Field Experiences - NSU Education Home领域的经验- NSU教育家.doc

Field Experiences HandbookModels for TeachingNorthwestern State UniversityCollege of EducationNatchitoches, LouisianaDean, Dr. Vicky GentryCollege of EducationNorthwestern State UniversityTeacher Education BuildingNatchitoches, LA 71497318-357-6273Ms. Connie MelderOffice of Field and Clinical ExperiencesNorthwestern State UniversityTeacher Education BuildingNatchitoches, LA 71497318-357-6278(Fall 2005)MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN OF THE COLLEGE. Northwestern State Universitys College of Education continues its long-standing tradition of preparing teachers for classroom instruction. After all, weve been successfully preparing teachers for over 120-years and along the way have built a reputation as Louisianas premier teacher education program. As the needs of schools and society change, so has our College by extending our traditional teacher training program to a diverse audience, like you, who is interested in becoming a part of the most noble of all professions- teaching. Our College offers undergraduate teacher preparation programs, as well as graduate programs in areas such as educational leadership, educational technology, and P-12 school and college counseling. The College of Education offers twelve undergraduate and three graduate teacher preparation programs. They include fifteen graduate programs for teachers ; three graduate, non-teaching programs ; and one educational specialist program with seven concentrations for preparing teachers and other school personnel. If youre interest ed in these dynamic programs please refer to the College of Educations menu bar on the main page of our Website and click on Degrees or Certification to obtain specific information on degree programs or teacher certification requirements. Our faculty takes full responsibility for your knowledge and preparation. They are highly qualified to prepare teacher candidates to meet their goals and believe the process of preparing effective, professional educators is a collective enterprise, where excellence in teaching is highly valued. In fact, embedded in our theme, Models for Learning , is the philosophy that candidates in all programs will be taught in ways, which will empower them to work effectively in schools and other educational settings. We accomplish this by placing our teacher candidates in academic settings, field based experiences, clinical practice, and professional educational roles that allow them to become models for learning, included in our theme and mission as a College and University dedicated to teacher preparation. Our mission is enhanced by placing teacher candidates in excellent school environments where field experiences, such as those with our partner schools located throughout our service area, work with our faculty to provide the best possible real world experience in preparation for the classroom. In our graduate or advanced programs, candidates enjoy similar field experiences but focus on applied research and application-based activities that better prepare them to teach and lead. We welcome you to Northwesterns dynamic teacher preparation program and hope you will join the hundreds of others who went before you to become part of a rich legacy in teacher preparation that is sensitive about the past but grounded in the future.Dr. Vickie S. GentryMESSAGE FROMTHE OFFICE OF FIELD AND CLINICAL EXPERIENCESDear Pre-teacher Candidates and Teacher Candidates:I congratulate you on choosing teaching as your future profession. Teaching is both one of the most demanding and rewarding careers you could choose. The field experiences provided to you through Northwestern State University will benefit you in many ways. Initially, field experiences will assist you in determining if teaching is the appropriate career choice for you. Additionally, you will also observe the varied academic, social, physical, and emotional aspects of learners in diverse school settings. You will observe in actual classrooms and reflect on various teaching styles and management strategies. Prior to clinical experience, you will experience teaching one-on-one, small group instruction, and large group situations. Your field experiences will allow you to learn from teachers who exhibit best practice and provide opportunity for you to integrate theory and practice in school settingsModels for Learning provides that candidates in all programs will be taught in ways, which will empower them to work effectively in schools and other educational settings. This handbook was written to provide you with information about the processes and expectations needed for you to successfully complete the field experience component of the teacher preparation program at Northwestern. It is our goal to prepare you to be certified and highly qualified teachers.Respectfully,Ms. Connie MelderField Experience & Clinical PracticeTable of ContentsPreface5Models of Learning6Conceptual Framework6Field Experience.9Roles and Responsibilities.10Model for Learning Graphic.12Supervision and Evaluation.13Portals for Initial Programs14Knowledge, Skills, & Dispositions16General Guidelines for Field Experiences.19Appropriate Dress.21Glossary of Terms.22Schools Diversity Percentage.25Appendices.30Field-Based Clinician Questionnaire.31Data Sheet for PASS-Port.33Directions for posting data to PASS-Port.35Schools Approved for Observation42Field Experiences Observation Log.45Field Experience Component Chart.46PrefaceField experiences allow pre-teacher and teacher candidates to complete a logical sequence of gaining an awareness of the various roles and responsibilities of teachers, developing an understanding