In our study of Literacy Teacher Educators (LTEs) from four countries, I was intrigued at how some of the LTEs adapted their role as 21st century educators by aligning themselves with key elements of from a pedgogy of multiliteracies (New London Group, 1996; Rowsell, Kosnik & Beck, 2008). The most dynamic of these key elements for me was the LTE’s commitment to relational teaching. Cope & Kalantzis (2009), original members of the New London Group stressed the “need for students to bring their own, culturally diverse life interests and knowledge to a learning situation”(p.185). The LTEs in our study clearly supported this sociocultural notion of multiliteracies education in their classrooms as they made time to understand their student teachers’ lifeworlds through discussion and autobiographical assignments. However, our LTEs took this concept one step further and consciously attempted to develop meaningful relationships with their students. Our LTEs suggested that developing “one-on-one relationships with the students” and “being closely attentive to what my student teachers are doing and saying is hugely important”. These priorities indicated, for me, the significance of relational teaching to be a successful LTE in the 21st century. Cathy
Monthly Archives: December 2013
Book Clubs as a Model
This is the 20th anniversary of my book club. Yes we have been together for 20 years. We had an anniversary party and had cupcakes! (Much more on my book club in future posts.) I think there have been two essential ingredients for the success of the book club: our sense of community and our engagement with books. I am coding transcripts of our literacy/English teacher educators and a number note that their student teachers do not like to read. I have found in my research on student teachers that many stated that they had loved reading in elementary (primary) school but by the time they got to secondary school, there was so much prescribed reading (usually textbooks) that they had no time to read for pleasure and in turn, lost their love of reading. This pattern continued throughout their university years. In my literacy courses in the preservice program I talk a lot about engagement with text and the importance of pleasure og reading. Perhaps, we need to take some lessons from book clubs to ensure that our students do not lose their love of reading — community of readers and joy. I think that it is very hard to be a literacy/English teacher if you do not like to read and do not find reading as engaging.
One change to education?
In the Globe and Mail today (Canadian newspaper) there is an interesting article on the Canadians selected to be Rhodes Scholars. One of the questions they asked each of the 11 new scholars was: One change to education? Their responses were interesting because most focused on engagement, relevance, and access (not on improving test scores). It would be interesting to ask teachers and teacher educators what one change they would like to make to education. I would dearly like to see greater teacher autonomy so they can plan for their students rather than feel pressure to charge through the curriculum (that may or not meet the needs of their students or be of interest to them). Clare
Upcoming Conference in Toronto
For those in Ontario you might be interested in the upcoming conference sponsored by the Ontario Deans of Education/Ontario Teaching Federation. This is a low-key conference which addresses issues facing Ontario teacher educators and teachers. I have found it to be interesting because there is lots of opportunities for discussion with fellow faculty. Here is the website for the conference: https://event-wizard.com/2014TeacherEdConf/0/welcome/
Conference will be held at York University. It begins at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, February 21, 2014, and runs from 8:30 am to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 22, 2014.
Proposals are due December 10th. They also produce an e-book of papers from the conference.
Clare
Literacy Teaching and Teacher Education 