Developing Information Skills for Special Needs Learners Through project work

Abstract

This paper discusses the information skills required by school librarians for the handling of special learners, otherwise called differently abled learners. These skills include knowledge of sources of information, searching techniques, accessing electronic and other multimedia resources, packaging and repackaging of information, etc. In handling those with visual challenges, the partially blind should be provided with large print and audio books; those with residual blindness should be provided with talking books and magazines, as well as with machines that will make their use possible; those with complete blindness should be provided with Braille facilities and telephone reader programs to listen to media broadcasts. It is the duty of the school librarian to teach the vision impaired pupils/students on how to use these facilities by guiding them and following up with assignments on how to independently use them. For the hearing impaired pupil/student, the school librarian will use assistive devices like listenaiders and telephone relay system, as well as visual display facilities. In developing information skills for the gifted learner, the teacher librarian will teach and demonstrate in such a way that as fast learners, their learning programmes are not boring and uninteresting. The mentally retarded require a lot of patience and time to be adequately catered for. It is a general requirement that in handling differently-abled learners, the school librarian should possess dual abilities in information management and special education.