Learning in an Information Society

Students in this "Information (or Knowledge) -Based Society," are expected to take greater responsibility for their own learning and academic progress. Resource-based learning places the student in the center of their learning environment with a wide range of enriching experiences during their formative years.

Resource-based learning is not optional for teacher-librarians; it is their pervasive instructional approach.

Teacher-librarians are information specialists, knowledgeable about learning resources in all formats and resource-based learning processes.

"The current emphasis on information literacy and its manifestation, resource-based learning, makes research an essential part of a school curriculum and life-long learning. Students have much to gain when they experience a consistent approach to the research (or information) process, beginning in the early primary grades and continuing throughout their school years. Where teacher-librarians are part of the instructional team, they can provide co-ordination and support to teachers as (together) they develop a school-wide plan for teaching information literacy skills and strategies, as well as a plan for instruction. This approach will be activated for a variety of projects, including those which make use of technology, in order to access, use, create and share information."
(Atlantic Canada English Language Arts Curriculum, Entry-3, page 221)