Information literacy involves the ability to evaluate, analyze or question the motive of the creator of the information representation, relative to one’s own experience. Because of ever changing technologies and developments, we as citizens must know how to interpret various media and be information literate to know how to analyze information and political issues. I believe that information literacy is important to make informed decisions and know what to consider to be fact or fiction. Not having information literacy skills can affect your perception and understanding of certain media. Media conveys messages that can create various meanings to people if they are not properly educated or posses the background knowledge needed to make informed decisions. To be able to evaluate and incorporate outside information not directly provided within the media is very valuable. Being able to analyze media in a way to better able yourself in not being wrongly influenced is critical.
With Internet user freedom, digital media gives people various options to state their opinions and ideas. It enables us to create any type of message we want to send and allows us the means to express our thoughts.The potential for more people to create their own media can have negative effects. Various opinions and views enables us to use information against or in favor of the creator. With more information to decipher we need to be more informed and able to make our own judgment of what is true or untrue. Not uncommon firewall jumping enables Internet information to be sent all over the world and be used in threatening situations, such as cyber warfare.
Everyone should be educated on various media influences and understand how to interpret mixed messages. Knowledge is power, and I think that it is important for all children to be educated with critical literacy skills to enable them to better understand the issues in the world. Critical literacy encourages students to question issues of power and we as teachers should provide experiences to facilitate information literacy skills. Providing opportunities for students to construct knowledge will better enable them in problem solving and text meaning. Without a digital divide and the unlimited amount of information available through television and Internet, students need to know how to evaluate information and determine what to believe as true or fraudulent. Information literacy skills can help to bridge the gap between diverse groups and perspectives.
Wikipedia is open to outside editing where the reader of an article can edit the text without needing approval, doing so with a registered account or even anonymously. An article may contain inaccuracies, ideological biases, or even patent nonsense, unless another editor corrects the problem. The open nature of Wikipedia has led to various concerns, such as the quality of writing, the amount of vandalism, and the accuracy of information. Some articles may contain unverified or inconsistent information. However, Wikipedia can be a good informational resource in a school setting if used correctly. It can also be used to teach our students strategies for evaluating the validity of entries, considering the accuracy and potential bias of information sources, therefore gaining informational literacy skills.
