Critical Literacy in Accessing Internet Reference Resources

 

“The one real goal of education is to leave a person asking questions.” 

Max Beerbohm

What is critical literacy?

    Critical literacy is an aspect of critical thinking. "Critical literacy involves looking beyond the literal meaning of a text to determine what is present and what is missing, in order to analyse and evaluate the text’s complete meaning and the author’s intent. Critically literate students understand that meaning is not found in texts in isolation." (Province of Ontario, 2024).  In order for students to be critically literate they need to consider points of view, context, the background of the author, and gaps in the text. (summarized from Province of Ontario, 2024).

    Students who are critically literate can analyse media messages and figure out motives and underlying messages. They should be able to spot biases and have ideas as to whose perspectives have been left out.  As teacher-librarians we have opportunities to engage in critical discussions of texts. "Such discussions empower students to understand the impact on members of society that was intended by the text’s creators. Language and communication are never neutral: they are used to inform, entertain, persuade, and manipulate.” (Province of Ontario, 2024).

    In Achieving Information Literacy, it says, “The major learning outcome for the school library program is to develop students who are information literate.” (Asselin, 2006). 

How can I introduce critical literacy in my library learning commons?

    Introducing critical literacy with students can be done many ways. Picture books and current events are accessible and easy to build into lessons where critical thinking can be the focus of the discussion. 

A great book to use with students

    There are many online lessons that have been created to teach critical thinking for students viewing internet sources. 

    Project Real has a series of online lessons for teachers. The lessons were created by young people, social media experts and teachers in the UK. The lessons are best for older students in grades 6 and up. Fake News, Fake Photos, Fake People, Fake Stories, Fake Videos, and Keeping It Real are the titles of their lessons. 

    Keep It Real Online is produced by the government of New Zealand.  The messages in the videos are strong but delivered with humour. I especially like how the message is directed to the parent who then turns to their child to discuss the issue. They are a terrific springboard for discussions about internet safety. Keep It Real Online: Grooming, Keep It Real Online: Bullying, Keep It Real Online: Pornography are a couple of great examples. They also have brief online messages about Unsolicited Pics, and Pressuring for Pics, Blackmail, and Toxic Online Gaming. 

    The Control F Program by CIVIX is a Canadian 7 hour, 4 part program that is available to teachers free with registration. It focuses on 'lateral reading' strategies: verifying the source, investigating the source, checking the claim, and tracing the information.

    The Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus is one of my favourite lessons to do with young students. Over the years, it has taken a life of its own, as people have added online 'images' and videos. 

    I like to follow up with a game of "Fake or Real Photo?," using images found online. Meet the Really Big Bunnies is a CBC news article about a farmer with Flemish Giant Rabbits. Students love my story when I told a student that the photos of the bunnies were fake. I was wrong, of course. 

    National Geographic Kids has a game-show called  Real or Fake? They ask kids to separate fact from fiction. I have challenged students to create a series of their own game questions which they need to cite. It works well presented as a Canva or PowerPoint presentation. 

    CBC Kids has Fact or Fake- Can you tell the difference online?. This site has videos, games and news articles suitable for younger students. I like that is has Canadian examples and the videos are a mix of animation and live action. 

Why is teaching Critical Literacy important?

    In Achieving Information Literacy, it says, “If each school library were to have a teacher-librarian who taught children and youth the skills necessary to be effective users of information in all its forms, a powerful mechanism would be in place for enabling Canadian children and youth to be literate citizens, lifelong learners, and contributing adults in a learning society.”  (Asselin, 2006).  Everyone likes to be right. Teaching students critical literacy skills is a fun and empowering way to help them on their journey to being literate citizens. With the increased use of AI in image production, writing, sound production and pretty much everything, it will be more important than ever to make sure our students are able to critically think about what they see and read. 

    In Citizenship in the Age of Data: The Critical Role of Libraries for Digital Literacy the authors state, "In a word, libraries are resilient. Their resilience provides both a beacon and a refuge in the digital age. As technologies evolve so do public libraries. They continue to empower and educate our communities, modelling what it means to be a digital citizen. Libraries and librarians must embrace their critical role in the digital, democratic transformation. Policymakers need to see libraries as part of their solutions for creating a digitally-informed public, recognizing librarians’ expertise in data management and curation, and the community trust that libraries foster." (O'Connor, Sobol, Wong, 2023). Although this article describes the importance of public libraries in the role of informing citizens, similar connections can be make for school libraries. As teachers, and Teacher-librarians we have the enormous responsibility to teach students information literacy skills in a time when our students are being bombarded by unlimited amounts of information.  We have many opportunities to do this in teaching most subject areas, including as a subject area of its own. 

