information
fluency
Quickstart Guide
About This Series
These guides are designed by the Global Digital
Citizen Foundation to help you gain a better
understanding of the 21st Century Fluencies and how
they work. They’ll aid you in your quest to discover
how you can utilize, communicate, and facilitate the
Fluencies within your classroom environments, and
within the context of the required curriculum.
This volume covers Information Fluency. The tools it
contains include:
•
The skills developed by each stage of the Fluency
and why they’re important
•
The Fluency Snapshot Tool for this Fluency
•
6 project-based learning scenarios to use in your
classes—primary, middle, and senior. (These scenarios can be adapted for all grades and
subjects.)
We hope these handbooks will help you with the
development of the Fluencies as you work to infuse
them into your students' learning experiences.
information
fluency
Ask
This involves compiling a list of critical questions about what knowledge or
data is being sought. The key here is to ask good questions, because
that’s how you get good answers.
Acquire
Information Fluency is the ability to
unconsciously and intuitively interpret
information in all forms and formats in
order to extract the essential knowledge,
authenticate it, and perceive its meaning
and significance. The data can then be
used to complete real-world tasks and
solve real-world problems effectively.
The process of Information Fluency is
defined by the 5As.
Analyze
Apply
Assess
Accessing information isn’t as easy as it used to be. This stage
involves accessing and collecting informational materials from the most
appropriate digital and non-digital sources.
With all the raw data collected we must now authenticate, organize,
and arrange it all. This stage also involves ascertaining whether
information is true or not, and distinguishing the good from the bad.
Once data is collected and verified, and a solution is finally created,
the knowledge must then be practically applied within the context of the
original purpose for the information quest.
This involves open and lively discussions about how the problem-solving
journey could have been made more efficient, and how the solution
created could be applied to challenges of a similar nature.
Understanding the problem
Gives the problem the proper context
Makes searching for data/information easier and more focused
Eliminates the dangers of “flying blind”
Leads to hearing unique perspectives from others
Identifying keywords
ASK Skills
This involves compiling a list of
critical questions about what
knowledge or data is being
sought. The key here is to ask
good questions, because that’s
how you get good answers.
Helps you identify and verbalize the problem
Team members can better understand the purpose of the information
quest when solving the problem by using keywords
Helps you narrow down your search for information
Forming exploratory questions
Asking good questions promotes critical thinking and a deeper
understanding of the problem
You discover surprising things about a problem you didn't know before
It guides you in exploring the problem fully and seeing it from multiple
perspectives
Brainstorming and lateral thinking
Brainstorming involves the entire team, and you get to discuss the
problem from multiple viewpoints
Lateral thinking is an indirect and creative approach that helps you turn
problems into opportunities
Generating creative ideas and opinions is at the heart of the collaborative
problem-solving process
Understanding ethical issues
ASK Skills
This involves compiling a list of
critical questions about what
knowledge or data is being
sought. The key here is to ask
good questions, because that’s
how you get good answers.
Develops thinking habits based on empathy and compassion
Urges us to consider the far-reaching effects of a problem or issue
Guides us towards creating solutions that are ethical in nature
Lets us empathize with other professional, creative, or cultural viewpoints
Listening deeply, viewing wisely, and speaking critically
These are habits of mind that develop exceptional communication skills
Encourages consideration of an issue from various viewpoints, and
guards against bias
Leads to working towards a solution that benefits everyone
Incorporates a broad understanding of human nature and behaviour
Filtering out information “white noise”
Recognizing the spurious or unnecessary aspects of information is an
important analysis skill
Helps us separate and organize data for creating the solution
We learn to sort through informational clutter and make sense of large
amounts of data
Sharing personal knowledge and experience
Lets you share expertise and experience that can be valuable to the success of the solution
ASK Skills
This involves compiling a list of
critical questions about what
knowledge or data is being
sought. The key here is to ask
good questions, because that’s
how you get good answers.
