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In Advanced programs for teachers, hands-on experience is the norm in classes leading up to the culminating practicum. Pre-practicum field experiences vary depending on program, but they all focus on helping Advanced candidates blend theory with practice in student observations, case studies, interviews, intervention plans, assessment batteries, student progress reports, and individual education plans (Refer to Assessment System-Advanced-Teachers.)
Pre-practicum courses in Advanced programs for other school personnel also emphasize "real world" scenarios. In the Educational Leadership program, candidates conduct needs assessments, design school culture surveys, and interview administrators on a variety of issues. Special Education Administration candidates analyze budgets, prepare teacher evaluations, prepare in-service presentations, and identify ways to collaborate with social services agencies. In the School Counseling program, candidates interview students and teachers, visit counseling centers, and analyze programs for best practices in meeting counseling standards. The School Library Media program offers experience in critiquing school district policies on book selection, establishing policies for collection development, assisting staff and teachers with curriculum, and learning the responsibilities of media center staff through shadowing activities. (Refer to Assessment System-Advanced-Other School Personnel.)
Clinical Practice
As outlined in the unit's Assessment System, field and clinical experiences are aligned with performance standards identified in the unit's conceptual framework. These include each set of Specialty Program Standards, Danielson's Four Domains for Initial programs, and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) for Advanced programs.
Clinical practice in the College of Education provides candidates with varied and in-depth opportunities to develop proficiency. Clinical practice for Initial candidates extends to approximately 900 hours. Because they are in the field for two full semesters, most candidates experience the full range of the school curriculum: August opening and June graduation, lower grades and upper grades, general instruction and subject area instruction. The two-semester experience also allows opportunities to observe other teachers and teaching styles. Teacher Education offers variety with semester-long placements in two schools; Graduate Teacher Certification offers in-depth experience with year-long placements in one school. (Refer to Assessment System-Initial.)
The culminating experience for Advanced candidates is the Graduate Practicum (ED 685), which extends from 15 weeks to 30 weeks depending on program requirements. Some Advanced candidates teach in their own classrooms; others explore other placement venues, many of which are in partnership with or sponsored by school districts other than their own. Besides the traditional classroom, other practicum sites include early childhood sites, migrant programs, summer literacy programs, school-university clinics, on-campus summer camp for learning disabilities, school libraries and media centers, counseling offices, and school administrator/central office settings. Unit faculty supervise all practicum experiences. (See Placement Sites).
| For a table outlining each program's specific field and clinical requirements, refer to Overview of Field Experience and Clinical Practice. |
In any recent listing of significant instructional developments, information technology would surely be near the top. Its use is so pervasive in higher education in general and at
Grand Valley in particular that Education candidates, especially at the Initial level, are familiar with and skilled in its many uses. Concentrated Initial instruction in using and evaluating instructional technology occurs in Computers in Education (ED 205) and Classroom Uses of the Microcomputer (EDG 619). Both courses are aligned with the National Education Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS-T) from the International Society of Technology in Education (ISTE). As candidates progress through field and clinical experiences, all instructional plans must include a technology component that supports teaching and learning. The standards of several other professional associations also address the use of technology, as reflected in emphasis area assessments and practices.
Technology is such a staple in almost every Education course that most candidates welcome it as a resource in instructional planning. A review of syllabi includes these examples whereby candidates themselves use technology for learning: library database searches, World Wide Web, Internet, online searching, e-books, e-mail, web sites, electronic course reserves, data-based analysis, streaming video, discussion boards, discussion groups, electronic bibliographies, and web-enhanced instruction. Both Initial and Advanced programs use most of these technologies, along with tape recorders, camcorders, word processing, data-based assessment systems, demonstration software, computer-based instruction, and adapted technology.
Criteria for Clinical Faculty
Clinical faculty must possess the master's degree or higher in Education or a comparable field and have successful teaching or administrative experience. Preference is given to prospective candidates with recent experience. The dean, unit head, program coordinator, and interested faculty interview final candidates.
Clinical faculty are almost evenly divided between full time (43) and part time (47). Among full time clinical faculty, 25 are tenured or tenure track, and 18 have visiting or affiliate appointments. Recently established, the "affiliate faculty" category allows the College to retain clinical supervisors on full-time renewable contracts. This table shows appointment status and educational background for all 90 clinical faculty members (for complete details refer to faculty records in the on-site exhibit room):
| Clinical Faculty Qualifications |
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Support for Candidates
Initial program faculty welcome elementary and GTC candidates to a full-day or evening event before the semester begins. These events feature speakers, activities and panels of first-year teachers. Candidates meet their supervisors and each other to begin forming the support systems that extend through this all-important semester. Conferences such as Fire-Up bring candidates and faculty together throughout their field experiences. (See Events).
Candidates and classroom supervisors each receive the appropriate materials to explain expectations for the experience. Materials for supervisors place considerable emphasis on collaboration, building rapport, maintaining a supportive climate, seeing the candidate as a team member, and maintaining open dialogue during the semester. Likewise, they encourage the candidate to take risks and not be afraid to make mistakes (see Handbooks.)
During the Initial clinical experience, faculty visit the candidate's classroom at least five times, at the Advanced level at least three times. In Advanced programs for other school personnel, field supervisors also provide support. In leadership and administration programs, for example, the mentor/sponsor agrees to support the candidate and give assistance, advice and information in addition to that provided by the university supervisor (Assessment Systems-Other School Personnel). During clinical practice, all candidates attend regular seminars to share experiences, de-brief problems, and discuss issues related to each program and individual experience.
Technology gives us several additional methods of providing support for candidates. Electronic discussion boards are one of the most popular and helpful connections for candidates in the days or weeks between seminars and classroom visits. Moderated Blackboard discussions and online journaling provide a continuing vehicle for candidates to engage professional issues or simply share problems and successes. (The BOE Team is invited to access the course Blackboard site for EDG 685-GTC to view an example of a web-enhanced practicum that uses discussion boards, videos, and online journaling. (See EDG 685 GTC - Blackboard.)
Clinical faculty make sure their candidates can reach them whenever necessary. Most provide candidates not only with their advising hours and office telephone numbers but also their home numbers, cellular numbers and e-mail addresses. E-mail communication may not have replaced the telephone, but it seems well on its way to surpassing it in volume.
Candidate support is considered essential, even in distant placements. At least one regular faculty member accompanies and leads the field experience in Stellenbosch, South Africa during the entire time. In the Florida Cross Cultural Teaching program, even though supervision is shared by on-site personnel, full-time unit faculty make regular visits, conduct at least two observations on-site, three observations using ITV, and also conduct weekly ITV seminars when they are not on site. In the winter semester, a pilot venture will join the Florida cohort with an Oakland County (Michigan) cohort in weekly ITV meetings.
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