Facilitating Active Learning

Active Learning Online
To a certain extent, all learning can be considered active as it stimulates your mind with new knowledge. However, not all learning challenges learners to put their new knowledge to use and deepen their understanding through practice.


What Is Active Learning?
"Active Learning is a multi-directional learning experience in which learning occurs teacher-to-student, student-to-teacher, and student-to-student.

Active Learning involves activity-based learning experiences: input, process, and output. These activity-based experiences take many shapes whole class involvement, teams, small groups, trios, pairs, individuals.

Activity-based experiences take many forms talking, writing, reading, discussing, debating, acting, role-playing, journaling, conferring, interviewing, building, creating, and the list continues."

Why Use Active Learning?
"Why use Active Learning strategies to teach any subject?
Active Learning leads to effective and efficient teaching and learning."

How Does Active Learning Work?
"Active Learning increases the effectiveness and efficiency of the teaching and learning process. Teachers want students to leave a class with knowledge and or skills they did not have when they began the class. Months later, teachers want those same students to retain the learning, apply it to new situations, build upon that learning to develop new perspectives, and continue the learning process.
This level of learning, resulting in retention and transfer, occurs most efficiently through concrete activity-based experiences.
Active Learning involves input from multiple sources through multiple senses (hearing, seeing, feeling, etc.).
Active Learning involves process, interacting with other people and materials, accessing related schemata in the brain, stimulating multiple areas of the brain to act.
Active Learning involves output, requiring students to produce a response or a solution or some evidence of the interActive Learning that is taking place."

The following sites provide diverse web-based tools for creating stimulating, multi-faceted learning activities:

Blue Web'n
"A Library of Blue Ribbon Learning Sites on the Web"
Check out the internet activities and projects at this site.
"Blue Web'n is an online library of 2024 outstanding Internet sites categorized by subject, grade level, and format (tools, references, lessons, hotlists, resources, tutorials, activities, projects). You can also browse by broad subject area (Content Areas) or specific sub-categories (Subject Area). See "About this Site" for a scoring rubric and answers to other burning questions!"

Filamentality
"Helping You Add Your Filament to the Web of Learning"
A great site that guides teachers and library media specialists through the process of creating many types of web-based learning activities.
"Filamentality is a fill-in-the-blank tool that guides you through picking a topic, searching the Web, gathering good Internet links, and turning them into online learning activities. Support is built-in along the way through Mentality Tips. In the end, you'll create a web-based activity you can share with others even if you don't know anything about HTML or serving web pages.
Filamentality combines the 'filaments of the web' with your 'mentality' allowing you to create a variety of formats that meet your personal or learner needs."

How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School

Learner-Centered Psychological Principles: Cognitive and Metacognitive Factors

Learning and Blogs

In my opinion, if blogs are thoughtfully designed and content-based they can be an excellent teaching tool for students of any age. For students who are able to read, blogs can be a particularly engaging method for sharing content. With the addition of graphics, blogs can support visual literacy as well as learning based on reading comprehension. However, some school districts may have policies against the use of blogs. It may be necessary to present a blog prototype in order to convince administrators of the educational value and flexibility of blogs.

Magic of Connection

Librarians, especially school and public librarians, have many opportunities to connect children with books. If librarians use their knowledge of children and books, to help children find books that provide authentic, individualized connections, the "connection" can be truly magical.
When children who are considered non-readers or who struggle with reading discover a connection with books, they may transform into committed and confirmed readers!

E-Portfolios & Learning

Creating the E-Portfolio was an exercise in constructive learning. Exploring presentation formats and researching content provided opportunities for considering usability and to focus on delivering selected resources to a specific user group.
By designing an E-Pathfinder in conjunction with information ethics, I gained practical experience in constructing learning tools that integrate web-based resources for building students' information literacy skills.

The E-Portfolio assignment was definitely a valuable learning experience. Students were able to examine general concepts related to information ethics by responding to the course-based questions. In addition, students were invited to explore a subject related to information ethics in depth.
By allowing students to choose a topic of interest, the E-Pathfinder assignment became personally meaningful. Having the opportunity to connect concepts presented in the course to development of the E-Pathfinder provided experience with practical applications and facilitated the creation of functional research tools that can be shared beyond the course.
Course requirements were extended into "real-world" applicability. The knowledge gained by developing E-pathfinders and constructing E-Portfolios builds highly-valued, experienced-based professional skills.

Having created a blog focused on sharing information resources related to the topic of information ethics and literacy with students and teachers, I will definitely maintain the blog and use it to support student learning across content areas. I have shared the blog with my school district administrators, and they are uniformly enthused about its content, and about using the blog format as an instructional tool. My experience with creating and using blogs as learning tools has given me a head start in using cutting-edge technology for expanding learning opportunities, and both my district and I truly appreciate the fact that I had the opportunity to experiment with this format!

My advice to other Information Ethics students would be to give careful thought to your topic, to begin creation of the E-Pathfinder as soon as possible, and to devote time each day to designing the pathfinder, exploring resources, and integrating content.

Using the Bb discussion board for responding to course-based questions works well. However, using the E-Portfolio blogs as a vehicle for responding to classmates would provide additional opportunities for sharing ideas and giving/receiving feedback.
It is always valuable to gain practical experience using various formats to communicate with others. While the ability to comment to blog posts is an engaging way to communicate, it is important to keep in mind that Bb is typically stable, while other web-based venues (especially servers) can be unstable and less reliable!

Building Communities of Learning

The Gap
By Andy Carvin -- 3/1/2006 -- School Library Journal.com
Once a hot topic, the digital divide seems all but forgotten, while the poor, mainly black and Hispanic, are still being left behind

"Despite all the incredible advances in streaming video and Web-based multimedia, the Internet remains a text-dominant medium. If you lack a strong foundation in literacy skills, all the Internet access in the world isn’t going to do you a lot of good.
Unfortunately, the digital divide is rarely addressed as a major policy issue in America. But as the U.S. struggles to improve its schools, while dragging its heels at improving our national broadband infrastructure, countries like India and China are churning out highly skilled young people for their workforces. At the same time, Nordic countries and Korea deploy ubiquitous Internet access. Other nations are creating government ministries to spur technological and educational innovation, while American digital divide policies have fallen off the docket. America is losing its competitiveness because we’re not making the necessary investments in education and infrastructure.

Fortunately, there is still positive work being done. The federal e-rate program continues to enable low-income schools and libraries to connect to the Internet, while nonprofit and private sector entities invest in local and national efforts dedicated to bridging the gap (see “Bridging the Divide,” above). Meanwhile, copyright initiatives like Creative Commons ease the way for people to publish their own content for broad public use. And open courseware initiatives from universities, such as MIT, are making some of the most coveted curriculum freely available, whether you can afford to attend the brick-and-mortar institutions or not.

