ASSIGNMENT # 1: VISION STATEMENT

The Future of Information Technology Literacy:

Implications on Curriculum, Educators, and Learners









Instructor: Bill Hunter Course: Principles of Learning Course Code: EDUC 5001 Due Date: July 16, 2012
Lysa Samuel
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Introduction:
Over the past few decades changes within society, influenced by a new wave of information
and technology, has made an impression on our educational systems and how learning occurs
in the classroom. A recent push for the importance of information and technology literacy in
schools today stems from the increased presence of technology and the impact it has on society
(Ezziane, 2007). This will change learning in the future and effect different aspects and
individuals within our school systems. Our curriculum will undergo an intense redesign to
appropriately accommodate learning within information technology literacy fields. Educators
will have to become highly adaptable to the changes that occur and stay current within the field
of information and technology literacy. Learners will be exposed to a new skill set that they will
utilize to function in an information and technology rich environment. In todays technology-
rich environment, teachers and instructors alike must strike a balance between traditional
teaching and use of contemporary tools for instruction (Britt et al, 2007). This quote
emphasizes that teachers have the ultimate responsibility to ensure content is being relayed to
all learners along with the integration of technologies. This may come as a challenging task to
some instructors and learners and will require changes within the current curriculum.
Information and Technology Literacy:
In order to understand how newly developed Information and technology will influence
curriculum development, educators, and learners in the future we need to look at trends within
education. Literacy has changed over time to mould a new outlook for the 21
st
century. Literacy
not only involves reading, writing, and computing but requires students to develop strong
technological skills so they can be a part of the 21
st
century (Position Statement on Educational
Technology and Information Literacy, 2009 p.1). Over the past few decades educations has
been shaped to include more technology within schools to better equip our students to
function within society.

Lynch (1998) stated the following:
To me, information technology literacy deals with an understanding of the technology
infrastructure that underpins much of todays life; an understanding of the tools
technology provides and their interaction with this infrastructure; and an understanding
of the legal, social, economic and public policy issues that shape the development of the
infrastructure and the applications and use of the technologies.

Understanding how emerging technologies influences aspects within society can help us
develop standards and define information technology literacy more clearly. There are two
perspectives of information technology literacy; the first looks at using the tools of technology
and the second looks at the connections between how technology systems and infrastructure
work together (Lynch, 1998). Breaking down the connections that are made between
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information and technology infrastructures can help develop a better understanding of their
effect on educators and learners in a formal educational system. Information and technology
literacy is becoming an essential part of learning within an educational system as well as
outside the system (Coonan, 2011). Society is demanding learners to be more informed,
independent, self-reliant individuals who are able to locate and utilize information (Coonan,
2011). The move towards more technologically competent learners is becoming more evident
as society is becoming more technologically dependent.
Implications of Information and Technology Literacy on Curriculum:
Curriculum provides instructors the guidelines to teach learners the necessary skills needed for
post-secondary education, workplace, and to function in society. Information and technology
literacy is provided to learners through different means. Formal school programs provide
learners with skills on how to utilize technology, where informal learning happens at home with
friends or on their own (Ezzaine, 2007). As society is moving towards a world that heavily
involves the use of technologies, curriculum must be adapted to create individuals who are
literate in this area. If the needs of information technology literate individuals are not fulfilled
within formal educational settings, learners will find different means to gain these skills. This
may lead to damage of formal educational setting. Research provided by the Position
Statement on Educational Technology and Information Literacy (2009, p.2) has shed light on the
skills students of the 21
st
century need to acquire to be functioning members of society.
Position Statement on Educational Technology and Information Literacy (2009, p.1) stated:
Students must use appropriate technologies to access worldwide resources in order to
become more productive learners as part of their regular classroom routine. They must
be able to use the many forms of technology to access, understand, manage, interpret,
evaluate and create information. They also must be able to analyze information for
content, relevancy and accuracy and be able to present that information in a variety of
formats, including those with technology platforms.
From the research and readings involving technology in the classrooms we can see curriculum
moving towards a complete overhaul. Curriculum development will be highly influenced by
societys shift towards technological dependency. As the needs of learners are changing,
instructors need to start providing environments of learning where technology is heavily
integrated as a daily part of learning. This may imply drastic changes within the curriculum that
focuses on individuals who are information and technology savvy rather than focusing on
reading, writing, and computing competencies.



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Implications of Information and Technology Literacy on Educators and Teaching:
It can be presumed as we are becoming a technology rich community, that educators will have
to adjust their focus from subject content specificity to use of technology within different
subject areas. This means educators may have to focus on the tools and skills of different
technologies used within their areas of expertise instead of teaching content, as content can be
easily accessed via online resources. It may also be a struggle for educators to integrate new
technology and information literacy if they have been working within the field for many years.
Educators may be resistant to these changes.

