Commitment to Technology: The unit’s conceptual framework(s) reflects the unit’s commitment to preparing candidates who are able to use educational technology to help all students learn; it also provides a conceptual understanding of how knowledge, skills, and dispositions related to educational and information technology are integrated throughout the curriculum, instruction, field experiences, clinical practice, assessments, and evaluations. (NCATE Unit Standards (2002 Edition)

In addition, Senate Bill 2042 standards for the revision of credentialing in California have made a substantial commitment to assuring that all teachers graduating from California credential programs demonstrate competence in the management of technology and the information that is made available.  The credentialing standard related to computers and information competence state as follows.

Each candidate demonstrates knowledge and understanding of the legal and ethical issues concerned with the use of technology.  Each candidate demonstrates knowledge and understanding of the appropriate use of computer-based technology for information collection, analysis and management in the instructional setting.  Each candidate is able to select and evaluate wide array of technologies for effective use in relation to the state-adopted academic curriculum. (CCTC Program Standard 9: Using Technology in the Classroom)

More specifically, the enabling elements in the standard that address information competence are as follows:

9(f) Each candidate examines a variety of current educational technologies and uses established selection criteria to evaluate materials, for example, multimedia, Internet resources, telecommunications, computer-assisted instruction, and productivity and presentation tools.

9(h) Each candidate demonstrates competence in the use of electronic research tools and the ability to assess the authenticity, reliability, and bias of the data gathered.

9(i) Each candidate demonstrates knowledge of copyright issues and of privacy, security, safety issues and Acceptable Use Policies.

Information competence is a significant part of the SB 2042 credentialing standards.  This request for proposals for information competence allowed the faculty of the Department of Teacher Education the opportunity to more formally and concretely integrate information competency within the course work of our credential programs.  It also allowed us the opportunity to improve the skills and knowledge of our faculty related to information competence in an intensive all day workshop format, with the knowledgeable involvements of the designated faculty from the University library.

The Association of College Research and Libraries (ACRL) defines an information literate person as having the ability to:

1. Determine the extent of information needed
2. Access the needed information effectively and efficiently
3. Evaluate information and its sources critically
4. Incorporate selected information into one’s knowledge base
5. Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose
6. Understand the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information, and access and use information ethically and legally

The ACRL definition of an information literate person complements our national NCATE and state credential standards for the integration of computer and information literacy into our teacher credential programs.  The Association of College and Research Libraries Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education provides an important distinction between computer literacy and information literacy.  Information literacy is defined as “an intellectual framework for understanding, finding, evaluating, and using information--activities which may be accomplished in part by fluency with information technology, in part by sound investigative methods, but most important, through critical discernment and reasoning.”  The development of information competent future teachers depends on collaborate efforts of the credential program faculty and library faculty. With the assistance of our library faculty colleagues, we will develop future teachers who critically and effectively use technologies in their teaching and who themselves develop in their K-12 students the information literacy skills to become lifelong learners who critically and effectively use technologies.

1. To orient the Department of Teacher Education faculty to the evolving area of information literacy in general and the ACRL standards in particular.
2. To incorporate information competence within the Department of Teacher Education curriculum.

1. Conduct an information literacy retreat for ten full and part-time Department of Teacher Education faculty. (Two of the ten faculty members were unable to attend the retreat.)  This retreat focused on information competence in general and the ACRL standards, current research tools and methodology, effective teaching techniques for incorporating information competence into the coursework, brainstorming better ways to integrate these ideas into the overall Department of Teacher Education curriculum (with special attention to the four named courses).
2. At the request of the participating faculty, we agreed to hold a follow up retreat at mid-semester so that all could have the opportunity to share their experiences and challenges in incorporating information competency into their courses.  This retreat was in the form of a luncheon at the faculty development center.
3. Review and develop Department of Teacher Education curriculum to address information competence objectives, with an initial focus on four Department of Teacher Education courses: EDMS 4100 Foundations of Education in a Diverse Society, EDMS 4150 Methods of Multilingual Education, EDSC 3900 Foundations of Secondary Education, and EDSC 4110  Multilingual Education in Secondary Schools.  Because of changes in teaching assignment, the final list of courses was modified and the following courses were added: EDSB 4115: Reading and Writing Instruction in the Secondary Content Area: Spanish Bilingual Emphasis, EDMS 4111 Primary Reading Language Arts Methods:  Spanish Bilingual Instruction, and EDMS 4130 C&I Elementary Math Methods.
4. The results of this curriculum development will continue to assist us in beginning to integrate information competence into the other credential coursework.
5. Pilot revised courses in 2005 to introduce students to the newly developed information literacy objectives.  We anticipate that the piloting will continue into fall 2005.
6. An integral part of our information competence plan is the use of Blackboard, an online support structure.  Our department has been developing online components for many of our courses.  This component has created an opportunity for students to make better use of the research resources of the library online.

1. A revised version of the departmental curriculum's student learning outcomes, including information competence objectives;
2. Reconstructed syllabi for four courses that incorporate and promote information competence standards with demonstrated student performance measures;
3. Web pages that describe the project and its results.

The proposed project was staffed by Dr. Juan Flores, Department of Teacher Education Chair, Warren Jacobs from the library faculty, and student assistants.

• Determine the extent of information needed;
• Access the needed information effectively and efficiently;
• Evaluate information and it’s sources critically;
• Incorporate selected information into one’s knowledge base;
• Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose; and
• Understand the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information, and access and use information ethically and legally (ACRL, 2000)

Library faculty were available to the Teacher Education faculty and students as an ongoing resource for information competency issues during this project. Library faculty also collaborated with Teacher Education faculty for curriculum development and assessment.

1. Preliminary talks with faculty – September/October 2004
2. Planning for faculty retreat - November 2004
3. Request Blackboard courses for identified faculty and courses.
4. Hired student assistants with web support/Blackboard background with assistance of Bob Koehler.
5. November 18, 2004. Met with faculty regarding planning for retreat.
6. Faculty retreat – Winter Session February 1, 2, 3, 8, or 9 2005
7. Confirm availability of Bob Koehler, librarians, and faculty.
8. Curriculum development – January 2005
9. Met with faculty participants in grant to assess their experiences in integrating information competence
10. Piloted information competence content in identified courses - Aug-Dec 2005
11. Planning assessment activities - Aug 2005-Jan 2005
12. Final project report on activities, with deliverable - June 2006