Thing 1: Information Literacy

This is at the heart of what all of us media are constantly struggling to manage, acquire and maintain, and support. From the expensive databases that support our curriculum to the vast amount of material we are constantly bombarded with, the difficulty now is not how and where to find information on a particular topic but rather selection, management of volume, and evaluation of what is worthwhile, credible and useful all at the same time and translate that all to our users so they can acquire the skills needed in the 21st century. Then too, we are always trying to be effective and have the time to research and prepare for their needs in the small amount of time we often have. Add into the mix plagairism and copyright - and you have our daily menu. But, it is exciting to realize the wealth of information available and be given the opportunity to learn, grow and change within this framework. A dilemma we continually face is having to live with budgets which do not allow us to acquire all the great things that are out in existence today. The recent change from k-12 towards k-16 makes me realize that these needs now go beyond our high school walls and on into the future. The term "information literacy" has been formed and changed a lot since I have begun this journey and I can't even imagine what it will be like in 2050 or beyond. Yet we need to be preparing our students for that as well, even though we don't recognize what it will look like yet.