of how theory and practice are related, participating at the school level to receive practice and feedback from school personnel, and utilizing their acquired knowledge and skills of teaching through implementation in the field. The culminating experience, implementation in the field, is accomplished as students enroll in Clinical Practice/Internship. Field experiences prepare candidates for success during clinical practice and beyond.The College of Education at Northwestern State University has recently adopted a revised conceptual framework- Models of Teaching- which provides compelling direction for programs and courses as well as supportive guidance for our candidates, faculty, and staff. Along with a new shared vision, the conceptual framework serves to articulate the Colleges learning community in terms of who we are, what we strive to achieve, and how we endeavor to accomplish it.Four encompassing principlesproblem solving, creative and critical thinking, decision making, and responsibility taking- focus on competencies identified as essential for the highly qualified educator and are interrelated, not distinct entities. Additionally, pervasive throughout is a commitment to expanding candidates sensitivity to diversity, by recognizing individual differences and developing multicultural awareness, and to integrating technology appropriately as an intellectual tool to enhance and augment learning. MODELS FOR LEARNING CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK The Conceptual Framework, Models for Learning, reflects a centrality of affirmed principles, beliefs, and practices that guide the professional education Units work with candidates, schools, and communities. A Model is someone who serves as a standard of excellence worthy of imitation. Our candidates have the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to become exemplarsideal modelsfor learning.Learning is the process of acquiring knowledge, skills, and dispositions from study, instruction, and experiences. Believing that individuals learn in varied ways, the Unit subscribes to an eclectic approach with an emphasis on cognitive, observational (social), learning style, and human development learning theories. Beliefs: As members of the professional education Unit, we believe that:Individuals learn in different ways, and cognitive and developmental psychology provide a knowledge base for understanding learning processes;Educators can and should be exemplars or models for learning; we all teach, model for, and learn from each other;Educators as models for learning demonstrate responsibility taking, problem solving, creative and critical thinking, and decision making;Diversity is such an important factor in our immediate society that we must make concerted efforts to ensure that educators understand and respect differences and provide positive, effective learning experiences for diverse groups. Vision:The vision of the College of Education is to set a state standard of academic excellence in candidate preparation by adhering to the belief that educators are Models for Learning. Its graduates will continue to serve in a variety of professional roles as caring, competent, reflective practitioners ready to meet the changing demands of technologically advanced and diverse settings and committed to the ideal of helping each student reach his or her full potential.Mission:The College of Education offers initial and advanced programs that meet the needs and interests of schools, state and local educational agencies, and communities by preparing effective educators who demonstrate competencies in the knowledge, skills, and dispositions required to create meaningful learning environments. Graduates of these responsive, student-centered programs serve as Models for Learning in a variety of settings with diverse populations.Encompassing Principles:Four encompassing principlesProblem Solving, Creative and Critical Thinking, (Assessment-based) Decision Making, and Responsibility Takingsupport and enhance the theme, Models for Learning. These principles focus on competencies identified as essential for the highly qualified educator and are interrelated, not distinct entities. Pervasive throughout is a commitment to expanding candidates sensitivity to diversity, by recognizing individual differences and developing multicultural awareness, and to integrating technology appropriately as an intellectual tool to enhance and augment learning.Problem Solving involves higher-order thinking skills and is a systematic, thoughtful approach to gathering information in order to make an educated decision or support a change. Numerous examples exist, but the Unit subscribes to a general problem-solving modeldefine the problem, develop a plan, implement the plan, and evaluate the plan. These steps may range from simple to complex, depending on the problem and context. Inherent to this general model and reflecting the Units commitment to assessment and data-driven decision making is the systematic process to find, use, apply, and evaluate information for specific tasks. Creative and Critical Thinking, interrelated and complementary processes, involve higher-order thinking skills and include both the creation or generation of ideas, processes, experiences or objects and their evaluation. Blooms Taxonomy of the Cognitive Domain remains the seminal tool in developing objectives, designing curricula, preparing instructional activities, and assessing student learning. However, additional taxonomies and scholarly works, such as Dimensions of Thinking and A Taxonomy of Learning, Teaching and Assessing, inform and enhance the model.Decision Making is selecting from options