The challenge remains, however, to get the digital divide back on the national agenda. The disparity in technology access must be viewed as a national threat—to our economic competitiveness, our civil rights, and our national creed of equal opportunity. While it may be true that seven out of 10 Americans are online, we shouldn’t pat ourselves on the back just yet. Not as long as disenfranchised, underserved Americans remain on the wrong side of the divide." (Carvin, 2006).

Communities of Learning

I was able to participate in a webcast titled "Creating Learning Communities" and moderated by Alan November today. The discussion focused on using blogs, webcasts, Skyde, RSS feed, bloglines, etc. as tools to support instruction and to facilitate the development of viable learning communities. November argued that in order to provide genuinely meaningful instruction for today's young adults, teachers should utilize the mediums that support the meaningful communication that young people value and are currently using to share information with one another.
November presented a convincing argument for using the blog format for teaching and helping students construct a global perspective.

November also discussed the need to create a "code of ethics" for appropriate use of blogs and other formats, and suggested that teachers solicit the support of students in constructing class ethical codes, based on the presentation and discussion of actual scenarios related to inappropriate blogging content and activities. The webcast was very interesting and timely.

An archive of the webcast is available at EdTechConnect.


November Learning: Information Literacy Resources

"How many versions of the truth are you looking for? Too often students accept information that looks authentic as the truth and this is one of the dangers of Web site information. Since ANYONE can publish on the Internet, learning how to validate information is an important skill." --Alan November

Reflections on the Information Literacy and Ethics Toolkit

"E- Pathfinder -- Information Literacy & Ethics Toolkit: Information Literacy and Ethics Resources for Middle and High School Students and Teachers"

The scope of this E-pathfinder summarizes the basic content. The E-pathfinder is sub-divided into 15 alphabetized categories related to topics covering various aspects of information literacy and information ethics for the purpose of constructively guiding and instructing middle and high school students and teachers in the development of information literacy knowledge and skills.

The E-Pathfinder is designed to provide subject-based guides to resources on information literacy and information ethics. The E-Pathfinder resources include brief annotations, which are intended to inform teachers, to guide instruction, and to be used by middle and high school students. The E-Pathfinder topics include: academic honesty, assessment criteria, computer ethics, copyright and fair use, ethical codes, evaluation of information resources, information literacy standards, intellectual freedom and intellectual property, Internet research, the research process, piracy, social responsibility, and the responsible use of electronic communication tools. The E-Pathfinder is intended to guide teachers and secondary students to web-based tools that can be used to actively support critical thinking and the learning process across content areas, while engaging students in the constructive development of information literacy knowledge and skills.

Three web-based resources have exceptional potential as teaching and learning tools. These resources each build skills and understanding through active, constructive engagement in the learning process via online interactive tutorials.
These resources include:

"TILT"
http://tilt.lib.utsystem.edu/

"An On-line Interactive Course in Internet Ethics"
http://www.ess.pdx.edu/ets/etsub/Resources/Ethics_course.htm

A Website Evaluation Tutorial called "Credible Sources Count!"
http://library.acadiau.ca/tutorials/webevaluation/

The following books, among many others, are fundamental and highly regarded resources for those teaching information literacy skills:

American Association of School Libraries. (1998). Information power: Building partnerships for learning (2nd ed.). Chicago, IL: American Library Association.

Simpson, C. (Ed.). (2003). Ethics in school librarianship: A reader. Worthington, OH: Linworth.

I plan to extend and continue the Information and Ethics Blog. The blog format is particularly promising for use with a middle and high school population, because this group of users is typically very familiar with the blog format, and therefore receptive to the resources included via blogs.
I will definitely create more educational blogs focused on specific aspects of the research process, research and expository writing, and using informaiton resources responsibly.
Although the blog format is rigidly linear, the ease of posting and archive features make blogs a tool that easily supports additions and revisions. Since blogs are not a complex medium to use, they are an excellent format for instructors with limited time!
The fact that blogs support web-based links facilitates development of teaching tools based on selected content, including existing online resources and those created specifically for instruction, like customized websites, web-based pathfinders, and web quests. With the capacity to incorporate a variety of resources, and to present those resources within a thematically-focused frame, educational blogs have the potential to be outstanding learning tools. I have discovered that purposefully-conceived blogs can be used to enhance instruction, support meaningful learning, and reinforce the development of critical thinking strategies.

E- Pathfinder -- Information Literacy & Ethics Toolkit: Information Literacy and Ethics Resources for Middle and High School Students and Teachers

Title of the Topic:
“Information Literacy and Ethics Toolkit: Information Literacy and Ethics Resources for Middle and High School Students and Teachers” *

Scope: The E-Pathfinder is designed to provide subject-based guides to resources on information literacy and information ethics. The E-Pathfinder resources include brief annotations, which are intended to inform teachers, to guide instruction, and to be used by middle and high school students. The E-Pathfinder topics include: academic honesty, assessment criteria, computer ethics, copyright and fair use, ethical codes, evaluation of information resources, information literacy standards, intellectual freedom and intellectual property, Internet research, the research process, piracy, social responsibility, and the responsible use of electronic communication tools. The E-Pathfinder is intended to guide teachers and secondary students to web-based tools that can be used to actively support critical thinking and the learning process across content areas, while engaging students in the constructive development of information literacy knowledge and skills.

Targeted Audience: Resources for middle and high school teachers and their students, concerning information literacy and ethical issues related to information resources and the access and use of information in a variety of formats. The purpose of the E-Pathfinder is to assist teachers in helping middle and high school students develop information literacy while becoming proficient and responsible users of information resources, information technology, and information systems.

E-Pathfinder Blog Resource: http://infoethicsandlit.blogspot.com/
The “Information Literacy and Ethics” blog is an ongoing project, which includes resources to relevant information organized in subject categories and indexed by keyword and topic.

E-Pathfinder Website Resource: http://rightuse.info/
The “Information Literacy and Ethics” website is an ongoing project, providing a subject-based pathfinder to information resources organized by category.

Introduction:
“Information Literacy and Ethics for Middle and High School Students and Teachers” provides a collaborative forum, information pathfinders, information literacy tutorials, evaluation tools, and selected web-based and print resources concerning ethical research practices and the ethical use of information in all formats.

Subjects:

Academic Dishonesty

"Academic dishonesty is a form of cheating that occurs within an educational setting. It includes plagiarism and data falisfication. Plagiarism is claiming another's work as one's own. Data falsification includes making false claims about research performed, including selective reporting of results to exclude inconvenient data to generating bogus data."

Abundant Cheating

A Critical Campus Concern, Information Ethics

Academic Dishonesty

Definitions of Academic Dishonesty

Plagiarism

Legal Aspects of Academic Dishonesty

Assessing Information Literacy

"Assessment is the process of documenting, usually in measurable terms, knowledge, skills, attitudes and beliefs."

