The Big6 Curriculum: Comprehensive Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Literacy for All Students

The importance of teaching information and communication technology (ICT) literacy is clear: without it, students will be ill-equipped to find and use information in all its forms as well as produce and present information in all forms. Unfortunately, most ICT literacy educational programs are irregular, incomplete, or arbitrary. Classroom teachers, teacher librarians, and technology teachers need a complete ICT program--one with clearly defined goals and objectives, planned and coordinated instruction, regular and objective assessment of learning, and formal reporting of results. This book explains how to integrate the objectives of ICT literacy into your school's established curricular structure.

The book explains the rationale for a having a comprehensive ICT program, describes how to develop a Big6 by the Month program, and defines the challenges in the areas of information-seeking strategies, location and access, use of information, synthesis, and evaluation. It also includes templates for grade-level objectives; a scenario plan, program plan, lesson plan, and unit plan; summary evidence and criteria; performance descriptors; a presentation readiness checklist; and Big6 by the Month checklists for instructional leaders, teachers, and teacher librarians.

Michael B. Eisenberg is dean emeritus and professor at the Information School of the University of Washington in Seattle, WA. Eisenberg cocreated the Big6 approach to information literacy.

Janet Murray, MALS, retired teacher-librarian, has been using the Big6 skills to help middle and high school students become information literate since she created an online matrix and web page of activities linking the Big6 to national information literacy standards in 1999.

Colet Bartow, M.Ed, is school library specialist at the Montana Office of Public Instruction, Helena, MT.