Voices of Future Generations English - Blog , Sustainability

Teaching Children Information Literacy - the voice of Sanam Bozorgi

Thu, 04 May 2023 15:04:20 +0400

Teaching Children Information Literacy

Often, when students enter college or university, they lack good information literacy skills.

What do we mean by this? Essentially, information literacy is the ability of a child to:

Decide what information is needed.
Be able to make choices about the different types of information available both in print and electronically.
Be able to locate and select relevant resources to satisfy an information need.
Be discerning and evaluative about the information that is found, and the process used to find it, and apply it to informed decision-making.

However, it is often the case that students, both at school and in higher education, rely too heavily on sources that are not suitable, such as Google or Wikipedia.

As such, it is crucial that we lay the background in school to improve students’ awareness of the concept of information literacy and why it is essential for their long-term education.

One of the most significant benefits of teaching information literacy to students is that it equips them with the skills they need to find and evaluate information critically. With ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence systems, students have access to a wealth of information, but not all of it is accurate or reliable. Therefore, it is essential for students to learn how to distinguish between accurate and inaccurate information and how to evaluate the credibility of sources.

Another critical benefit of teaching information literacy in AI era is that it helps students become better communicators. With the rise of digital communication, it has become more important than ever to be able to communicate effectively and to understand how to use digital tools appropriately. By teaching information literacy, educators can help students learn how to communicate their ideas effectively and how to use digital tools such as ChatGPT responsibly.

In addition, teaching information literacy can help students develop self-directed learning skills. Self-directed learning involves taking responsibility for one's learning, setting goals, and pursuing knowledge independently. With the vast amount of information available online, it has become more important than ever for students to develop the skills they need to learn independently.

One way to achieve this is by developing a whole-school information literacy curriculum that is embedded within the academic discipline, flexible, holistic, and student-centered.

However, it is not just about what is included in the curriculum; it is also about how it is delivered. The best approach is to collaborate between librarians and teachers to understand what students need and to design lessons that meet their needs.

After all, think of reading-comprehension skills that begin in the Foundation Stage and continue throughout school; the skills are built upon with appropriate instruction at each stage of learning.

This is the ideal approach to information literacy: introducing the skills in the early years, building on them as the student advances through primary school, and introducing new concepts of knowledge-seeking and analysis as they progress.

The key is that by incorporating these ideas into the students learning experience before university or college, they are familiar with these processes on arrival and in a far better position to take their learning forward, rather than grappling with new learning conventions.

Voice of Sanam Bozorgi

Sanam Bozorgi is a Teacher Librarian at The Arbor school, in this blog she argues the importance of teaching information literacy throughout school and how it helps students to understand the nuances of misinformation before they enter the higher education.

The International Day of Friendship - the voice of Stephen Ritz

Tue, 28 Jul 2020 18:49:51 +0400

One of the best lessons I’ve learned in UAE via my dear friend Dr. Abdulla al Karam of KHDA is that “the desire for happiness is what binds us all together” and while we all have different experiences and expectations, friendship is the secret sauce that makes our world and our lives so delicious and satisfying – it is the human glue that binds our souls.

Just five years ago, I arrived in UAE, a stranger in a foreign land, little did I know, I would find my second home. Here I was able to share my stories, my experiences and my passion, purpose and hope with people from all around the world. Simply put, the common denominator was empathy and compassion; the fundamentals of friendship. Today, I am planting seeds and growing happy, healthy children across The Emirates. And here, in the one of the most diverse communities in the world, friendship has taught me that what binds us together is far greater than our differences; and that our collective human potential, is the greatest resource in the world!

As a little child, I grew up believing that we must love people and not things; that relationships with people are our most precious possessions – things that could not be willed but instead were built over time with trust and commitment truly define who we are. Every day and even every crisis, presents a new opportunity. Today, we celebrate the International Day of Friendship and I too, celebrate all of my international friendships and all of you!

To think that this Bronx, New York, son of an immigrant calls The Sustainable City his second home, that I work with an amazing network of international schools via Esol Education, that I call HH The Green Sheikh my brother, and that through Emirates Literature Foundation, I have been able to make friends and inspire people all across The Emirates and outwardly to the world speaks to the power of friendship – one person and one relationship at a time; together we can light the world! Now more than ever, we are global citizens, colleagues, and collaborators. I am so grateful for our friendship!

In this age of the COVID Virus, we have learned many lessons, and while the world is staying apart, we are also coming together. We understand that our lives together are a journey without an end and that our friends are like the stars – they guide us day and night whether we see them or not. We are leveraging technology, relationships and each other to unite in ways that were unimaginable – we can grow separately and infinitely without growing apart. Whether in person or via Zoom, I’m proud to celebrate all of us and be a seed spreader and peace promoter! Together, we make epic happen!

Human spirit and capacity are undeniable! Now more than ever, I want friendship to be contagious, for our collective spirit to be the anti-virus, and for compassion, trust and understanding to be our new shared curriculum and language.

Favourite childhood book? Jonathan and The Dragon by Irwin Shapiro

Favourite book right now? Spirit of Altruism by HH Green Sheikh

Favourite lesson at school? Seed Propagation and Reading to Plants

Favourite animal/lifeform? Camels and Sunflowers / Edible Plants

Favourite hero/heroine? My Father / My Grandmothers / Michelle Obama / Maya Angelou

Stephen Ritz in an educator, urban farmer, author, founder of Green Bronx Machine and part time resident of UAE at The Sustainable City where he works as Director of Health, Wellness and Education for Esol Education. He was a Top Ten Finalist in the Global Teacher Prize. He has worked with KHDA, presented at Emirates Festival of Literature, Sharjah Book Fair, Abu Dhabi International Book Fair and scores of schools across The Emirates – all to standing ovations. Presently, he is working on series of UAE based children’s books and environmental initiatives with his adopted brother, HH The Green Sheikh. He loves riding camels, eating hummus, urban farming and is super excited about Expo 2020. Follow Stephen across all social platforms @StephenRitz or email him at stephen@stephenritz.com.