or alternatives with the intent of facilitating student learning. Substantial content and pedagogical knowledge are essential for effective decision making. In addition, the Unit emphasizes assessment-based decision making, i.e., decisions should reflect a continuous and ongoing assessment process to gather data about students through a variety of means. Decisions may be proactive, interactive (responding to situational events), or retroactive, where reflection becomes a key component of effective decision making.Responsibility Taking involves accepting ownership and responsibility for decisions and professional growth and development in order to become a life-long learnera model for learning. In addition, responsible educators strive to help overcome biases and produce positive behaviors in a diverse society. Responsible educators engage in ethical practices to resolve conflicts or dilemmas, to make decisions, and to interact with others.Unit Outcomes: Program completers have the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to: Exhibit broad and in-depth content and pedagogical knowledge necessary to create meaningful learning experiences for all students.o Describe concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the appropriate discipline.o Articulate relevant philosophical and theoretical foundations. o Discuss best educational practices in applicable program areas.o Identify effective strategies to implement best practices in a program area, including the use of technology. Analyze student learning and educational processes to make appropriate decisions about learning outcomes, instructional strategies, and assessment procedures, both formal and informal.o Use varied assessment techniques and instruments to measure student achievement.o Implement effective instructional and management strategies (organization of time, space, resources, and activities).o Reflect on individual learner outcomes in making appropriate decisions to facilitate learning.o Examine educational issues and challenges to develop solutions to improve learning environments for all students. Design and implement curricula and instruction based on best practices to promote learning opportunities for all students.o Identify and design instructional activities that require responsibility taking, creative/critical thinking, problem solving, and decision makingo Integrate appropriate technologies to enhance learning.o Demonstrate intellectual flexibility to experiment and improvise in the educational environment.o Adjust educational practices based on analyses of content, materials, activities, and methods. Create and maintain inclusive educational settings that address ethnic, racial, socio-cultural issues, and exceptionalities.o Work effectively with diverse and complex educational communitieso Take responsibility for establishing and maintaining positive educational climates.o Commit to the continuous development of individual student abilities. Effectively utilize human, literary, and technological resources to enhance instruction and reinforce educator as model for learning.o Access, use, and evaluate a spectrum of information resources for effective decision making in research or educational activities.o Model effective information literacy skills. o Integrate appropriate technologies to foster higher-order thinking skills. Exhibit professional ethics and adhere to professional standards and legal responsibilities.o Model appropriate professional and ethical behaviors.o Initiate responsibility for continuous self-learning for professional growthField ExperiencesField experiences are a shared responsibility among the following agencies: The State Department of Education is the administrative and supervisory agency charged with implementing Board of Education and Secondary Education policies. It is recommended that candidates complete 180 hours of field experiences prior to placement in clinical practice. The School Boards in the six school systems (Natchitoches, LaSalle, Rapides, Sabine, Vernon, and Winn) offer the University the opportunity to work closely with the schools that they administer and control. The University offers students diverse learning opportunities in general education, academic support, content, and professional studies.Field experience hours will be designated by course and field experience requirements given by course instructors. Required observations for one class may not be used to meet required observations for another class! All field experiences should be conducted in public schools (not private or parochial schools) in Natchitoches schools or approved schools in cooperating parishes. Observations at schools not on the approved list must be cleared through the Office of Field Experiences. All field experiences must be logged on PASS-Port as per instructor directions. Roles and ResponsibilitiesFor a successful partnership between Northwestern State University and partner schools to exist, it is necessary to delineate the roles and responsibilities of each person involved in this partnership. Described below are SOME of the roles and responsibilities of key personnel.Director of Field ExperiencesThe Director of Field Experiences assumes myriad roles and responsibilities in collaboration with both higher education faculty and the schools where field experiences occur. This person serves as the coordinator for the placement of all field experiences for the teacher candidate during their matriculation to Northwestern State University. The Director of Field Experiences typically performs the following duties in regard to the PDS: Organize and coordinate clinical and field-based experiences, in collabo