Big6 Turbo Tools

TILT

Webquests and Information Literacy: A Collaborative, Active Approach to Learning

Critical Thinking

"Critical thinking consists of a mental process of analyzing or evaluating information, particularly statements or propositions that people have offered as true. It forms a process of reflecting upon the meaning of statements, examining the offered evidence and reasoning, and forming judgments about the facts.
Critical thinkers can gather such information from observation, experience, reasoning, and/or communication. Critical thinking has its basis in intellectual values that go beyond subject-matter divisions and which include: clarity, accuracy, precision, evidence, thoroughness and fairness."

iReading + iWriting + iThinking + T/n = L3

Code of Ethics for Educators

"In the context of an organization, a code of ethics is often a formal statement of the organization's values on certain ethical and social issues. Some set out general principles about an organization's beliefs on matters such as quality, employees or the environment. Others set out the procedures to be used in specific ethical situations - such as conflicts of interest or the acceptance of gifts, and delineate the procedures to determine whether a violation of the code of ethics occurred and, if so, what remedies should be imposed. The effectiveness of such codes of ethics depends on the extent to which to management supports them with sanctions and rewards."

A Blogger's Code of Ethics

ALA Code of Ethics

Code of Information Ethics

Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility

InfoLit Standards

"A set of criteria linked to learning objectives that is used to assess a student's performance on a task, paper, project, essay, etc."

Information Literacy Standards for Student Learning

Information and Learning

"Learning is the process of acquiring knowledge, skills, attitudes, or values, through study, experience, or teaching, that causes a change of behavior that is persistent, measurable, and specified or allows an individual to formulate a new mental construct or revise a prior mental construct (conceptual knowledge such as attitudes or values). It is a process that depends on experience and leads to long-term changes in behavior potential. Behavior potential describes the possible behavior of an individual (not actual behavior) in a given situation in order to achieve a goal. But potential is not enough; if individual learning is not periodically reinforced, it becomes shallower and shallower, and eventually is lost in that individual.
Instruction is a form of communicated information that is both command and explanation for how an action, behavior, method, or task is to be begun, completed, conducted, or executed."

3 Doors to InfoLiteracy

Information Literacy Readings

Information Literacy Forum

Information Literacy Links

Information Literacy Portals

Information Literacy Tools

Information Ethics

"Information ethics is a field that applies ethical principles within the context of information provision, control, and use. This field considers issues concerning all aspects of "information technology and information systems for personal, professional, and public decision-making (Elrod & Smith, 2005)" by providing a critical framework for considering issues related to information creation, ownership, acquistion, access, and retrieval. Information ethics establishes criteria for evaluating policies and decisions regarding information products, delivery, and systems."

Applied Ethics Resources on WWW

Information Ethics Problem of the Month

Information Ethics Tutorial

National Forum on Information Literacy

Open Directory: Computers, Ethics

Resources on Computer and Ethics

Ten Commandments Of Computer Ethics

Information Literacy and Learning

"Information literacy is rooted in the concepts of library instruction and bibliographic instruction, is the ability "to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate and use effectively the needed information" (Information Power, p. 1). In this view, information literacy is the basis for life-long learning, and an information literate person is one who:

* recognizes that accurate and complete information is the basis for intelligent decision making
* recognizes the need for information
* knows how to locate needed information
* formulates questions based on information needs
* identifies potential sources of information
* develops successful search strategies
* accesses sources of information including computer-based and other technologies
* evaluates information no matter what the source
* organizes information for practical application
* integrates new information into an existing body of knowledge
* uses information in critical thinking and problem solving (Doyle, 1992)
* uses information ethically and legally

Since information may be presented in a number of formats, the term information applies to more than just the printed word. Other literacies such as visual, media, computer, network, and basic literacies are implicit in information literacy."

About Information Literacy

ACRL Information Literacy

Information Literacy

Information Literacy and Access to Resources

Information Literacy Weblog

Information Literacy Models

"Because information literacy skills are vital to future success:

* Information literacy skills must be taught in the context of the overall process.
* Instruction in information literacy skills must be integrated into the curriculum and reinforced both within and outside of the educational setting.

"The Seven Pillars of Information Literacy" Model

What is information literacy?

Information Literacy Skills

"Educational reform and restructuring make information literacy skills a necessity as students seek to construct their own knowledge and create their own understandings.
Educators are selecting various forms of resource-based learning (authentic learning, problem-based learning and work-based learning) to help students focus on the process and to help students learn from the content. Information literacy skills are necessary components of each.
The process approach to education is requiring new forms of student assessment. Students demonstrate their skills, assess their own learning, and evaluate the processes by which this learning has been achieved by preparing portfolios, learning and research logs, and using rubrics."

Lessons for developing skills in the areas of:

Questioning

Identifying & Collecting

Evaluating

Sensemaking

Reflecting & Refining

Using

Assessing

21st Century Information Fluency Project

Intellectual Freedom

The concept 'intellectual freedom' is based on "...the inalienable rights of a person to use ideas--the freedom to use one's mind. Intellectual Freedom is the right to own the ideas that you possess and it is the right to use your ideas in conjunction with your physical property in any way you wish. It is the right to be free from claims of illegally possessing or using ideas. It is the recognition that to call ideas that one person possesses the property of another is analogous to calling one person the property of another."
Intellectual Freedom is the inalienable right of all humanity to take part in the use of expressions; of inventions; of ideas. Intellectual freedom is defined as "...the inalienable rights of a person to use ideas--the freedom to use one's mind. Intellectual Freedom is the right to own the ideas that you possess and it is the right to use your ideas in conjunction with your physical property in any way you wish. It is the right to be free from claims of illegally possessing or using ideas. It is the recognition that to call ideas that one person possesses the property of another is analogous to calling one person the property of another. Intellectual Freedom is the inalienable right of all humanity to take part in the use of expressions; of inventions; of ideas."

ALA Intellectual Freedom Statements and Policies

Censorship and Intellectual Freedom FAQs

Censorship, the Internet, Intellectual Freedom, and Youth

Democracy and Intellectual Freedom

Intellectual Freedom and Censorship

Professional Guidelines

"Simulated Intellectual Freedom Debate"

Intellectual Property

"Intellectual property refers to a legal entitlement which sometimes attaches to the expressed form of an idea, or to some other intangible subject matter. This legal entitlement generally enables its holder to exercise exclusive rights of use in relation to the subject matter of the intellectual property. The term intellectual property reflects the idea that this subject matter is the product of the mind or the intellect, and that IP rights may be protected at law in the same way as any other form of property."