With this kind of sharing, everybody teaches and everybody learns
Develops communication and a willingness to be open without fear of
judgement or ridicule in a supportive environment
Lets us empathize with other professional, creative, or cultural viewpoints
Determining where the information is
It teaches you effective search skills
Familiarizes you with how to access and manage multiple sources of info
that are both digital and non-digital
Teaches you to never look in just one place to find what you need
You will discover that sometimes you know more than you think you do
Determining the skills needed to find the information
You can learn new abilities in acquiring information—skills that can aid you
on other projects and challenges
ACQUIRE Skills
Accessing information isn’t as
easy as it used to be. This stage
involves accessing and collecting
informational materials from the
most appropriate digital and nondigital sources.
It can help you learn how to find and obtain information ethically
Pushes you to expand your range of awareness in the ways information is
accessed and used in the digital world
Skimming/scanning/scouring resources for data
As you practice skim-scan-scour techniques you become more proficient
with them, which helps you in future information quests
It helps you develop your organizational skills
You become able to determine at a glance what is useful to you if you
have clearly defined your problem and know what you're looking for
Prioritizing search strategies
Helps you decide what information you want to go after first
You can call on other members of the team and data searches can be
delegated, and you can report your findings back to each other
The information gathering process moves much quicker with an organized
approach
You learn methods for accessing multiple sources of information
Taking smart notes
ACQUIRE Skills
Accessing information isn’t as
easy as it used to be. This stage
involves accessing and collecting
informational materials from the
most appropriate digital and nondigital sources.
Good note-taking trains you to be a better observer and listener
You develop better information organization skills
It encourages you to not be a mechanical writer, but rather to consider the
real goal you have for taking notes on a certain subject
It helps you learn to be brief and concise, and focus on what’s important
Filtering
Learning to identify facts will help you to inform your audience so that they
can shape their own opinions
Fact-finding by filtering helps you to present your solution in a more
unbiased manner
Helps to differentiate fact from opinion
Facts are central to properly supporting the ideas in your solution
Knowing when to go back to the Ask stage
This helps you to understand that the Fluencies aren’t linear processes,
but cyclical ones that allow each stage to be revisited if need be
Helps you to reconnect with the purpose for your knowledge quest
You may discover something new about the problem you didn’t consider
before, which leads you to a search for new information
ACQUIRE Skills
Accessing information isn’t as
easy as it used to be. This stage
involves accessing and collecting
informational materials from the
most appropriate digital and nondigital sources.
Organizing, triangulating, and summarizing
Allows you to begin seeing what information you don’t need
Helps you see any relevant patterns that may emerge within the data
You’ll find the most logical categorizations for your information
Teaches you to summarize the most pertinent and useful points
Allows you to see what you might still missing
Working independently and collaboratively
ANALYZE Skills
With all the data collected we
now authenticate, organize, and
arrange it all. This involves
ascertaining whether information
is true or not, and distinguishing
the good from the bad.
Hones your team working skills and your ability to interact with others
Lets you put your own theories into practice both inside and outside the
team environment
You learn how to be responsible to yourself and to others in the process
of analyzing information for your problem
Checking for relevance/useful and superficial sources
You determine the useful data from the irrelevant or spurious data
Allows you to whittle down your database of information into more
manageable quantities
It teaches you to have a critical eye when analyzing information
You begin to quickly see what data is most important in that moment
Differentiating fact from opinion
This is a crucial skill for determining facts hidden in large amounts of what
is mostly free information from varied sources
Allows you to formulate your own opinions from facts instead of simply
relying on someone else’s viewpoints
Helps you avoid using falsely-generated facts or hearsay when organizing
and utilizing data
Assessing the currency of data
ANALYZE Skills
With all the data collected we
now authenticate, organize, and
arrange it all. This involves
ascertaining whether information
is true or not, and distinguishing
the good from the bad.
