Initial thoughts about Information Literacy

Although this is titled "initial thoughts", it isn't true that I haven't been thinking about information literacy before this topic.  In fact, it was several weeks ago, when the term started coming up more and more  that I  went on a search to try and nail down exactly what it meant. Which is when I discovered that it was complicated, and everyone seemed to have their own idea about what it might be.  It felt like trying to hold a handful of sand without spilling any.  Everytime I thought I was getting somewhere with my understanding, I'd read something else that would disagree, or flat out contradict what I'd thought.  I remember deciding at one point that my mind was too mundane to understand.

And then I started reading through the topic four readings, and Herring and Langford both stated outright, that Information Literacy is hard to define, because everyone seems to have a slightly different idea about what it might mean.  Yeah, no kidding.

I quite like Herring's list of what Information Literate students can do.  That was helpful.  Information literacy seems to be the ability to think about what you need to know, make decisions about where you might find it, and if it is a source with authority, how you might present it, how it fits with what you already know.  Lots of metacognitive stuff.  I wonder if I am information literate?  I think I'm still developing.

Incidentally, I love that I have a dictionary widget on my desktop.  I use it every day.  More than once.  I know a LOT of words, my vocabulary is reasonably extensive, but I need that dictionary.  It's awesome.

And I really like the PLUS model.  It makes a lot of sense to me.  Although Eisenberg had me converted to the Big 6 model when I read that too.  I like that it isn't necessarily a linear process, that you can go back and forth as needed.  It makes the way I work seem more purposeful.  Sort of.

Eisenberg also said that information literacy isn't just about knowing what we do need, and getting it.  It's also about understanding what we don't need, and filtering that out.  I'm not good at that bit.  I want to hoard all my information, I'm not good at letting go of the things I don't need, because I might need them in the future.  If my computer was made of books, it would look like this:

I would prefer it to look like this:

without the plants, because I would just kill them.

This is because I have all these stupid files with notes on things I've read that I Might Need One Day.  And I don't really understand how the trash can on the mac works, sometimes it does, other times, it doesn't.

But, I digress, although I'm very pleased that I can insert pictures into my blog with so little bother.   you learn something new every day.

I have something to say about the Langford article, or book chapter or whatever it was.  And I'm not going to be very nice about it.  I didn't like it.  I thought it was badly written, and boring.  She spent over half the article waffling about how difficult it was to define information literacy (yes it is).  Compared to Eisenberg and Herring, I got nothing out of it.  Thats probably all I have to say about that.  Sorry Langford.


I'm still waiting for a really pithy description of what information literacy is. 

Assignment 1

It's been a long time between essays for me, 11 years since I finished my Graduate Diploma of Education, and university has changed a great deal in that time.  And to be honest, I've changed.  As I get older, near enough is no longer good enough, and I look back on my post school university experience, which is even further away, a good 20 years in fact, and I am no longer that person.  I was so much lazier then, and my brain didn't seem as stretchy as it is now.  There is no way I could have completed a Bachelor of Arts and had the responsibility of running (or perhaps co-piloting would be more accurate, as a work from home husband has certainly changed the way our home life functions) a household of 6 people, and ensuring that all their different needs are met.  I wish my organisational side had developed a bit more, sometimes it seems like I am drowning, in paper, in dust, in laundry. 

The first essay for 401 has been challenging.  It was quite a complex task, comparing the two different authors, and at first it felt like I was trying to compare apples and turnips, they were so dissimilar.  In the beginning, I felt that Purcell had the upper hand.  All those neat headings.  But reading, and rereading the Herring chapter, (and rerereading, and again), I discovered that I really liked what he had to say.  Not in a "I have to like it, because I know he lectures on this subject, and I'm probably going to run across him over the next two or three or four years", but a genuine respect for his ideas.  Although a few headings wouldn't have gone astray. 

I have been consumed by the essay writing process.  And the next essay I write, I will be more organised as far as referencing goes.  In my defence, I was organised.  And I had all the articles neatly stashed in a folder on my desktop labelled 401 assignment 1.  I had loads of notes, and quotes ready to use.  I had the names of the articles, page numbers, dates.  Everything.  Almost.  I overlooked the whole "include a URL if you accessed it online".  Sigh.  It took hours to re-find all those articles.  Hours and tears of frustration.  Fortunately, I'm blessed with a loving family, and a dear patient friend, who sat with me, searching for articles, making me cups of tea and building me up when I despaired.  And I did find them all in the end.  The worst part of the process was seeing all the promising looking articles I could have used, but missed the first time round.  And knowing that I was already far too far over the word limit to even seriously consider trying to pack more into that miniscule word limit.


Last night I finally bit the bullet, and had a serious look at reducing the word count.  I was at 2377, too far over the 10% grace that is allowed.  I had to lose 177 words.  And I did.  Not one word more than that though.  My word count sits right at 2200 words.  I cannot possibly sacrifice even one more word.  I'll never be a write of short stories, it just isn't in me. 

So I thought that today, as well as trying to catch up and make a good start on Topic 4, I'd also resurrect this poor neglected blog.  I'll try to put a serious post up tomorrow about all the reading I've done today.  Reading I've enjoyed.  My brain is so limber now, and I am getting the "totally engaged and focussed" feeling that I like so much.  Onwards.