Copyright and Fair Use

Copyright, Privacy, and Intellectual Property

Electronic Frontier Foundation: Intellectual Property

Intellectual Property

ithenticate

Research Resources

Turnitin

Understanding Copyrights

What Is Plagiarism?

Internet Ethics

The core issues of Internet ethics "include, but are not limited to: professional responsibility, intellectual property rights, privacy, and the impact of technology in society." An issue that goes hand in hand with Internet ethics is social responsibility. Social responsibility is an obligation for Internet information producers and users to create and use information in an ethically and socially responsible manner.

Applied Ethics Resources on WWW

The Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard Law School

Computer Literacy

Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility

A Critical Campus Concern, Information Ethics

Internet Research Ethics

The Internet, Ethics, Plagiarism, and AUPs

Internet Ethics: Oxymoron or Orthodoxy?

An Online Interactive Course in Internet Ethics

Resources on Computer and Ethics

Teaching Internet Ethics to Teens

Open Courseware

"Freeware is computer software which is made available free of charge, as opposed to payware where the user is required to pay." Open courseware facilitates free and open access to information programs and services.

Models for Sustainable Open Educational Resources

Open Directory Project

Piracy

"Copyright infringement is the unauthorized use of copyrighted material in a manner that violates one of the copyright owner's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works that build upon it. The slang term bootleg (derived from the use of the shank of a boot for the purposes of smuggling) is often used to describe illicitly copied material."

Anti-Piracy

The Free Software Foundation

Software Piracy

Types of Piracy

Website Evaluation

"A website (or web site) is a collection of Web pages, typically common to a particular domain name or sub-domain on the World Wide Web on the Internet.
To date, there are nearly 80 million websites in the world with registered domains.
There are many varieties of websites, each specialising in a particular type of content or use.
Evaluation is the systematic determination of merit, worth, and significance of something or someone.
'Evaluation' is said to involve characterizations and appraisals – determinations of merit and/or worth. Merit involves judgments about generalized value. Worth involves judgments about instrumental value."

Website Evaluation Criteria

Website Evaluation Tutorial



Print Reference Sources:

American Association of School Libraries. (1998). Information power: Building partnerships for learning (2nd ed.). Chicago, IL: American Library Association.

Birk, J. & Hunt, F. (2003). Hands-on information literacy activities. New York: Neal-Schumann.

Brevik, P.S. (1998). Student learning in the information age. Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press.

Doyle, C.S. (1992). Outcome Measures for Information Literacy Within the National Education Goals of 1990. Final Report to National Forum on Information Literacy. Summary of Findings.

Eisenberg, M.B., Lowe, C.A., & Spitzer, K.L. (2004). Essential skills for the information age (2nd ed.) . Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.

Harris, F. J. (2005). I found it on the Internet: Coming of age online. Chicago, IL: American Library Association.

Hughes-Hassell, S. & Wheelock, A. (2001). Information-powered school. Chicago, IL: American Library Association.

Lessig, L. (2002). The future of ideas: The fate of the commons in a connected world. New York: Random House.

Loertscher, D.B., & Wools, B. (2002). Information literacy: A review of the research. San Jose, CA: Hi Willow Publishing.

Riedling, A.M., & Eisenberg, M.B. (2002). Learning to learn: A guide to becoming information literate. New York: Neal-Shumann.

Riedling, A.M. (2004). Information literacy: What does it look like in the school library media center. Portsmouth, NH: Libraries Unlimited.

Simpson, C. (Ed.). (2003). Ethics in school librarianship: A reader. Worthington, OH: Linworth.

Spinello, R.A., & Tavani, H.T. (2004). Readings in cyberethics (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Jones and Bartlett.

Tavani, H.T. (2004). Ethics & technology: Ethical issues in an age of information and communication technology. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley $ Sons.

Thomas, N.P. (2004). Information literacy and information skills instruction: Applying research to practice in the school library media center. (2nd ed.)

Warlick, D.F. (2004). Redefining literacy for the 21st century. Worthington, OH: Linworth.

Woodbury, M.C. (2003). Computer and information ethics. Champaign, IL: Stipes.



*NOTE
Creating and revising the E-pathfinder has been an ongoing and reflective process, involving evaluation, re-evaluation, and critical thinking in relation to topic, audience, and presentation strategies.

The topic of information literacy is intimately tied to information ethics. In order to develop information literacy knowledge and skills, students must appreciate information ethics and ethical practices in relation to information production, access, retrieval and use.

In order to effectively present the concept of information ethics in the context of information literacy to middle and high school students and teachers, it is necessary to identify resources that support conceptual understanding as well as constructive learning.
Limiting and categorizing subtopics, and arranging the categories alphabetically. simplifies searching via the E-pathfinder, and supports convenient identification of selected information resources by the intended audience.

Customer-centric Values

"To stay relevant and be able to compete with Google, Yahoo, and the Web in general, state librarians must adopt a customer-centric values system that measures their successes against customers’ successes, not a static model of ‘good’ librarianship."

In my opinion, a user-friendly model is essential if libraries are to remain relevant and also provide services that users consider valuable. When policies emphasize a user-centered approach to service delivery and libraries offer user-friendly tools for access and retrieval, users will appreciate libraries and the welcoming, helpful librarians that model the best practices for serving users and satisfying users' needs for information in a variety of formats.

The role of the information specialist in helping users is focused on providing comprehensive service. Christopher Edwards (2000) suggests librarians’ traditional contributions of –

* Providing access
* Working in partnership
* Structuring knowledge
* Imparting skills
* Preserving heritage
* and inspiring trust

Based on a user-centered approach to service, "real users in the real world are going to find the librarian's skills in selection and quality assurance invaluable for some years yet.

In this context, imparting information skills might well emerge as our most valuable role. Information illiteracy will be a key threat to prosperity and social inclusion in the knowledge society. Helping our communities to become critical consumers, confident learners and accomplished creators of knowledge will be a crucial task" (Edwards, 2000).

Library information specialists have a "role as intermediaries working on behalf of the consumer. The trust (librarians) have earned doing this will be difficult to retain, as (librarians) get more involved in complex dealings with content providers and in the manipulation of increasingly fragmented information. But if (librarians) can succeed, then the librarian brand will be in world-wide demand" (ibid.).

Edwards, C. (2000). Global knowledge: a challenge for librarians. International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions Retrieved March 5, 2006 from http://www.ifla.org/IV/ifla66/papers/153-154e.htm

The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) "is the leading international body representing the interests of library and information services and their users. It is the global voice of the library and information profession."

The IFLA is definitely involved in developing public policies related to information service in a global context. Membership in IFLA provides a means of collaborating with user-centered information specialists who are considered with providing all potential users with comprehensive access to diverse information resources, regardless of format.

