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Buggers
Getting the Buggers to Find Out: Information Skills and Learning How to Learn
"There is a necessary balance between knowledge and knowing how to find out - between having the key facts in your head, having the understanding of how to use them, and having the skill to draw on extra resources too. Information literacy is as important as traditional reading literacy and it incorporates a wide range of skills which are essential in the modern world. Many of the skills already feature in the curriculum, though because they are not usually brought together, too often there is no coherent approach to how they are learned. They are relevant to every teacher and every pupil; they feature in every curriculum subject; they are cross-curricular in every sense - yet because they belong to everyone they are owned by no-one."" Duncan GreyThis fascinating and innovative book contains a variety of strategies to help teachers develop students' information and literacy skills. Accessible and entertaining, Duncan Grey's superb guide brims with practical strategies and lesson ideas to help every student to answer every question!
224 pages, ebook
First published September 15, 2008
5 people want to read
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January 17, 2017
I was browsing through the library and information science section of my local library and Duncan Grey's 2008 book jumped out at me. Calling students "buggers" is certainly one way to grab your prospective readers' attention, and it worked for me. It turns out that there's a whole series of educational books called Getting the Buggers . . . (to read, fit, to learn, into science, etc), so I guess someone in the Continuum marketing department thought it'd be a winner. So I picked it up and checked it out.
From the outset, Grey's mission is clear: identify core information literacy skills and figure out how to work them into a holistic, information centred curriculum, using the National Curriculum for England and Wales as a starting point. And to that end, I think he succeeds. Grey identifies and explores 20 (twenty!) core information literacy skills, from questions and defining the task, through to reading, writing, presenting and reviewing. It's a very comprehensive, well-defined list of skills that initially feels a little tautologous. However, as Grey explores and refines each one, it's clear that they all have their place, and not every piece of research is going to make use of every skill.
Grey's suggested curriculum is also very comprehensive, with great ideas for incorporating IL skills into a range of subjects. As he notes, the problem is getting schools on board with adopting an information centred curriculum, and he devotes a rather large chapter to strategies for implementing these changes, from pragmatic business models to sneaky underhanded politics; the aim is to create sound policies that embrace IL as a central part of the curriculum.
Unfortunately, Grey struggles to find a balance between writing for experts and writing for lay people. While the casual language is definitely appealing and engaging, those with little (if any) knowledge of information literacy and its practices will likely find Getting the Buggers to Find Out overwhelming and, dare I say it, dogmatic in its approach, while fellow experts will probably find much of it very basic - although the curriculum suggestions and implementation strategies are generally very informative. With that said, I'm not sure how many people with zero clues about IL will actually be reading this, so this criticism may be completely moot.
Filled with a great mix anecdotes, case studies, lesson plans, and solid information, Grey's Getting the Buggers to Find Out offers its readers some valuable insights into information literacy, and how to practically apply IL skills in the classroom and across the curriculum.
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From the outset, Grey's mission is clear: identify core information literacy skills and figure out how to work them into a holistic, information centred curriculum, using the National Curriculum for England and Wales as a starting point. And to that end, I think he succeeds. Grey identifies and explores 20 (twenty!) core information literacy skills, from questions and defining the task, through to reading, writing, presenting and reviewing. It's a very comprehensive, well-defined list of skills that initially feels a little tautologous. However, as Grey explores and refines each one, it's clear that they all have their place, and not every piece of research is going to make use of every skill.
Grey's suggested curriculum is also very comprehensive, with great ideas for incorporating IL skills into a range of subjects. As he notes, the problem is getting schools on board with adopting an information centred curriculum, and he devotes a rather large chapter to strategies for implementing these changes, from pragmatic business models to sneaky underhanded politics; the aim is to create sound policies that embrace IL as a central part of the curriculum.
Unfortunately, Grey struggles to find a balance between writing for experts and writing for lay people. While the casual language is definitely appealing and engaging, those with little (if any) knowledge of information literacy and its practices will likely find Getting the Buggers to Find Out overwhelming and, dare I say it, dogmatic in its approach, while fellow experts will probably find much of it very basic - although the curriculum suggestions and implementation strategies are generally very informative. With that said, I'm not sure how many people with zero clues about IL will actually be reading this, so this criticism may be completely moot.
Filled with a great mix anecdotes, case studies, lesson plans, and solid information, Grey's Getting the Buggers to Find Out offers its readers some valuable insights into information literacy, and how to practically apply IL skills in the classroom and across the curriculum.
Libsaurus.com
facebook.com/libsaurus
Displaying 1 of 1 review