I have done some reading on this topic lately and have been encouraged by some of the readings that I have read in recent times because it gives school libraries a great opportunity to begin engaging with our future teachers and help them appreciate and value the role that school libraries and teacher librarians have in supporting student learning.
But the big challenge arises from the universities themselves as they coordinate the professional experience programs that education students undertake at either a undergraduate or postgraduate level. I reflect on my practicums and it was left to us, the pre-service teacher to engage with the library. We were not educated on their role nor the role or importance and staff that manage school libraries.
Marlene Asselin, Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia has provided a number of papers on school libraries and their roles in supporting pre-service teachers but has also engaged in pre-service teacher programs through introducing inquiry-based intergrated unit planning and information literacy pedagogy.
As part of their practicum they had to engage in collaborative experiences with teacher librarians including the planning of and delivery of lessons to develop information literacy skills.
On the Advocacy Committee of the School Library Association of NSW (SLANSW), my fellow member Vicki Bennett and I have been collaborating with a lecturer at the University of Wollongong to provide presentations focusing on the role of the teacher librarian and their importance as educators. At the moment, Vicki has engaged in online presentations but is envisioned that it would be delivered face to face We also envision embedding a requirement for pre-service teachers at the University of Wollongong to engage with the library and even deliver one lesson in collaboration with the teacher librarian.
After the holidays, I shall answer the question of what we can do right now to support our pre-service teachers.