"The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) provides information specialists throughout the world with a forum for exchanging ideas and promoting international cooperation, research, and development in all fields of library activity and information service. IFLA is one of the means through which libraries, information centres, and information professionals worldwide can formulate their goals, exert their influence as a group, protect their interests, and find solutions to global problems."

The mission, goals, and objectives of IFLA definitely support my interest in collaborative information provision and service!

Library Instruction Links

Library Instruction Links:

"This is a collection of links relating to library instruction and information literacy."

This site is (c) 2002-2004 Michael Lorenzen. All rights reserved. Permission is given to link to this site.

Library Reference Search Web Directory

Key information literacy skills include: determining the nature and extent of the information need; accessing information; evaluating information and sources; and adhering to ethical practices in the use of information.

Information Literacy Instruction & Effective Research

Information Literacy = A relatively new term, information literacy refers to the skill level of a person regarding information; skill in finding the information one needs, usually requiring knowledge of library resources, computer search tools, and research techniques. The term can often be confused with computer literacy; however it is a much more extensive term.

An information literate person can:

* Identify and retrieve information in print form, (books, serials, reference texts)
* Analyze information for its relevance, timeliness, accuracy and suitability of format
* Synthesize the information and present it

Modern library instruction emphasizes search and retrieval techniques as well as evaluation skills such as these.

Library Instruction = (also called Bibliographic instruction) is the process of teaching users how to find information in the library and on the Web. It is closely allied to the field of information literacy.
Instructional services provided by an instruction librarian to a group of users designed to teach them how to locate the information they need quickly and effectively. Library instruction usually covers the library's system of organization, the structure of the literature of the field or topic, research methodology appropriate to the discipline, and increasingly involves hands-on practice using computerized search tools.

Library Instruction Wiki

LibraryInstruction.com: The Librarian's Weapon of Mass Instruction
Information Literacy Articles at LibraryInstruction.com

Research = Systematic, intensive, patient study and investigation in some field of knowledge, usually employing the techniques of hypothesis and experiment, whose purpose is to reveal new facts, theories, or principles.

Web Site Evaluation

Why students need information literacy skills

Information literacy is more than personal processes, skills and lifelong learning. It is also about using information for social responsibility.
Information literate people:

* "engage in independent learning through constructing new meaning, understanding and knowledge;
* derive satisfaction and personal fulfilment from using information wisely;
* individually and collectively search for and use information for decision making and problem solving in order to address personal, professional and societal issues; and
* demonstrate social responsibility through a commitment to lifelong learning and community participation."

Australian and New Zealand Institute for Information Literacy and Council of Australian University Librarians (2003). Australian and New Zealand information literacy framework. Principles, standards and practice . Adelaide, Australian and New Zealand Institute for Information Literacy.

Boolean Searching

Internet Public Library for Teens -- Teen Space: A+ Research & Writing for High School and College Students
Evaluating Search Tools

Elements of Website Evaluation
Worksheet for Evaluating Websites
Evaluating Websites "Tour"

Learning Information Literacy Online

Your research strategy: How to select a good research topic

Library research tutorials

Technology & Learning: Copyright and FairUse Guidelines for Teachers
Good “quick reference” for copyright and fair use guidelines in chart form.

Ethics 101: Cheating, Plagiarism, Site Evaluation, Copyright and Your Students

Finding Online Forums

Online Catalog Exercise

CyberSmart: Meeting the Needs of Students, Teachers and Schools by:

* enabling schools to successfully integrate technology into the core curricula;
* addressing the social, legal and ethical issues associated with technology use;
* supporting information and technology literacy;
* helping busy teachers make student technology use more effective;
* teaching the ground rules for online behaviors that are acceptable, appropriate and effective;
* and, involving families.

Basic Steps in the Research Process

Netiquette

The Final Hurdle?
By Ann Jason Kenney, Illustrations by David Brion -- 3/1/2006 -- School Library Journal.com
A new test may finally bring information literacy the recognition it deserves
"The bottom line is that school librarians have a huge role to play in ensuring that students know how to properly use communication tools and digital technology. 'This includes the ability to use technology as a tool to research, organize, evaluate, and communicate information, and the ethical and legal issues surrounding the access and use of information,' says ETS.
The core test, administered online in a proctored lab or classroom, uses real-time, scenario-based tasks such as obtaining information from a database, creating a spreadsheet, and writing a concise e-mail message based on research findings. Tasks are designed to measure technical and cognitive skills.
An assessment of the ability to collect or retrieve information in a digital environment may involve searching a database, browsing hyperlinks, or locating information through online help. To determine proficiency in evaluating information, a student may, for instance, be asked to find a database that best addresses a research question, determine if a Web site is sufficient to complete a given task, or rank sites according to whether they meet particular criteria.
How well are we teaching technology skills and the critical thinking proficiencies to use them optimally? What new skills do we need to be teaching? Are the research and technology skills that we teach in one grade successfully reinforced and maintained in others? How familiar are our students with the ethical and legal issues embedded in the use of information?
Librarians have long understood the importance of knowing how to properly locate, use, and evaluate information. If information literacy is as important to school librarians as we say it is, let’s not be left behind. Let’s seize this test as an opportunity to demonstrate our importance as instructors of information literacy and the value these skills have in our students’ lives." (Kenney, 2006).

The research process involves a series of strategic steps and guidelines for ensuring and maximizing the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of information analysis and use. When these steps are understood and followed, the process facilitates reaching the goal of information discovery, retrieval, organization, utility, and sharing.

Freedom to Explore & Think

Library Bill of Rights

The American Library Association affirms that all libraries are forums for information and ideas, and that the following basic policies should guide their services.

1. Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.
2. Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
3. Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.
4. Libraries should cooperate with all persons and groups concerned with resisting abridgment of free expression and free access to ideas.
5. A person's right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, background, or views.
6. Libraries which make exhibit spaces and meeting rooms available to the public they serve should make such facilities available on an equitable basis, regardless of the beliefs or affiliations of individuals or groups requesting their use.

Adopted June 18, 1948; amended February 2, 1961, and January 23, 1980, by the ALA Council.

Intellectual Freedom Basics
“Intellectual Freedom is the right of every individual to both seek and receive information from all points of view without restriction. It provides for free access to all expressions of ideas through which any and all sides of a question, cause or movement may be explored. Intellectual freedom encompasses the freedom to hold, receive and disseminate ideas.” -- href="http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/basics/intellectual.htm">Intellectual Freedom and Censorship Q & A

YALSA Blog

IPL Pathfinders

"PATHFINDERS: IPL Expert Guides intended to help you get started doing research on a particular topic, both online and at your local library."

