Information Literacy and Teacher Education. ERIC Digest

Teachers cannot prepare their students to be information literate unless they themselves understand how to find and use information. This Digest discusses the concept of information literacy (the ability to access, evaluate, and use information from a variety of sources) and its relevance for teachers. Professional associations for K-12 and higher education have recognized the importance of information literacy to the teaching-learning process. Two major associations for librarians who work with preservice and inservice teachers have developed guidelines on what information-literate teachers need to know. The guidelines emphasize skills for searching, retrieving, and evaluating information, and developing strategies for locating databases, Internet resources, and print materials. Existing models for teachers' information literacy include: individual workshops for both preservice and inservice teachers; course-related and course-integrated instruction; and the use of case studies of teaching and learning situations. Teacher educators, teachers, and others interested in preparing K-12 students to be information literate can move forward by reflecting upon and adapting existing models. (Contains 10 references) (LL)