Ensures your information is up-to-date
Teaches you to cross-check and verify publication dates for currency
Helps you avoid using irrelevant, outdated, or obsolete information
Allows you to discard any less current information that you don’t need
Examining data for underlying meaning and bias
This skill is similar to differentiating fact from opinion, and allows you to
determine if sources are borrowing from each other
Teaches you to cast a critical eye on data and uncover its deeper
relevance to the problem
Encourages a neutral stance among biases and allows you to consider all
sides of the issue in a piece of information
Determining when data answers the original question
Lets you recognize which parts of data and information actually address
the problem
Leads you to re-examine some data and discard it if necessary
Wit this skill, you learn to document your progress when the data is found
to be relevant to your solution, saving you work later on
Identifying incomplete information
Encourages you to search deeper and think more critically to find the
missing pieces
ANALYZE Skills
With all the data collected we
now authenticate, organize, and
arrange it all. This involves
ascertaining whether information
is true or not, and distinguishing
the good from the bad.
Urges you to consider the relevancy of the information’s source
You learn how information fits together and harmonizes as you approach
the application of knowledge for the solution
Documenting/taking notes to determine authenticity
You learn about the importance of checking sources for credibility and for
viability
Good note-taking habits are synonymous with developing exceptional
communication skills
Having authentic information is vital to the success of the solution
Using probability, trends, and best guesses
Helps you seek out additional data
You learn that some of the most well-used sources may not necessarily
be the best, but still contain useful information
Analyzing trends helps you understand how quickly and rapidly shared
information can change or become outdated
Teaches you to make the best estimations possible based on the data
Turning data into knowledge and wisdom
Encourages you to revisit the Ask or Access stages to “fill in the blanks”
This skill is an indicator that you have learned things that have value and
importance during your information quest
ANALYZE Skills
With all the data collected we
now authenticate, organize, and
arrange it all. This involves
ascertaining whether information
is true or not, and distinguishing
the good from the bad.
Hones your ability to apply the information to current and future
challenges in a practical way
Gives you a chance to share your newfound wisdom to help others
Turning data into personal knowledge
Creating personal knowledge infuses you with a desire to see the problem
effectively solved to the best of everyone’s ability
It is an indication that you understand the information and are using it to
its full potential
You can share the knowledge with others who may be in need of it
Practically applying the knowledge
Gives you a stake in the process, because you and your team want to
make sure your hard work has paid off
APPLY Skills
Once data is collected and then
verified, and a solution is created,
the knowledge must then be
practically applied within the
context of the original purpose for
the information quest.
Shows you if the knowledge you are utilizing is effective or not
Encourages a revisitation of previous stages in order to revise the process
if necessary
Creating and utilizing products and projects
This is not just a demonstration of knowledge application, but also one of
creativity
Lets you consider different projects to use in delivering your knowledge
It teaches you skills in various mediums as you create different products
Teamwork can bring about a range of different ideas for solutions
Asking questions about the information/process
It pushes everyone on the team to think critically about what they’ve
accomplished
People get to share their own opinions and viewpoints constructively
Allows you to reflect on what you’ve learned on your problem-solving
journey and how it has helped you and others
Gives you insights into how you have bonded with others in the process
Determining/debriefing pros and cons
Allows you to determine as a group what worked well and what could
have been done better
ASSESS Skills
This involves discussions about
how the entire problem-solving
process could have been more
efficient, and how the solution
created could be applied to
challenges of a similar nature.
You see areas in the process where some things could have been done
differently or more efficiently
You may discover a way that the product could be improved or revised
Allows you to revisit the previous stages and have new insights
Internalizing and transferring new learning
Utilizing new learning is the only way to make it stick—the more you
practice this process, the more unconscious or "fluent" it becomes
Gives you a chance to see how the knowledge can be applied to similar
situations and circumstances
You begin to see problems as opportunities for greater learning
Fluency
Snapshot
This tool is designed to help you
evaluate the level of proficiency
that you or your students have
with Information Fluency.
There are 10 statements for you to
consider. As you move through the
statements, chose a value you feel
represents how well the individual
or group has demonstrated that
characteristic. Better still, have
your students assess themselves
and discuss the outcome.
You now have a baseline, and you
can analyze the results to decide
where focus and improvement
may be needed.
PRIMARY SCHOOL SCENARIOS
Idol History
Essential Question: What are
the most significant contributions
and ideas people have made to
society in the past?