Ezzaine (2007) stated:

Instructors are feeling increasing pressure to use IT, but they commonly face several
obstacles when attempting to use technological teaching techniques. Institutions of
higher education must strategically develop IT integration plans that help overcome
these obstacles, addressing the needs of diverse pedagogical agendas and multiple
levels of comfort with technology.

The above quote gives some insight on the impact a technology rich curriculum will have on
educators. Future educators will not only have to balance classroom management,
administrative, and content specific needs within teaching, but must also incorporate
information and technology literacy which constantly changes. This constant change that
happens within this field may make it difficult for educators to be constantly current with
emerging information and technology.

Educators will move towards mentoring learners to create information and technology literate
individuals. Educators will create a technology rich environment that will replace pencil,
textbook, and chalkboard teaching techniques (Position Statement on Educational Technology and
Information Literacy, 2009, p.2). Educators will start to integrate technology into their regular
teaching strategies such as classroom management, administration, and course content
delivery. Educators will become more accountable for staying current with and using
technology within the classroom. There will be a heavy demand for information technology
professionals in the field of education. This demand may replace traditional faculty of education
training with that of technology intense training, focusing on the tools used within schools
rather than how to teach. Educators can start this process of integrating technology into their
teaching by demonstrating the appropriate way to access, utilize, and interpret information
found online and to teach the skills needed to use various technologies. In order to
demonstrate these examples educators must be well informed of these methods. As mentioned
earlier intense training will be needed on a regular basis for educators to be current with
changes that occur in this ever-changing technology and information rich environment.


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Implications of Information and Technology Literacy on Learners:
Earlier the perspective of educators was explored and now we look at the effect changes within
information and technology literacy will have on learners.
Position Statement on Educational Technology and Information Literacy (2009, p.2) stated:
An education that is technologically rich produces high school graduates with the tools,
competencies and level of sophistication necessary to be successfully employed in an
ever-changing global economy. Such an education enables all students to understand
and use current and emerging technologies in their personal, academic and work
environments. For many students, especially those with disabilities, technology often
provides access to the general curriculum and allows them to perform tasks or
demonstrate skills they would otherwise be unable to do.

Learners will be expected to adapt to this ever-changing technology rich environment and be
challenged to balance the different skills needed to be successful in all aspects of their lives.
The change in instruction and the shift of emphasis towards technology will help prepare
learners for a society that is constantly introducing new and improved information processing,
and technological tools. Coonan (2011) mentioned the need to restructure the way information
literacy is looked. Coonan (2011) stated information literacy should move from being just a set
of skills and competency to high-level intellectual and metacognitive behaviours and
approaches. Through restructuring the way information technology literacy is looked at,
learners will be able to build on newly learnt and previously learnt skills and become adaptable
to changes within the field of information technology. Learners will be provided with more
opportunities to show their intellectual capabilities with the assistance of technological tools
and the skills to access and interpret information. The new age learner will be an individual who
will easily adapt to any changes within an information and technology rich environment, and
will be able to develop and utilize skills to function within this environment.
Conclusion:
From the research and readings presented in this paper a shift towards an information and
technology rich society is evident. As formal education plays a huge role in create learners who
are information and technology literate, a trend within education can be seen within the near
future. Development of a heavily focused information and technology rich curriculum will
replace the traditional reading, writing, and computing curriculum we see today. As the
curriculum changes to help develop skills and competencies for learners in the 21
st
century, it
will cause a ripple effect on educators and learners. Educators will be affected by the change
within society as they will be held accountable for the learners development of information
and technology literacy. Educators will have a constant need to be updated within this field,
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and integrate their learning within their classroom teaching. Learners will be expected to
access, utilize, and function within this information and technology rich environment. Learners
will become skilled individuals who will use their competencies within information and
technology to show their intellectual capabilities within any given environment. Education in
the 21
st
century will move towards a future that integrates information and technology literacy
more heavily within formal school setting. This will create individuals who are well informed
and skilled within information and technology fields to function and adapt quickly in this ever-
changing world.



















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Bibliography


Britt, J., Brasherm J. P., & Davenport, L.D. (2007). Balancing Books & Bytes. Kappa Delta Pi Record, 43.3:
122.

Connecticut State Board of Education, Hartford. (2009, February 4). Position Statement on Educational

Technology and Information Literacy. Retrieved from

http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/LIB/sde/pdf/board/ed_technology.pdf



Coonan, E. (2011). A New Curriculum for Information Literacy: Teaching Learning: Perceptions of

Information Literacy. Arcadia Project, Cambridge University Library, 1-27



Ezziane, Z. (2007). Information Technology Literacy: Implications on Teaching and Learning. Educational

Technology & Society, 10 (3), 175-191.



Lynch, C. (1998, February 21). Information Literacy and Information Technology Literacy: New

Components in the Curriculum for a Digital Culture. Coalition for Networked Information.

Retrieved from http://old.cni.org/staff/cliffpubs/info_and_it_literacy.pdf