"Information Literacy for the Information Age"

I am encouraging all or our Swift inquirers to explore this wonderful approach to the research process--The Big6™. Designed as a way to help students in their research endeavors, I felt that this would be very helpful for all of our research needs. According to the official website:

"Developed by educators Mike Eisenberg and Bob Berkowitz, the Big6™ is the most widely-known and widely-used approach to teaching information and technology skills in the world. The Big6™ is an information and technology literacy model and curriculum, implemented in thousands of schools - K through higher education. Some people call the Big6™ an information problem-solving strategy because with the Big6™, students are able to handle any problem, assignment, decision or task."

The Big6™ model has six steps: 1. Task Definition; 2. Information Seeking Strategies; 3. Location and Access; 4. Use of Information; 5. Synthesis; and 6. Evaluation. It is not just useful for research projects, but can also help with homework assignments.

Check out the following links for more information and online tools:

Big6™ Home Page - Visit the Official Big6™ Home Page to get an overview of the process from its co-developer, Dr. Mike Eisenberg. You'll want to visit this site often to explore the wide range of resources for teaching and learning with the Big6™ around the world.

Big6™ Kids' Site - Part of the Big6™ Home Page, these pages lead kids through the 6 step information process. Specific sections for grades K-2, 3-6, and 7-12 are provided.

Big6™ Information Skills Guide - A quick and easy overview of the 6 steps, resources, and strategies provided by John Newberry Elementary's Library Media Center.