Subjects: History, Language Arts,
Design, Theatre
Gratitude Group
Essential Question: How could
you use a public event to create
awareness and express your
appreciation of the people in your
community?
Subjects: Language Arts,
Design, Social Studies, Math
Throughout history there have been many individuals who have
become famous for their landmark accomplishments. If you were to
make your own choice from a list of famous historical figures, who
would you choose as being the best?
Choose someone from a list of great historical figures, research
their accomplishments, and make a presentation to a panel of
judges about who you've chosen, and why you consider that
person the best choice for “greatest person in history.” The more
creative, imaginative, and informative you can be the better!
Take a moment and think about the people who work to make the
community strong through the services they provide to its economy.
If you had one day to create a celebration to show these people
how much you and your community appreciate them, what would
you come up with?
Create a unique community celebration showing appreciation for
your community leaders and their day-to-day efforts. Use research
about expressing thanks in cultures around the world, and make
something to show your community how much it matters!
MIDDLE SCHOOL SCENARIOS
Lead the Way!
Essential Question: What
characteristics make up a good
leader, and why are good leaders
important in a society?
Subjects: Language Arts, History,
Technology, Media Studies
Party Planner
Essential Question: How do
caterers use proportional
reasoning to determine costs and
quantities for catering events?
Subjects: Math, Economics,
Design, Technology
Good leaders are important to society. They inspire us, guide us,
and help us become better people. Imagine that you’re a famous
actor/singer who is known for doing a lot of charity work all over
the world, and you’ve recently been asked to do an interview on a
popular show. The topic is “what makes a good leader?”
Together with some classmates, you’ll create an interview scenario.
Write the script and play different roles, and either record it as a live
radio interview or capture it on video. Time to take the lead!
Catering isn’t just about great food. It’s a busy profession that takes
patience, planning, and people skills. And of course, you’ve got to
have a good head for numbers. For you, that’s a piece of cake!
You’re part of a catering company that is covering a wedding
reception. You‘ll be seating 175 guests. Decide on a 5-course
menu including various beverages and the wedding cake. You’ll be
creating actual recipes requiring exact measurements, and also
creating a budget for the bash. Time to plan the ultimate party!
SENIOR SCHOOL SCENARIOS
Green Gears
Essential Question: How can we
use waste products to counteract
the effects of consuming our
conventional fuel sources?
Subjects: Science, Math, Design,
Environmental Studies, Technology
The Future is Now
Essential Question: How is our
vision of the future affected by
the world today?
Subjects: Science, Technology,
Language Arts, Media Studies
We’re looking to a future where alternative fuel sources remedy
many of our current environmental issues, such as waste and
recycling. With a little ingenuity and some extensive research and
experimentation, you can create a solution to benefit us all!
Come up with your own machine that runs on an alternative fuel
source. Work in groups and research the innovations that have
been discovered in this field as inspiration for your own designs.
How will your creation work, and how will it serve humanity?
All generations have a unique and often fantastical vision of how
the world of tomorrow will be. Look 20 years into the future from
now—what do you see, and how would you describe it?
Create a presentation that describes a vision of the future in vivid and
creative detail. Tell about everything that you see and do for one day
in this future world. Use digital rendering and creative presentation
tools to bring your idea to life as a digital media creation of your
choice. Share your vision of tomorrow!
Move from professional development
into professional transformation.
You know about Solution Fluency, and you’re ready to continue making meaningful
change at the classroom level. Now it’s time for you to take your understanding of the
21st Century Fluencies to new heights.
The 21st Century Fluencies Institute
These dynamic sessions engage lateral thinking and foster creativity. We begin with an
in-depth look at the 21st Century Fluencies, and move on to scenario development. We’ll
spend time working in teams connecting the standards to relevant real-world events and
situations. And the learning doesn’t stop there.
You’ll retain access to our webinars, online resources, and have exclusive opportunities
for further training. Contact us today and book a 21st Century Fluency Institute, and
usher in some true professional transformation!
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