Grade 12 Assessment Rubric BC Curriculum

    Our BC Curriculum includes teaching critical literacy, through English Language Arts, Social Studies, Applied Design, Skills and Technology (ADST), as well as in teaching the Core Competencies. 

    I can't help but feel like Jean Piaget could glimpse into the future when he wrote, “The principal goal of education in the schools should be creating men and women who are capable of doing new things, not simply repeating what other generations have done; men and women who are creative, inventive, and discoverers, who can be critical and verify, and not accept, everything they are offered.” (Piaget, 1952). 

Works Cited

Asselin, M., et al. Achieving Information Literacy: Standards for School Library Programs in Canada. The Canadian School Library Association, 2006.

“Building Student Success: BC’s Curriculum.” Edited by BC Ministry of Education, BC’s Curriculum, BC Ministry of Education, Oct. 2023, curriculum.gov.bc.ca/.

O’Connor, Fiona, Sobol, Barbara, Wong, Wendy. The Critical Role of Libraries for Digital Literacy. Toronto Star, December 30, 2023. (accessed March 29, 2024).

Ontario Ministry of Education. “Curriculum and Resources.” Curriculum and Resources: Discover What Students Are Learning, Province of Ontario, Oct. 2023, www.dcp.edu.gov.on.ca/en/.

Piaget, Jean. The Origins of Intelligence in Children, International Universities Press. University of Michigan,  1952.

Riedling, A. M., & Houston, C. Reference Skills for the School Librarian: Tools and Tips. 4th ed., Libraries Unlimited, 2019.

Webliography

The critical role of libraries for digital literacy (thestar.com)

[PDF] Creating Critical Literacy Skills For Young Learners At Primary School | Semantic Scholar

Curriculum | Building Student Success - B.C. Curriculum (gov.bc.ca)

Lessons | Project Real

CTRL-F: Find the Facts — Digital Media Literacy

Save The Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus (zapatopi.net)

Meet the really big bunnies that call a Nova Scotia farm home | CBC News

Real or Fake? (nationalgeographic.com)

Five Ways to Spot a Fake (turnitin.com)

Fact or fake — can you tell the difference online? | Quizzes | CBC Kids

Real or Fake photo Game - Play the Game - Take the Quiz! (fakeaphoto.com)

The critical role of libraries for digital literacy (thestar.com)

 

Province of Ontario. Curriculum and Resources: Program Planning. (accessed March 29, 2024).

Evaluation of a Reference Work: Countries Around the World

“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.”

– Jawaharial Nehru

    A significant resource that needs exploration and purchasing at our school is non-fiction informational books about countries. There are four classes that require their students to use an inquiry process to learn about a country of their choice. "Teachers who use the inquiry-based approach view every learning opportunity as a place for student engagement in inquiry."(BCTLA,2022).  The process of selecting a country, unpacking the requirements of the report, collecting information, assessing the information, writing, editing and presenting takes about four months. 

    Assessing the accuracy of information is an important and timely process for students. “Today’s students learn in a dynamic world where information changes and expands as fast as technological innovation. Information that grows exponentially and comes in multiple formats is presented without prior expert editing for truth or reliability, often without logical organization and frequently with a very short ‘shelf life.’” (BCTLA, 2022). Embedding the assessment of resources into the inquiry process is new for many grade 6 students. It can be an added frustration for students to discover that their online or print source is inaccurate, outdated, or irrelevant. During the inquiry process, students have found the need to check multiple sources for current data on population, or accurate names of specific government leaders. In our ever changing global climate having current print resources is a helpful starting point in inquiry.

   The grade 6 teachers developed the Country Assignment as a Language Arts Inquiry Assignment. Students are required to write in a persuasive tone so that readers would like to visit their country of choice while providing information about population, culture, sports, wildlife, geographic features, climate, and destination sites. One of the Grade 6 Language Arts Big Ideas is, “Exploring stories and other texts helps us understand ourselves and make connections to others and to the world.” (BC Ministry of Education, 2022). Students need to use multiple print and digital sources for information. They are required to make a full sized tri-fold display board showcasing their report, images, and bibliography. They will also be presenting orally to parents and peers.

  

    

    One of the relevant Grade 6 Communication Core Competencies from Building Student Success is Acquiring and Presenting Information, "Students communicate by receiving and presenting information. They inquire into topics of interest and topics related to their studies. They acquire information from a variety of sources, including people, print materials, and media; this may involve listening, viewing, or reading, and requires understanding of how to interpret information. They present information for many purposes and audiences, and their presentations often feature media and technology."

   

  It is required that students use at least two print resources from which to gather notes. Our library has a selection of books about a variety of countries but they are outdated. There is also a disproportionate number of books on a few countries. For example, in our library there are many titles on France, but none on Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, or Ireland, all of which were chosen for reports this year.

