Summer 1990 (Every day was summer in Cuba)

Dear Family and Friends,

Thanks for congratulating me on earning an Associate degree at Naval Base Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. You are proud of me …and have no plans to attend the ceremony in GITMO because…

Unlike many of my family members and friends I experienced life outside of the Florida panhandle and in other countries. The stories I wanted to write were real, yet too hard for some people to believe. I needed to translate my notes, memories, and photographs into genuine stories others could trust. From a city girl's perspective, Iguanas really looked like dinosaurs, crabs crawled on land, and vultures crossed the sky like airplanes.

Travel through 1999 (Grand Cayman Island, Tokyo, and Rome)

I had to convince people that I saw the ocean floor from a pier, rode on a bullet train, and stood where emperors and gladiators once walked. On one hand, I expected some readers would believe my stories based on an honor system. On the other hand, I expected others would question the authenticity of my stories when they engaged in critical thinking skills and learned to evaluate information. Exchanging dialogue required us to construct information within a mutual context. Let the truth be told, we had to bring new knowledge into our natural environment and overcome some challenges of reading and writing in an information society.

Reflecting on letters mailed from overseas, some of my family members, friends, and I unknowingly attempted to become information literate. As a matter of fact, I recall the excitement in my mother’s voice as she envisioned the day she and I could send electronic mail to each other. During her lifetime, she only had an opportunity to experience the intranet. I, however, have earned two online degrees and continue to develop computer and information literacy skills.

Almost spring 2012 (Snow flurries in Upstate New York)

Although my primary means of communication has shifted from letter writing, I purposefully communicate accurate, reliable information in social, work, and academic settings. Now, I transmit most of my communication through electronic mail, text messages, and an occasional IM or greeting card. I also facilitate an online course and continue lifelong learning through distance education. Learning and teaching online remind me of the importance of being information literate rather than oversimplifying information literary as a course required for all students to graduate.

Would you believe information literacy can help people become lifelong learners and apply higher order thinking in real life situations? No need to take my word as there are many creditable sources on the Internet to support my claim.