Education - Teaching

Purpose

The Collection Development policy is used as a guide to shape relevant collections and to ensure consistency in collection development. The decision to purchase library materials is primarily the responsibility of the Collections Librarian in consultation with faculty in the Department.

This policy has been developed by Linda Cracknell, the Collections Librarian, in cooperation with and endorsed by Lynne Hannay, Dean Faculty of Education.

Focus

To support the practice of teaching, study and research for a one-year consecutive Bachelor of Education degree - K-6.

Scope

• Language: English and French language materials are collected.
• Place of Publication/Production: Priority is given to materials published/produced in Ontario, Canada and the U.S.
• Dates of Publication: Emphasis is placed on recent works as well as established works that support the area of study.
• Chronological Period: Works with a focus on the 21st century is emphasized.
• Geographical Areas: Priority is given to works with a North American focus.
• Publishers/Producers: Emphasis is on publishers/producers of professional teaching and curriculum based works, activity books, media, and on children’s books (both literature and non-literature) at the elementary school level.
• Speciality Education Suppliers are used for Ontario curriculum supported resources such as manipulatives, realia, puzzles, games, etc.

Types, formats, and readership of materials collected

The Education teaching collection exists to support foundation and elective courses and the practice of teaching in the K-6 classroom. An effort is made to collect diverse and innovative educational materials. The collection consists of:

• Professional teaching literature and teaching units/lesson plans in print format, and professional audio/visual materials.
• Children's books, at the juvenile level, are selected both literary and non-literary works. Paperbacks are preferred. Juvenile award books are automatically collected.
• Classroom Resources such as reproducible activity resources, audio/visual media and "kits" (games, puzzles, manipulatives, realia), pictures and posters, teacher/classroom guides.
• Ontario Ministry of Education K-6 curriculum and exemplar resources (acquired by Government Documents and located in the government documents area) are available in print and electronic format.
• Reference sources, journals and indexes. Web-based formats are preferred and print and microform are considered for reason of cost, availability, expected use or long term access.
• Single copies of print formats are generally selected. Duplicate copies can be considered for high-demand material such as reproductive activity books. Duplication of print across Laurier campuses is generally avoided.
• While textbooks are generally not collected, the exception is made for titles found on the Ontario Trillum Approved Text Book Collection as these form part of the Faculty of Education learning and teaching resources.
• Abridgements, limited editions, works by vanity presses, reprints and partial contents (eg. Single issues of journals, electronic versions of single chapters of books) are excluded.

Subjects collected and collecting priorities

Collecting priorities are categorized into 3 levels:

A - highest emphasis

The collection includes major published materials required to support the core teaching and research at the highest degree level offered by the Department.

B - secondary emphasis

The collection includes a selection of materials to complement the discipline as a whole, although it may not be a primary focus for courses.

C - selective emphasis

Materials, including reference materials and basic journals and indexes are collected to introduce and define an area.

For all types of materials, the collection aims to support teaching concepts, curriculum studies and practicum needs.

Emphasis is given subject area taught in the Faculty of Education:

• Foundation courses: Learning and Child Development; School and Society; Teaching for Equity and Diversity.
• Curriculum Studies: Language Literacy and Social Studies; Mathematics, Science and Technology; The Arts (dance, drama, music and visual arts); Health and Physical Education.
• Elective courses: Teaching in Ontario Catholic Schools; Teaching in Kindergarten; Using Technology for Teaching and Learning

Course work documents are found on the Faculty of Education website.

The Ontario curriculum requirements are found on the Ontario Ministry of Education website (2007) as follows:

• Arts, Grades 1-8
• French as a Second Language, Grades 1-8
• Health and Physical Education, Grades 1-8
• Language, Grades 1-8
• Mathematics, Grades 1-8
• Native Languages, Grades 1-8
• Science and Technology, Grades 1-8
• Social Studies, Grades 1-8
• The Kindergarten Program

Educational professional classification subject areas:

Professional teaching classification subject areas

Examples of children's literature and non-literature subject areas (highest emphasis is given to titles that support the curriculum program):

Related programs and support

Consortial purchases with the TriUniversity Group of Libraries (Guelph, Waterloo, Laurier university libraries), with the Ontario Council of University Libraries, and on a national level, are pursued.

This program is supported by access to the academic and professional education print materials available from the University of Guelph, University of Waterloo, and Brantford-Nipissing. Arrangements have also been made for Laurier Teacher Education Candates to access the professional resource centres of the partnering boards.

Access to children’s books is available from the Universities of Guelph and Waterloo, Brantford-Nipissing, School Boards and school libraries affiliated with the education program and from the local public libraries.

Kits and media do not circulate but can be signed out by TECs as needed. While arrangements have been made for TECs to use kits from the School Boards, accessibility delays mean that Laurier needs to develop its own unique collection that can be used in the schools.