lose It! online evaluation games in this Kit, including tips and answers.

  • IMSA Evaluation Wizard
    

    How to use our Evaluation Wizard to assess how students evaluate what they find online. (The Evaluation wizard is a 10 step online guide to investigating websites.)
    

• Evaluating Digital Information: Introduction, Research, Resources

  In depth article on evaluation of digital resources by Dr. Carl Heine.

  Tags: 21cif, information literacy, information fluency, evaluation

• Excerpts:
  

  • Every school administrator wants to maintain a safe distance between objectionable material and impressionable students. Blocking students from potential contact with sexual predators and other mal-information is absolutely well-intended. However, blocking sites does not help students think critically about the quality of the information they retrieve or prepare them for the real world of information they encounter outside of school.
  • Teachers may contribute to the problem by introducing filters of their own into learning experiences. In practice, it works like this: a teacher wants her class to access digital information, so she conducts a search ahead of time and selects web pages she finds credible and appropriate. Students then engage in a Web quest using pages or sites that have approved content. Aside from the intended benefits of the exercise, the students have missed an opportunity to learn skills in searching and evaluating that they need in the 21st century.
  • Our research suggests that students who search for digital information are better able to judge its credibility than students who are handed information. In a pilot study, over 100 middle school students were given a question and three relevant web pages for answering it. Two of these pages were credible. The success rate for answering the question using relevant information was 73% when the task involved reading the three pre-selected pages.

• Workshop Resources: Assessing Information Fluency

  Guided tours of 21CIF resources perfect for workshop presentations. This is a series of webslide style sets of pages that detail 'Speculative Searching" and "Investigative Searching".
  

  Tags: 21cif, information literacy, information fluency, evaluation

• MicroModule: Checking the accuracy of information found on a webpage.

  A one page overview of how to check the accuracy of information. Includes a link to an online learning game to help learn essential concepts.

  Tags: 21cif, information literacy, information fluency, evaluation

  • Try this interactive micromodule companion for a hands on experience in determining the accuracy of web-based information. Test your skills at:
    

    • finding embedded evidence
    • checking evidence for accuracy
    • triangulation of data

• Information Fluency Newsletter

  Low volume, high content free newsletter to keep you posted about new resources and developments from 21cif.

  Tags: 21cif, information literacy, information fluency, evaluation, web, 2.0

  • Subscribe to our free email newsletter and receive periodic updates about 21CIF including professional development opportunities and new resources.

Posted from Diigo. The rest of Information Fluency group favorite links are here.

Fresh Start! 21cif.imsa.edu becomes 21CIF.Com

Equals = http://21cif.com

What's New?

The 21st Century Information Fluency Project has a new home!

Careful searchers know that the URL contains important evaluation information. So what does our switch from 21cif.imsa.edu to 21cif.com mean?

21cif is no longer published by the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy where it was conceived and developed. With the generous help of IMSA, the authors of the project have acquired all of the project's intellectual property rights. We are now independent publishers operating as a private company. We remain dedicated to keeping our Information Fluency research alive and thriving!

The old rule of thumb that says ".com is bad" has been irrelevant for a long time. In our case, the change from .edu to .com means our materials remain fresh and under continual revision.

All of the 21cif resources remain free. The funds needed to support our research will come from tuition or licenses for customized training, facilitated courses, and similar products.

Automatic Re-Direction of links. Our materials can still be found via 21cif.imsa.edu URLs. However, traffic is automatically re-directed to our new URL at 21cif.com. This means older links will lead directly to our new URL at 21cif.com. This will make it easier for you to update your links to our project. We are following Google's recommended procedure for maintaining our search index reputation. Our goal is to avoid broken links and create a smooth transition for all of our visitors.

What's Ahead?

• New Energy
• New Ideas
• New Games
• New Presentations
• New Workshops

Learn more about new 21cif initiatives by subscribing to our newsletter.

We look forward to working with you for many years!

Carl Heine & Dennis O'Connor
Information Fluency Partners

Diigo: InformationLiteracy / Fluency links

Join the Information Fluency Group on Diigo!



Posted from Diigo. The rest of Information Fluency group favorite links are here.

• PBS Teachers . Library Media & Tech Coordinators

  Tags: library2.0, MediaSpecialist

• Library Media & Tech Coordinators

  • PBS provides Library Media Specialists and Technology Coordinators with resources to support media and technology integration.

• CyberSmart!

  Free k-12 Curriculum featuring Information Fluency/literacy issues.
  
  Professionally prepared, available by grade level in pdf format.

  Tags: cybersmart, curriculum, cybersafety, web2.0, information fluency

  • Two free resources support daily teaching. The free CyberSmart!
    Student Curriculum empowers students to use the Internet safely, responsibly,
    and effectively. The free CyberSmart!
    Educator Toolbar puts 21st century skills into practice every day, with
    just-in-time 24/7 access to annotated essential resources to support student
    learning.

Posted from Diigo. The rest of Information Fluency group favorite links are here.

Diigo: Annotated Links from the Information Fluency Group

Join us on Diigo.




Help us build a robust social bookmarking network!

Posted from Diigo. The rest of Information Fluency group favorite links are here.

• Search Engine Optimization Glossary

  A glossary of search engine and technical terms. This is a wiki based system Handy!

  Tags: glossary

• Internet Search Challenge: Coolhunting Web 2.0
  

  Tags: coolhunting, web2.0, search

• • From Carl Heine: Working on the tech edge as usual!
    
  • The basis of coolhunting is that you can use Web 2.0 tools to locate creative swarms of individuals who are developing new ideas before they reach a tipping point. Web 2.0 forums, chat, bulletin boards, etc. (even emails) afford a window into the communication patterns of people who are engaged in creative swarms.
    
