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Using Pop Culture to Teach Information Literacy

Using Pop Culture to Teach Information Literacy: Methods to Engage a New Generation by Linda D. Behen

Chapters 7, 8 & 9

This section outlines specific programs that incorporate pop culture.  She begins with assignments, games, and prizes all based on reality TV programs such as "Survivor" and "The Amazing Race" television series.  The students enjoyed the competition and did seem to be gaining information literacy skills as well.  Examples of the assignment cards are provided.  She then explains using game show formats and movies to teach as well, also providing examples and outlining her program.  The final section of the book gives practical suggestions on publicizing the programs to garner support and enthusiasm.  She gives tips on what worked in her situation.

 

Using Pop Culture to Teach Information Literacy

Using Pop Culture to Teach Information Literacy: Methods to Engage a New Generation by Linda D. Behen

Chapters 5 & 6

Now the author outlines a step-by-step approach to getting the administration and staff to buy-in to the idea of teaching information literacy using pop culture.  She insists that planning and collaboration are keys to getting more and more of the school into the habit of using information literacy models to access and use information to solve problems.  Even the best-laid plans need to be adapted and revised to stay current with the curriculum and pop culture.  By creating, initiating, presenting, modeling and improving the information literacy plan, help get the programs started.  The Behen outlines the scope and sequence of her plan, which is based on her high school's subjects.  Of course the ideas could be adapted to middle grades as well.  The information skills themselves are categorized as, publishing, technology and media, research, or a combination.  This section ends with a helpful checklist.

Using Pop Culture to Teach Information Literacy

Using Pop Culture to Teach Information Literacy: Methods to Engage a New Generation by Linda D. Behen

Chapters 3 & 4

The aim of this section is to find ways to engage students and to learn about them and from them by observing their interests and habits.  Make the library media center an inviting place.  Service should be top priority.  Try to purchase fiction titles that students request.  Weed often.  Listen to student tips for searching and pass those tips along to other students.  Chapter 4 ends with the following suggestions to engage and interest students:  coffee house, poetry slams, quote of the day, lunch chats, tea times, contests, book clubs, book making workshop, parents' night, and used book sale.  Behen says the goal is to make libraries relevant to students' lives.

Using Pop Culture to Teach Information Literacy

Using Pop Culture to Teach Information Literacy: Methods to Engage a New Generation by Linda D. Behen

Chapters 2 & 3

Because students want instant gratification, teachers and library media specialists need to help students succeed in locating information via academic databases; otherwise they will revert to Googling.  The author gives ideas on how to teach students to discern worthwhile, accurate information without wasting time, by using information literacy models like the Big6, and by completing evaluation sheets on each website they use to help them learn to discriminate.  Games and other activities are great, but only if there is a plan and structure to them, so that students go beyond information hunting and gathering and on to good critical-thinking skills.  There are several tips on locating and using appropriate pop culture like movies, music, sports, games, and reality television.

 

Using Pop Culture to Teach Information Literacy

Using Pop Culture to Teach Information Literacy: Methods to Engage a New Generation by Linda D. Behen

Introduction & Chapter 1

Behen is a school librarian in a Catholic academy in Cincinnati.  She seeks to pull students into her realm by staying informed about teen interests.  She notes that times and students continue to change, and suggests that many adults eventually succumb to newer ideas that teens embrace first.  She refuses to blame teen problems on pop culture and reminds the readers that pop culture used to be "dime novels, comic books, jazz music, tight jeans and ducktails, rock-and-roll movie, etc" at one time or another, insisting that pop culture partly defines each generation.  Behen chooses to use fads to help engage students in learning.

Reviving Reading: School Library Programming, Author Visits, and Books That Rock!

Reviving Reading: School Library Programming, Author Visits, and Books That Rock! by Alison M. G. Follos

Chapters 10-12

We see how Follos gets the money and how she prepares to get famous authors to her campus to inspire the students, not only to read more, but to write more as well.  Also includes are bibliographies for reluctant adults as well as titles to tempt almost every student.  She continues to urge media specialists to be the ultimate cheerleaders for literature and reading, by not being afraid to try to get even the most reluctant readers to read more.  Her evaluations of her programs help her learn what works and what should be improved.  She concedes that ‘free reading costs time' which is a valuable commodity in the current educational environment, but insists that it is worth it.

Reviving Reading: School Library Programming, Author Visits, and Books That Rock!

Reviving Reading: School Library Programming, Author Visits, and Books That Rock! by Alison M. G. Follos

Chapters 7-9

Chapter 7  suggests specific programs that have successful for the author, such as Title Trekking, Jiving with the Curriculum, and It's All about the Awards.  The next two chapters explain the effectiveness of ‘Readers' Workshop' and detail some of the ways it has been successful for the author's middle grade to high school aged students.  There is an explanation of how to set up a workshop learning environment.  She even explains how to move students from Children's Literature into Young Adult Literature, how to immerse students in a print-rich environment, and why clear guidelines for students are imperative.

Reviving Reading: School Library Programming, Author Visits, and Books That Rock!

Reviving Reading: School Library Programming, Author Visits, and Books That Rock! by Alison M. G. Follos

Chapters 4-7

Follos ends Part I with Chapter 4's description of collaborative planning among media specialists and faculty members, stressing that the media specialist must take the lead, however uncomfortable that may be in the beginning.  In Part 2, Chapters 5 and 6  there are numerous suggestions for incorporating literature by focusing on the collection itself.  She gives suggestions about genre including poetry and novels in verse and promotes student journals.    This section ends with an overview of appropriate materials for adolescents, by reviewing books and periodicals, as well as  using common sense in the selection of materials.

Reviving Reading: School Library Programming, Author Visits, and Books That Rock!

Reviving Reading: School Library Programming, Author Visits, and Books That Rock! by Alison M. G. Follos

Chapters 1-3

The author begins her book by explaining the research which shows a significant decline in the time that students in middle grades through high school spend reading compared to ten, twenty and thirty years ago.  Further citing research, she declares how this impacts all other areas of academia and critical thinking.  She supports segments of silent reading in an environment rich in various types of literature by providing examples.  Then she begins her case for libraries and media specialist leadership roles.  She makes the case that middle and high school libraries should be well-stocked in an effort to fully utilize their valuable resources.  Further, she urges media specialists to help admistration and staff carve out at least fifteen minutes for sustained silent reading every day, again citing the numerous studies to support the practice.  Urging booktalking by the media specialist, extra media center hours, special programs, and more collaboration to promote reading, she insists that reading will become habit-forming and popular.

Serving Young Teens and ‘Tweens edited by Sheila B. Anderson Chapter 5

Kristine Mahood closes the book with her chapter, "I Want to Read That Book!  Booktalking to ‘Tweens and Young Teens."  Her annotated bibliography highlights specific needs for young people in very changing and challenging times.   She outlines a sample program and offers practical advice on preparing and presenting the programs to entice young teens to read a variety of materials.  Like the others, Mahood realizes that ‘tweens need a separate space and collection, even though that collection overlaps both the children's and young adult/older teen sections of school and public libraries.

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