A further reflection of last week lecture 08/08/2017

1.      The difference between “Bibliographic Instruction” and “Information Literacy”

At a glance, their seem to be no difference between “Bibliographic Instruction” and “Information Literacy”. Their purpose and content looks very similar. But one has to look “deeper” as to excavate the differences.

The addition of “information” to the term literacy by librarians makes them lean towards literacy movements. Consider then “Information literacy” as a “condition”, that condition being “literacy” that needs to be drummed into the individual, with the end result being a literate individual. This Information literacy skill would be vital in seeking knowledge as it entails recognising when information is (broader approach) needed and to effectively locate, evaluate, use and to clearly communicate information in all its formats. Whereas   “Bibliographic Instruction” also termed “Library instruction” is considered a methodology or even a discipline whereby library users are taught how to quickly and effectively find the information they need. “Bibliographic Instruction” is generally associated with earlier periods in library education, with a focus on library orientation that was “shallow” and printed source focused. Not so similar now is it.

2.      What key factors have led to the evolution of the teacher librarian’s role over the decades?

The role of librarians are continually evolving as to meet the ever changing technological and social needs. The desktop computers use for research and teaching, electronic databases, networked information sources and the information explosion of the internet has irreversibly changed the library. Furthermore, technology has altered the information behaviour of society, which in turn triggered the librarian to reinvent him/herself. What started as Library orientation, then led to Bibliographic instruction and finally to Information literacy (key to lifelong learning). The teacher-librarian promotes literature and the reading thereof, manages information and ideas (written and digital). The modern librarian functions as an instructor of essentially information literacy skills, reading activist and an information manager. in a nutshell, an information Super-person.

1.     

Reflection of lecture 15/08/2017

My understanding of learning theories is that of conceptual frameworks, defining how information are taken in by learners/students, processed and absorbed during the educational processes. One’s emotional, cognitive, experience and context all play a part in how an understanding, or a perspective, is attained or transformed and skills and knowledge retained.

The power of student-driven learning: Shelley Wright at TEDxWestVancouverED  

If you visit the above link. You will see how a teacher discarded all her traditional teaching methods, how she learnt to believe in her students more. More importantly, how the students learnt how to believe more in themselves and their ability.

Over the years past 100 years or so, academics have proposed theories to describe and explain the learning process: Behaviourist, Cognitivist, Constructivist, Social and Contextual.