Bellingham Schools
Course Outline:
Information Literacy
and the Net

This eight hour staff development course emphasizes student investigations as vehicles to explore the information available over the Internet. The course engages participants in learning the Research Cycle, several types of literacy, Gardner's Seven Intelligences and much more.

This course is primarily about Information Literacy and Information Problem-Solving. Learning to use the software is secondary.

You are welcome to link to these lessons and use in your setting, for other uses please contact
Dr. Nancy Messmer for permission (nmessmer@bham.wednet.edu).

Module 1

Question: What is Information Literacy? How many other literacies exist?

Achievement Targets: Construct a working definition of the concept "information literacy" and gain an overview of class goals and content.

Delivery Strategy: This an opportunity for small group discussion and the introduction of "learning journals" which participants will keep open throughout all the sessions on a word processor.
Go to Module One

Module 2

Question: What is Visual Literacy?

Achievement Targets:
1) Construct a definition of visual literacy
2) Explore some visual resources on the Net
3) Learn to save graphics
4) Learn to navigate: the Back button, the File menu, the Stop button

Delivery Strategy : Visit the Library of Congress site and explore its great collections of photographs, stopping to analyze one photograph in considerable depth. For this lesson go to Visual Literacy

Module 3

Question: What is Textual Literacy?

Achievement Targets:
1) Construct definition of text literacy
2) Explore electronic text resources on the Net
3) Learn more about how to navigate with Internet Explorer: parts of the URL (the web site location or address)
4) Learn to save text files by copying and pasting text or saving a file to the "H" drive

Delivery Strategy: Participants will visit Project Bartleby at Columbia in order to see how electronic text differs from hard copy. For this lesson go to Textual Literacy

Module 4

Question : What is Numerical Literacy?

Achievement Targets:
1) Construct definition of numerical literacy
2) Explore some numerical resources on the Net
3) Learn how to save and then use datasets with a spreadsheet
4) File Management: anticipating the need for directories

Delivery Strategy: Visit the U.S. Census site and compare two counties in Connecticut using the data found there. For this lesson Go to Numerical Literacy

Module 5

Question: How might we use the Research Cycle to achieve literacy and build insight?

Achievement Targets: Review the steps of the Research Cycle.

Delivery Strategy: Readings showing students working through the steps.

For this lesson go to: Research Cycle!

Module 6

Question: In what ways do we gather information?

Achievement Targets: Gather information from the Web in order to make a decision on 'Which City is Best?'

Delivery Strategy: Compare and contrast parks and recreation information about three cities using Mapquest

For this lesson go to: Gathering Information

Module 7

Question: How might we Sort, Analyze and Synthesize Information most effectively?

Achievement Targets: Create an answer from the information gathered.

Delivery Strategy: Synthesize findings recorded in your word processing document during Module 6

For this lesson go to: Sorting, Analyzing and Synthesizing Information

Module 8

Question: How do we provide the social foundations and group skills needed to make this kind of research work? How will we measure student progress with literacy?

Achievement Targets: Work with the District Essential Student Learnings and various documents to develop information literacy and assessment tools throughout the research cycle.

Delivery Strategy: Review and consider use of assessment documents

For this lesson go to: Assessment, Teamwork, and Essential Student Learnings

Module 9

Question: In what ways could this type of learning support multiple intelligences and different learning styles?

Achievement Targets: Create strategies for different learning styles and intelligences.

Delivery Strategy: Explore a page of definitions outlining and explaining Gardner's Multiple Intelligences.

For this lesson go to: Multiple Intelligences

Module 10

Question: Where are the good curriculum resources on the Web and how might I use them?

Achievement Targets: Begin marking your favorite or most useful sites in your Bookmarks/Favorites file.

Delivery Strategy: Visit sites on District Curriculum Pages. Go to Curriculum Page lesson.

Module 11

Question: Where are the good teacher resources on the Web and how might I use them?

Achievement Targets: Continue working with and saving good teaching materials in your Bookmarks/Favorites file.

Delivery Strategy: Visit, evaluate and consider the value of teacher sites. Go to Teacher Sites lesson.

Module 12

Question: Where are the good information sites for virtual field trips, weather and daily news? How might I use them?

Achievement Targets: Continue working with and saving Bookmarks/Favorite for other types of sites you might use with students.

Delivery Strategy: Visit, evaluate and consider the value of virtual field trips, weather and daily news sections of the district home page. Go to Real Time Research Resource lesson.

Module 13

Question: Now that I've visited a variety of good sites, how will I use this information to design an effective learning experience for students?

Achievement Targets: Collect and use pre-selected sites with students to develop their research skills.

Delivery Strategy: Pick one site that has potential to develop the research cycle, and create a lesson involving an essential question to use with a specific group of students.

Module 14

Question: How do we use indexes and search engines to find information efficiently on the Web?

Go to lesson.

Achievement Targets: Use Search Engines and Index Web Sites to find information on the world wide web.

Delivery Strategy: Participants will test the features of two different search engines in order to see which one returns the best information in the top ten "hits." They will also learn how indexes differ from search engines.

Module 15

Question: How do I connect globally using Telecommunications and Mail?

Achievement Targets: Learn about Global activities sites for students. Learn and use email to send information to other teachers and students.

Delivery Strategy: With you and your partner's classroom needs in mind, review five or more activities from each of these groups: Problem Solving Projects, Information Collections, and Interpersonal Exchanges. During the second half of the module, in small groups, explain how you could use the lessons effectively with your students. Internet Projects

Module 16

Question: How does your lesson plan support the district policy?

Achievement Targets: Know and use the Bellingham School District Board Policy to reinforce Internet Policy and Procedures with Students.

Delivery Strategy: Scan the District Policy to see its main components. Relate the policy to lesson plans.

Go to the Policy lesson . . .

Credits: This class was invented by the following Bellingham staff members: Tara Felder, John Schick, Carolyn Hinshaw, Linda Lamb, Eileen Andersen, Dar New, Jamie McKenzie, and Mary Gilson.

Bellingham Public Schools, 1306 Dupont, Bellingham, WA 98225
(360) 676-6400

Return to Bellingham Schools Home Page

Copyright Notice
Copyright, 1999, 1996, Bellingham Public Schools. All rights reserved. These lessons may be copied by non-profit, public learning institutions only for use with their own staff. If they are used in this manner, proper credit must be given on each page citing the source. All other purposes are expressly prohibited without explicit permission.
Revised 4/1/99