The Internet Public Library Mission Statement:

The Internet Public Library (IPL), is a public service organization and learning/teaching environment at the University of Michigan School of Information. We will engage in activities in the following areas:

SERVE
Provide library services to Internet users. Activities include: finding, evaluating, selecting, organizing, describing, and creating information resources; and direct assistance to individuals.
TEACH
Use a learn-by-doing approach to train information professionals and students to work in an increasingly digital environment.
BUILD
Develop technology and best practices for providing library services via the Internet, including digital reference service and collection management.
LEARN
Conduct research aimed at improving our services and increasing the body of knowledge about digital libraries and librarianship.
SHARE
Promote our services. Share what we've learned with the professional community. Participate in efforts to create and promote relevant standards. Disseminate technology and practices to others. Develop relationships with organizations pursuing similar goals. Provide leadership in these activities.
GROW
Develop a model and plan for long-term sustainability and growth for our organization and services.

We approach the above activities via the values and principles of the profession of librarianship.

Adopted April 12, 2001

Updated Information Ethics & Literacy E-Pathfinder

Title of the Topic:
“Information Literacy and Ethics for Middle and High School Students and Teachers”

Scope: The E-Pathfinder is designed to provide subject-based guides to resources on information literacy and information ethics. The E-Pathfinder resources include brief annotations, which are intended to inform teachers, to guide instruction, and to be used by middle and high school students. The E-Pathfinder topics include: Academic Honesty, Assessment Criteria, Computer Ethics, Copyright and Fair Use, Ethical Codes, Evaluation of Information Resources, Information Literacy Standards, Intellectual Property, Internet Research, Piracy, Social Responsibility, and Use of Electronic Communication Tools.

Targeted Audience: Resources for middle and high school teachers and their students, concerning information literacy and ethical issues related to information resources and the access and use of information in a variety of formats. The purpose of the E-Pathfinder is to assist teachers in helping middle and high school students develop information literacy while becoming proficient and responsible users of information resources, information technology, and information systems.

E-Pathfinder Blog Resource: http://infoethicsandlit.blogspot.com/
The “Information Literacy and Ethics” blog is an ongoing project, which includes resources to relevant information organized in subject categories and indexed by keyword and topic.

E-Pathfinder Website Resource: http://rightuse.info/
The “Information Literacy and Ethics” website is an ongoing project, providing a subject-based pathfinder to information resources organized by category.

Introduction:
“Information Literacy and Ethics for Middle and High School Students and Teachers” provides a collaborative forum, information pathfinders, information literacy tutorials, and selected resources concerning ethical research practices and the ethical use of information in all formats.

Subjects:

Academic Dishonesty
Abundant Cheating

A Critical Campus Concern, Information Ethics

Academic Dishonesty

Definitions of Academic Dishonesty

Plagiarism

Legal Aspects of Academic Dishonesty

Assessing Information Literacy

Big6 Turbo Tools

TILT

Webquests and Information Literacy: A Collaborative, Active Approach to Learning

Critical Thinking

iReading + iWriting + iThinking + T/n = L3

Code of Ethics for Educators

A Blogger's Code of Ethics

ALA Code of Ethics

A Short Webliography on Computer Ethics for Philosophers

Code of Information Ethics

Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility

InfoLit Standards

Information Literacy Standards for Student Learning

Information and Learning

3 Doors to InfoLiteracy

Information Literacy Readings

Information Literacy Forum

Information Literacy Links

Information Literacy Portals

Information Literacy Tools

Information Ethics

Applied Ethics Resources on WWW

Information Ethics Problem of the Month

Information Ethics Tutorial

National Forum on Information Literacy

Open Directory: Computers, Ethics

Resources on Computer and Ethics

Ten Commandments Of Computer Ethics

Information Literacy and Learning

About Information Literacy

ACRL Information Literacy

Information Literacy

Information Literacy and Access to Resources

Information Literacy Weblog

Information Literacy Models

"The Seven Pillars of Information Literacy" Model

What is information literacy?

Information Literacy Skills

Lessons for developing skills in the areas of:

Questioning

Identifying & Collecting

Evaluating

Sensemaking

Reflecting & Refining

Using

Assessing

21st Century Information Fluency Project

Intellectual Freedom

ALA Intellectual Freedom Statements and Policies

Censorship and Intellectual Freedom FAQs

Censorship, the Internet, Intellectual Freedom, and Youth

Democracy and Intellectual Freedom

Intellectual Freedom and Censorship

Professional Guidelines

"Simulated Intellectual Freedom Debate"

Intellectual Property

Copyright and Fair Use

Copyright, Privacy, and Intellectual Property

Electronic Frontier Foundation: Intellectual Property

Intellectual Property

ithenticate

Research Resources

Turnitin

Understanding Copyrights

What Is Plagiarism?

Internet Ethics

Applied Ethics Resources on WWW

The Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard Law School

Computer Literacy

Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility

A Critical Campus Concern, Information Ethics

Internet Research Ethics

The Internet, Ethics, Plagiarism, and AUPs

Internet Ethics: Oxymoron or Orthodoxy?

An Online Interactive Course in Internet Ethics

Resources on Computer and Ethics

Teaching Internet Ethics to Teens

Open Courseware

Models for Sustainable Open Educational Resources

Open Directory Project

Piracy

Anti-Piracy

The Free Software Foundation

Software Piracy

Types of Piracy

Website Evaluation

Website Evaluation Criteria

Website Evaluation Tutorial



Print Reference Sources:

American Association of School Libraries. (1998). Information power: Building partnerships for learning (2nd ed.). Chicago, IL: American Library Association.

Birk, J. & Hunt, F. (2003). Hands-on information literacy activities. New York: Neal-Schumann.

Brevik, P.S. (1998). Student learning in the information age. Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press.

Eisenberg, M.B., Lowe, C.A., & Spitzer, K.L. (2004). Essential skills for the information age (2nd ed.) . Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.

Harris, F. J. (2005). I found it on the Internet: Coming of age online. Chicago, IL: American Library Association.

Hughes-Hassell, S. & Wheelock, A. (2001). Information-powered school. Chicago, IL: American Library Association.

Lessig, L. (2002). The future of ideas: The fate of the commons in a connected world. New York: Random House.

Loertscher, D.B., & Wools, B. (2002). Information literacy: A review of the research. San Jose, CA: Hi Willow Publishing.

Riedling, A.M., & Eisenberg, M.B. (2002). Learning to learn: A guide to becoming information literate. New York: Neal-Shumann.

Riedling, A.M. (2004). Information literacy: What does it look like in the school library media center. Portsmouth, NH: Libraries Unlimited.

Simpson, C. (Ed.). (2003). Ethics in school librarianship: A reader. Worthington, OH: Linworth.

Spinello, R.A., & Tavani, H.T. (2004). Readings in cyberethics (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Jones and Bartlett.

Tavani, H.T. (2004). Ethics & technology: Ethical issues in an age of information and communication technology. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley $ Sons.