    Last year a number of books about countries were purchased from the Blastoff! Exploring Countries series. This is the publication that was also recommended by other teacher-librarians. In general, the books are suitable but were published between 2010 and 2015. At approximately $25 a book, it seems like a lot of money to spend on an outdated source. After searching the public library resources with students, we found that the most suitable books were travel guides. They were the most current, informative print books available. I met with teachers giving the assignment and suggested that I look into purchasing some travel guide books for the library. They agreed that building a collection of ‘country’ guide books would be helpful to students. While allowing the students to choose their country gives them creative freedom, it also creates a challenge. There are currently 195 recognized countries in the world. It is unrealistic to have a book on every country before students choose. There are some general trends over the years for country choice, and some obvious gaps from this year. It is these gaps that I am exploring resources for to fill the immediate need. 

    Using the 'selection criteria for reference material' in Achieving Information Literacy: Standards for School Library Programs in Canada (Asselin, 2006), Reference Skills for the School Librarian (Reidling, 2019), and from Focused Education (Focused Ed, 2022), I designed a rubric to help evaluate reference resources and its usefulness in our school program. I tried to make the rubric comprehensive but flexible enough to be used to evaluate any resource material. 

    After looking through travel guides at both the library and book stores, I concluded that the most suitable books for our school needs were the DK Eyewitness books, and Insight Guides. Both of these resources were recently updated, had a larger font for ease of reading, many large images, detailed maps, in-depth information on history and culture as well as access to online material. The Lonely Planet books had fewer images, and dedicated large sections of the books to specific costs of accommodation and food.

    The DK Eyewitness books range in price from $ 27. 33- $35. 99 CA at Indigo Books which had the best prices and widest selection of Countries. Depending on the country, the newest edition of books were published in 2022, or 2023.  Over 40 different country Guide books are available, not including features on major cities, which have their own guide book. Indigo offers a school discount. Ordering from DK directly converted prices into pounds and required shipping from the United Kingdom adding significantly to the cost.  I completed the Selection Criteria Rubric using the DK Eyewitness Australia book.

    The country books that have been requested for priority this year are Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Brazil, and Norway. To purchase guide books for 5 countries is: $114.25, and minus the school discount of $17.14, totals $97.25 plus tax, is $104.06. With a collection plan in mind, each year the school library budget could set aside approximately $100 each year to continue building the country travel guide resources in the library. 

       The DK Eyewitness books contain the information needed by students to contribute to their reports. The travel guides have a table of contents, an index, and colour coded chapters to different parts of the featured country. The books have detailed maps, graphics, and beautiful photography making them more visual than other guide books. The guide books recommend online sites to provide more information about specific features in the books. In particular, it listed an authentic Indigenous website to direct readers to learn more about Australia's Indigenous Peoples. I feel the DK Eyewitness books would be a suitable print resource for students to use in combination with online sources to collect information for their reports.

    In addition to the travel guides, two other resources that are suitable and will added to the library collection are The Lonely Planet Kids: The Travel Book (Lonely Planet, 2022) for $27. 91, and The Lonely Planet Kids: Amazing World Atlas (By Alexa Ward, 2020) for $27.56. Both books are visual, with useful information and designed with appeal to all ages. There is a limited amount of information on each country but both books provide an excellent starting point for further inquiry. 

    As I become more experienced in assessing resource materials, I suspect I will simplify the Selection Criteria rubric to make the form more streamlined, and allowing space to assess a few resources on one rubric. It has become apparent to me through this assignment that I really need to browse the print copy of the book myself, rather than rely on reviews. In knowing my students, I can already guess which ones are going to be excited when these resources are ready for circulation.

References and Works Cited

Asselin, M., et al. Achieving Information Literacy: Standards for School Library Programs in Canada. The Canadian School Library Association, 2006.

British Columbia, Ministry of Education (n.d.). Core competencies. Victoria, BC: Ministry of Education. https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/competencies

Dorling, Kindersley, DK Eyewitness Australia, London, United Kingdom, 2022.

Ekdahl, M., M. Farquharson, J. Robinson, L. Turner. (2022). The Points of Inquiry: A Framework for In- formation Literacy and the 21st Century Learner.: Revised ed. Vancouver, BC: British Columbia Teacher-Librarians’ Association. (Original Work published 2010)

Focused Education Resources: Learning Resource Selection Model, Focused Education, Nov. 2022, focusedresources.ca/en/k12.

Lonely Planet, The Travel Book 2 2nd Ed.: 2nd Edition: A Journey Through Every Country in the World, New York, 2022.

Riedling, A. M., & Houston, C. Reference Skills for the School Librarian: Tools and Tips. 4th ed., Libraries Unlimited, 2019.

Ward, Alexa. 22nd ed., Lonely Planet Amazing World Atlas 22nd ed., Lonely Planet, New York, 2020.