  • That means when searching Web 2.0 for information, at least 80% of people are at a distinct disadvantage. Without being involved in a conversation, they don't earn the trust of the individuals who are involved.
  • I highly recommend reading the book Coolhunting by Peter Gloor and Scott Cooper if you want to know more about social network analysis, swarm creativity, collaborative innovation networks and so on. There are some very powerful search tools in this field that are like Google on steroids. I'll blog about that later.

• North America – 360 Cities

  Virtual Worlds: Visit a city online! 360 degree photo images of cities around the world. (Search engine)
  

  Tags: photo, photography

• What is Moodle explained with Lego

  Very clever and clear slide show that illustrates what Moodle is and what it can do. We teach our online classes using Moodle and the learning games we have online are quite modular. The Lego Brick analogy fits!
  
  Audience: educators / trainers interested in e-learning and online teaching.

  Tags: moodle, slideshow

• Geezers online and implications for schools

  From Doug Johnson's Blue Skunk Blog. Doug provides a link to the new Generations Online in 2009 report from the Pew Internet project. The chart of Generational Differences In Online Activities is an eye opener. (Since I have geezer eyeballs, the title of this post really appeals to me!) As always Doug writes with humor and insight. If you haven't read his Blue Skunk Blog... you're missing something great!
  

  Tags: e-learning, online education, demographics, blue-skunk, doug johnson

  • While school leaders (rightly) focus on the importance of the Internet in students' lives and education, we ought to also seriously be considering what this report says about how we communicate with our parents and communities. And asking what expectations we should have of all teachers of an online presence and use of digital communications.
  • Most of our parents fall smack into the Gen X category - that which has a disproportionately high percentage number of online users and is increasingly likely to look for information online.
  • Too often educators think of students as their "customers." Dangerous mistake. Children no more choose their schools than they choose their physicians or shoe stores. Parents who wouldn't choose a bank that does not allow online account access won't choose a school that doesn't offer online gradebook access either.

Posted from Diigo. The rest of Information Fluency group favorite links are here.

Technologically Illiterate Teachers?

Hmm... Let me check. Yep! It's the 21st Century and the first decade is almost gone!

NOW is the time for INFORMATION FLUENCY.

• The Fischbowl: Is It Okay To Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?

  I read this post several years ago and it got my blood moving. The author, Karl Fisch lays it on the line. This post was voted the most influential ed-blog post of 2007. It's 2009 already and still a very relevant piece of work. A must read!

  Tags: e-learning, professional-development, technology integration, 21cif, information fluency

  • Here is my list:
    
    1. All educators must achieve a basic level of technological capability.
    
    2. People who do not meet the criterion of #1 should be embarrassed, not proud, to say so in public.
    
    3. We should finally drop the myth of digital natives and digital immigrants. Back in July 2006 I said in my blog, in the context of issuing guidance to parents about e-safety:
    
    "I'm sorry, but I don't go for all this digital natives and immigrants stuff when it comes to this: I don't know anything about the internal combustion engine, but I know it's pretty dangerous to wander about on the road, so I've learnt to handle myself safely when I need to get from one side of the road to the other."
  • 4. Headteachers and Principals who have staff who are technologically-illiterate should be held to account.
    
    5. School inspectors who are technologically illiterate should be encouraged to find alternative employment.
    
    6. Schools, Universities and Teacher training courses who turn out students who are technologically illiterate should have their right to a licence and/or funding questioned.
    
    7. We should stop being so nice. After all, we've got our qualifications and jobs, and we don't have the moral right to sit placidly on the sidelines whilst some educators are potentially jeopardising the chances of our youngsters.
  • If a teacher today is not technologically literate - and is unwilling to make the effort to learn more - it's equivalent to a teacher 30 years ago who didn't know how to read and write.
    
    Extreme? Maybe. Your thoughts?
  • Keep in mind that was written after a particularly frustrating day. I’ve gone back and forth on this issue myself. At times completely agreeing with Terry (and myself above), and at other times stepping back and saying that there’s so much on teacher’s plates that it’s unrealistic to expect them to take this on as quickly as I’d like them to. But then I think of our students, and the fact that they don't much care how much is on our plates. As I've said before, this is the only four years these students will have at our high school - they can't wait for us to figure it out.
  • In order to teach it, we have to do it. How can we teach this to kids, how can we model it, if we aren’t literate ourselves? You need to experience this, you need to explore right along with your students. You need to experience the tools they’ll be using in the 21st century, developing your own networks in parallel with your students. You need to demonstrate continual learning, lifelong learning – for your students, or you will continue to teach your students how to be successful in an age that no longer exists
  • If a teacher today is not technologically literate - and is unwilling to make the effort to learn more - it's equivalent to a teacher 30 years ago who didn't know how to read and write.

• ASCD Inservice: The Curse of the Digitally Illiterate

  A solid and timely article about the professional responsibility all educators have to become digitally literate. The comments on this blog are particularly good. You get a real feel for what's happening in the trenches

  Tags: 21cif, information fluency, information literacy, professional-development, teacher training

  • In his article in the February Educational Leadership ("Learning with Blogs and Wikis"), Bill Ferriter argues that digital tools like RSS feeds and aggregators help educators advance their professional learning. But first, some teachers need to join the ranks of the literate
  • Sadly, digital illiteracy is more common that you might think in schools. There are hundreds of teachers that haven't yet mastered the kinds of tools that have become a part of the fabric of learning—and life—for our students. We ban cell phones, prohibit text messaging, and block every Web application that our students fall in love with. We see gaming as a corrupting influence in the lives of children and remain convinced that Google is making us stupid.

Posted from Diigo. The rest of Information Fluency group favorite links are here.