Thomas, N.P. (2004). Information literacy and information skills instruction: Applying research to practice in the school library media center. (2nd ed.)

Warlick, D.F. (2004). Redefining literacy for the 21st century. Worthington, OH: Linworth.

Woodbury, M.C. (2003). Computer and information ethics. Champaign, IL: Stipes.

Fair Use

"Fair Use Under Fire" by Diana Day clearly describes some of the issues surrounding the concept of "fair use": "the fair use statute, the part of the copyright law that delineates fair use, is not very precise",
including the fact that what actually constitutes "fair use" is poorly defined, non-specified, and open to interpretation.

Day observes that "there are a lot of different viewpoints about copyright and fair use" (ibid.). However, "the copyright law lists the rights that are within the copyright bundle: publishing, reproduction, distribution, performance, making derivative works" (ibid.), but does not include restrictions on sharing and/or exchanging information via alternate formats like weblinks and attachments.

The interview with Day includes a discussion of the DMCA and its ramifications for information providers. "And another thing we determined [has to do] with this Digital Millennium Copyright Act, the provision [Section 512] that allows for these take-down letters. Basically, it's called a safe harbor provision, and it says to Internet Service Providers [that they] will not be liable as a contributory infringer if [they] respond to one of these take-down letters expeditiously by removing the material that is assertedly a copyright infringement. So, the law doesn't force [ISPs to do this], but it holds a very powerful club over their head" (ibid.). Based on Day's conclusions about what constitutes infingement, it seems safe to assume that information providers-- including libraries-- cannot be held liable for how information resources are used.

Instructional Support

"Information literacy and its effect on the digital divide is an aspect of information ethics that can be influenced and improved by those in the library profession. According to Elrod and Smith (2005) 'information ethics provides a framework for critical reflection on the creation, control, and use of information' (pg. 1004). The five guidelines that help to create this framework are access, ownership, privacy, security, and community (Elrod and Smith, 2005, 1006). ...Finally the librarian should be a supporter. It is frustrating to learn a new skill and the librarian should be available to ensure that the newly learned information is used effectively and that they continue to exercise and improve their skills. If the librarian acts as an educator and supporter in the community then more people will have effective access to new information available, and this (will) minimize the digital divide."

When librarians assume the responsibilities of information specialists, they acknowledge a professional obligation to instruct all users in thinking critically about information and using evaluation criteria for determining whether or not information is reliable, valid, and usable.

"According to ALA, “All information resources that are provided directly or indirectly by the library, regardless of technology, format, or methods of delivery, should be readily, equally, and equitably accessible to all library users” (ALA Core Values, para. 5)."

Ethical codes clearly define professional standards related to providing information resources for all users. However, information literacy must extend beyond provision to accessibility defined by the ability to read and comprehend the information provided. Since a large percentage of available inforamtion requires reading, librarians must become advocates for reading comprehension instruction. Without the ability to read and interpret information, users lack the ability to think critically about the information they find. If equal access is the goal, librarians must promote reading and provide opportunities for critical thinking to all users and potential users. In order to be truly egalitarian, librarians must invite both existing and potential users to participate in the search for useful information.

In the article, "Information Technology and Technologies of the Self," Capurro (1996) declares, "it is through institutions as well as through moral and legal codes that we can ensure the right to access and to work for more equitable distribution in order to bridge the information gap between the ‘information poor’ and the ‘information rich’" (Information Technology as an Ethical Challenge section, para. 3).

Ethical codes in the library profession must not only address the digital divide and how discrepancies in provision and access can be successfully bridged. Ethical codes for information professionals must address how a range of literacy services can be successfully provided to those who can read and those who struggle with reading comprehension. Providing access to the growing numbers of struggling readers is a huge, yet infrequently considered issue.


References

American Library Association. (2004, June 29). Core Values Statement. Retrieved February 26, 2006, from ALA’s Core Value Statement.

Capurro, R. (1996). Information Technology and Technologies of the Self. Journal of Information Ethics, 5(2), 19-28. Also available at Information Technology and Technologies of the Self.

Elrod, E. M., & Smith, M. M. (2005). Information Ethics. In Encyclopedia of Science, Technology, and Ethics (Vol. 2, pp. 1004-1011). Detroit: Macmillan Reference.

Access & Use Policies

"Access, ownership, privacy, and diversity are debated topics. Society’s perception of these issues shape the potential laws that may restrict freedoms or limit the capacity of the information professional to accomplish his/her job."

The perception of the community served by individual libraries also dictates accessibility, availability, what information can be accessed and used, and how the information can be accessed and used. Librarians working in different environments-- whether public, academic, private, specialized, or school-- must continually evaluate, determine, establish, and reevaluate the parameters of access and use based on objective standards, legal parameters, and community needs. In addition, provision based on clearly defined and carefully determined ethical codes must be consistently enforced via well-considered and clear written policy statements with a foundation in user-based policies.

Regulation & Evaluation

"As professionals our role is to help patrons sort through the 'bad' sites as we do trying to find accurate information for any other subject. The question has to be asked too about whose job it is to help regulate this information. Grodzinsky and Tavani had the idea of 'Should Internet Service Providers be held morally accountable for objectionable behavior that occurs in their forums?' (Grodzinsky and Tavani 565)."

Information literacy includes the ability to evaluate web-based information according to criteria such as:

Accuracy - how reliable and free from error is the information?
- almost anyone can publish on the web
- many web resources are not verified by editors or fact-checkers
- web standards to ensure accuracy are still under development Authority - what are the author’s qualifications for writing on this subject?
- how reputable is the publisher or organization?
- it is sometimes difficult to determine authorship of a web resource
- the author’s qualifications/background are often not listed Objectivity - is the information presented with a minimum of bias?
- to what extent is the information trying to sway the opinion of the audience?
- the web often serves as a “virtual soapbox” for personal opinions
- the goals or aims of persons or groups presenting information are often not clearly stated Currency - is the content of the work up-to-date?
- is the publication date clearly labeled?
- dates are not always included on web pages, or the meaning of the date is unclear (is it the date the information was first written, first posted, or last updated?)
Coverage - what topics are included on the site?
- are the topics explored in detail or depth?
- web coverage may differ significantly from a similar print resource
- it is often hard to determine the extent of web coverage
Some additional concerns -
- many web pages blend information, entertainment and advertising (it can be difficult to tell the difference)
- some web sites are purely marketing tools
- many web pages are unstable and will disappear
- software requirements may limit access
- the danger of altering the content of web pages by unknown parties

(drawn from the work of Jan Alexander and Marsha Tate, Reference Librarians at Widener University, Chester, PA)

The goal of information literacy instruction is to help users become skillful evaluators of information, regardless of presentation format.

