INFORMATION SKILLS IN A

TECHNOLOGICALLY DISADVANTAGED

ENVIRONMENT

ANNA DITSHEGO

TIISETSONG SECONDARY SCHOOL

THOKOZA – GAUTENG

SOUTH AFRICA

Diversity Challenge Resilience: School Libraries in Action - The 12th

Biennial School Library Association of Queensland, the 39th

International Association of School Librarianship Annual Conference,

incorporating the 14th International Forum on Research in School

Librarianship,

Brisbane, QLD Australia, 27 September – 1 October 2010.

BACKGROUND OF THE SCHOOL AND

COMMUNITY:

� The school is situated in a disadvantaged

community.

� Many learners come informal settlements

(shacks, hostels).

� Unemployment is very high.� Unemployment is very high.

� Child-headed families due to HIV/AIDS.

� The principal realised the importance of

information skills hence the support of the

library.

WHEN DOES MY SCHOOL APPLY

INFORMATION SKILLS?

� During investigation/information process:

� In our school we lack IT resources therefore we

are mainly using the printed materials.

� Information skills applied by a teacher when

planning an assignment.planning an assignment.

� Applied by a learner when researching for an

assignment or doing a voluntary research.

WHERE ARE THE INFORMATION SKILLS

APPLIED?

� In our school information sources are in use:

� In the library - Reference materials e.g.

encyclopedias, directories, yearbooks, dictionaries

etc. Non-fiction resources

� In the classroom – Text books, dictionaries, � In the classroom – Text books, dictionaries,

maps, audiovisual materials borrowed by

teachers.

� At home - Text books, magazines, newspapers

etc. if available.

HOW DO WE TEACH INFORMATION SKILLS IN

OUR SCHOOL:

� Grade 8 orientation at the beginning of the year:

- How to use the catalogue cabinet ( starting from index drawer)

- Reading the shelves ( showing them how the shelves have been arranged and organised).shelves have been arranged and organised).

- Showing the difference between fiction, non-fiction and reference shelves.

- Teaching them about the importance of the call number and the title on the spine of the book.

- The arrangement and organisation of the books on the shelves ( to avoid misplacing books).

- Introducing different media formats.

HOW IS THE INFORMATION RETRIEVED?

BY APPLYING MAINLY THE FOLLOWING SKILLS:

� Location skills:

Learners are taught how

to:

o Identify the appropriate

information service.

� Selection skills:

They are also taught how

to:

� Select the most

appropriate sources information service.

o Locate all the available

sources by using

retrieval tools e.g. card

catalogue etc.

o Locate these sources on

the shelves.

appropriate sources

from the various

information sources that

have been located.

� Select relevant

information in the

information sources

HOW IS THE INFORMATION RETRIEVED?

- CONTINUED-

� Location skills in the

library:

� Use of card catalogue

(not automated library)

� Resource files that I

� Selection skills on the

sources:

� Table of contents

� Indexes

� Glossaries� Resource files that I

have compiled over the

years.

� Resource persons in the

community ,e.g. elderly

people, community

police forum.

� Glossaries

� Guide words/keywords

� Headings and

subheadings

HOW ARE THE INFORMATION SKILLS

MASTERED BY LEARNERS?

� We do not have Information Literacy Education

as one/part of the learning areas or subjects.

� We do integrate information skills with

curricular information and media use.

INTEGRATING INFORMATION SKILLS INTO

THE CURRICULUM:

� Certain identified skills will be applied in preparation for a specific assignment in

� It is often obvious from the assignments that the learners have failed to identify the information skills required for a particular assignment.

Advantages Disadvantages

specific assignment in a particular school subject.

� It is easier to develop learners` problem-solving and critical-thinking skills.

a particular assignment.

� It is not always possible to interrupt the investigation process in order to explain and practice the relevant information skill.

� Because teachers do not know what information skills have been taught by other teachers or how this was done, learners could be practicing a limited number of skills over and over, at the same level of difficulty.

ACCESSING THE INFORMATION IN THE

LIBRARY:

� During their library

period as a class

(time- table).

When:

(time- table).

� Lunch time ( during

breaks).

� After school from

Monday - Friday.

1 2 3 4 SHORT

BREAK

5 6 7 8 LUNCH 9 10 11 12

TIME 08H00

08H30

08H30

09H00

09H00

09H30

09H30

10H00

10H00

10H15

10H15

10H45

10H45

11H15

11H15

11H45

11H45

12H15

12H15

13H00

13H00

13H30

13H30

14H00

14H00

14H30

14H30

15H00

MON. 10E Shelv.

books

Shelv.

books

9E OPEN 12F Shelv.

books

8E Shelv.

books

OPEN 12A 11A 10H 12E

TUE. 9C 12C Proces

books

10B OPEN Proces

books

11B Shelv.

books

11D OPEN 8D 8C 10A Cleaning

TIISETSONG SCHOOL LIBRARY TIME-TABLE

(2010)

LIBRARY OPENING HOURS:MONDAY – THURSDAY: 08H00 – 15H3O

FRIDAY: 08H00 – 14H3O

books books books

WED. 9D Shelv.

Books

10D 11C OPEN Shelv.

books

Shelv.

books

Shelf

Read.

Shelf

Read.

OPEN 8B Shelv.

books

Cleaning Cleaning

THUR. 12B 9A Shelv.

Books.

Shelv.

Books

OPEN 10G Shelv.

books

Shelv.

books

Shelf

Read.

OPEN Shelv.

books

Proces

books

Proces

books

10C

FRI. Shelv.

books

10F Shelv.

books

Shelf

Read.

OPEN 12D Shelv.

Books

Shelf

Read.

Proces

books

OPEN 8A 9B Cleaning Cleaning

TIISETSONG SCHOOL LIBRARY PICTURES