Thinking Styles in the School Media Center

Information literacy should be an integral part of any school media center. Sternberg theorizes that people have different thinking styles and thus different preferred learning styles. How can a library information specialist support the various thinking styles of students while teaching information literacy?

Thinking Styles

What is a thinking style? "A style is a preferred way of thinking. It is not an ability, but rather how we use the abilities we have. We do not have a style, but rather a profile of styles" (Sternberg, 19). Sternberg divides the thinking style profile of mental self-government into various functions (legislative, executive, judicial), forms (monarchic, hierarchic, oligarchic, anarchic), levels (global, local), scope (internal, external), and leanings (liberal, conservative). Since there are five areas, quite a complex thinking style profile can be created.

Information Literacy

A primary role of the library information specialist is to teach information literacy. Most school media centers have state or district mandated standards of information literacy. The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) and the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) have delineated nine skills, commonly known as Information Power, described in Information Literacy Standards for Student Learning and in the book Information Power. The nine standards are divided into three categories: information literacy, independent learning, and social responsibility.

Information Literacy and Thinking Styles

Although all students need to master all of the standards, some standards will be easier for some thinking styles to master than others. A library information specialist can appeal to different thinking styles by varying the types of questions asked in class and in assignments. I will use the first three information literacy standards as examples.

Executive types, because they can follow rules and guidelines well, should have an easy time with Standard One: "the student who is information literate accesses information efficiently and effectively" (American Library Association, 9). When a school media specialist or teacher is assessing students' understanding, executive types may prefer to answer questions that start with who, what, where and when (Sternberg, 123).

Judicial students enjoy analyzing and evaluating (Sternberg, 123). They should be naturals at understanding Standard Two because it allows them to critique the validity of information sources. Standard Two states: "the student who is information literate evaluates information critically and competently" (American Library Association, 10).

Legislative students, who are thought to be creative, should understand Standard Three quite easily: "the student who is information literate uses information accurately and creatively" (American Library Association, 10). Legislative types will probably prefer assignments that allow them to explain, create, and design (Sternberg, 123).

The library information specialist can incorporate knowledge of thinking styles into information literacy lessons. Stenberg gives examples of what kind of methods of instruction the various thinking styles prefer. For example, external thinkers should enjoy small group activities. Internal thinkers would prefer to read information. Judicial and legislative types would probably prefer thought-based questions (Sternberg, 116).

Library information specialists, like students, are expected to be generalists. In "No Two Quite Alike", Theodore Sizer discusses how in most high school in America , courses are taught in complete isolation by specialist teachers. "No one of us, save the students and the librarian, is to express and be held accountable for a general education--even as a "general education" is the ultimate goal for the students" (Sizer). The reference material supplied and information literacy skills taught in the media center promote a general education.

Like Keirsey's personality types, an understanding of Sternberg's thinking styles, can be a valuable tool in the library information specialist's metaphorical tool belt. It will assist librarians in improving their instruction methods in teaching information literacy. These tools will help students have the skills and the inquisitiveness to become life-long learners.

References

American Association of School Librarians and Association for Educational Communications and Technology. (1998). "Information power: Building partnerships for learning." Chicago : American Association of School Librarians.

American Library Association. (2004). Information Power. Retrieved December 5, 2004 from http://www.ala.org/aasl/ip_implementation.html

Keirsey, D. & Bates, M.M. (1984). Please Understand Me: Character and Temperament Types. Del Mar, CA: Prometheus Nemesis.

Sizer, T. (1999, September). No two are quite alike. Educational Leadership, 57(1), 6-11. www.ascd.org/readingroom/edlead/9909/sizer.html

Sternberg, R. J. (1997, 1999). Thinking styles. Cambridge , England : Cambridge University Press.