Building Bridges Between Students and Practitioners

摘要

Students learn more when they have the opportunity to teach others. Constructivist and social learning theories support the idea that learning is an inherently social activity. One way teachers involved in the scholarship of teaching can blend social activities with aspects of professionalism is by involving their graduate students in conference presentations. This opportunity to demonstrate expertise engages learners, first as an incentive to learn, and second, as a reward for exemplary performance. This paper describes how library science faculty at Central Missouri State University co-presented with eight graduate students at the Missouri Association of School Librarians conference in April 2004 and plan to do so again in the future. Students gained conference speaking experience, were able to network and meet other professionals, and increased their visibility for potential job openings. Conference presentations are an option that can benefit students, practitioners, and teachers.