Legal parameters and standards based on the principle of intellectual freedom and privacy determine how information resources are regulated. However, information resource providers and library information professionals have an ethical obligation to model discriminating selection and use of information, and to teach information users to carefully evaluate and critically consider all types of information resources.

Grodzinsky, Frances S. and Tavani, Herman T. (2002). Ethical Reflections on Cyberstalking. In R. A. Spinello, and Tavani, H. T. (Eds.), Readings in CyberEthics (pp. 561-570). Boston, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

Constituency

"The Library as an institution exists for the benefit of a given constituency, whether it be the citizens of a community, members of an educational institution, or some larger or more specialized group. Those who enter the library profession assume an obligation to maintain ethical standards of behaviour in relation to the governing authority under which they work, to the library constituency, to the library as an institution and to fellow workers on the staff, to other members of the library profession, and to society in general."
http://www.ifla.org/faife/ethics/lascode.htm

The above quotation from the introduction of the Library Association of Singapore (LAS) "Code of Ethics" is comprehensive, yet focused. By describing the professional responsibilities of librarians in relation to patrons, the profession, and the immediate and more broadly conceived community, the introduction acknowledges the role of ethical standards, and the relation of library professionals to those standards.

The LAS "Code of Ethics" establishes the parameters of professional obligation that librarians assume as members of a profession, based on the expectation that ethical standards define the role of librarians in regard to those they serve, colleagues, library resources and the community. "Community" encompasses the sponsoring agency, the local arena, a broadly-defined national culture, and a global awareness.

The LAS "Code of Ethics" clearly holds librarians socially acccountable for fulfilling a professionally-related trust that demands dedication to principles and identified best practices.

Collaboration in Information Sharing:
IFLA is a member of the Global Knowledge Partnership (GKP)
The GKP along with governments, business and civil society organizations, share their experience, ideas, issues and solutions to unleash the potential of ICTs to improve lives, reduce poverty and empower people helping to bridge many divides.

"It starts with lack of information, which is at the root and constitutes a most basic form of oppression (lack of awareness/consciousness-raising.)"

In my opinion, an equally troubling problem is a general lack of literacy, including the lack of fundamental reading comprehension skills, in such a large percentage of the population. For the most part, finding and understanding "information" requires the ability to read and to understand what is read.

School Libraries and Copyright

"The distinction between 'fair use' and infringement may be unclear and not easily defined. There is no specific number of words, lines, or notes that may safely be taken without permission. Acknowledging the source of the copyrighted material does not substitute for obtaining permission.
The 1961 Report of the Register of Copyrights on the General Revision of the U.S. Copyright Law cites examples of activities that courts have regarded as fair use: 'quotation of excerpts in a review or criticism for purposes of illustration or comment; quotation of short passages in a scholarly or technical work, for illustration or clarification of the author's observations; use in a parody of some of the content of the work parodied; summary of an address or article, with brief quotations, in a news report; reproduction by a library of a portion of a work to replace part of a damaged copy; reproduction by a teacher or student of a small part of a work to illustrate a lesson; reproduction of a work in legislative or judicial proceedings or reports; incidental and fortuitous reproduction, in a newsreel or broadcast, of a work located in the scene of an event being reported.'"
http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.html

In my years as a high school librarian and educator, I have observed an increasing number of school-related situations in which copyright rules seem to be violated in the name of "fair use". "Fair use" is often interpreted as being "for any purpose related to school."
Although a College of DuPage teleconference on libraries and copyright issues, presented as part of an ongoing training program, stressed that copyright laws are generally less strict than perceived, in my experience, teachers and students rarely consider the issue of copyright or how it applies to print and video materials like articles, chapters, photographs, video programs, etc. As long as the material is being used for "educational purposes", many teachers seem to think copyright does not apply. Since teachers typically model behavior and share attitudes, student are either completely unaware, or disregard, issues related to copyright and copyright violation.
For example, if a book is difficult to obtain or no longer in print, teachers believe it is O.K. to copy the entire book-- even to make several copies of books or other print material for an entire class. "Fair use" includes limits on the amount of material that can be copied from a given source, and the length of time that the copy can be retained.

It is interesting that there is not an objective definition of what constitutes "fair"--
"The Copyright Office can neither determine if a certain use may be considered 'fair' nor advise on possible copyright violations. If there is any doubt, it is advisable to consult an attorney." (ibid.)

The ALCTS (Association for Library Collections and Technical Services-- a division of ALA)

and ALA's
"Copyright: Fair Use Legislation"
provide resources and links to legislative decisions in order to clarify copyright issues.
Carrie Russell has been the ALA copyright specialist in ALA’s Washington, D.C., Office for Information Technology Policy (OITP) since 1999. “The OITP promotes policies and programs that help ensure the public’s right to a free and open information society.” Carrie "is the author of 'Complete Copyright: An Everyday Guide For Librarians' and also pens a copyright advice column, 'Carrie On Copyright,' for School Library Journal, where she answers selected questions from readers. She’s also been teaching an online seminar for ACRL, 'Current Copyright Issues Facing Academic Libraries.'

In response to the following scenario:
"I would like to include several pages from a worktext in a study guide and appendix that I am working on with several teachers. The worktext is no longer in print. The original publisher was bought out and the new publisher does not carry the worktext. Am I allowed to copy four to five pages of this worktext to include in our appendix? It will be copied by teachers throughout the state to be used with students. The study guide will be free of charge to anyone who would like to download it from the Arkansas Department of Education's Web site."
Ms. Russell wrote:
"The worktext, although out-of-print and not available for sale, is probably still protected by copyright. Remember, the current term of copyright is life of the author plus 70 years. Corporate works are protected for 120 years from the date of first publication. If you reproduce pages from a copyrighted work and your use is not a 'fair use,' you are infringing the right of reproduction.

The problem here is that although what Cheryl wants to do would have no effect on the market for the work (Cheryl cannot purchase copies of the work), a worktext is by nature a 'consumable' work-that is, copies are meant to be purchased for each student who takes the class. The law is clear that consumable works may not be copied and handed out. Moreover, the pages would be posted on the Arkansas Department of Education's Web site. Since anyone could copy the pages, the posting of the work infringes on the copyright holder's right to distribute the work.

What in the world can Cheryl do? She has already tried to buy copies and they are unavailable. She can contact the current publisher and ask if he holds the copyright. If so, ask for permission to copy and post the necessary pages. Hopefully, the publisher will say, 'Sure, go ahead.' Get your agreement with the publisher in writing. Warning: the publisher might not hold the copyright! If so, ask who does and begin your hunt for the real copyright holder."
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA83393.html

Clearly, dilemmas related to teachers' use of copies for school-related activities are common. Clear guidelines for using resources that are protected by copyright should be posted and followed by schools and school libraries.