Return to: BX Application, Standards Matrix, Syllabi, Form_XX, Dept. of Education, University

Section VII Narratives - Language Arts (BX)

Field Experiences - Instructional Methods - Technology

Field Experiences

Field placements are integrated throughout the Professional Education Courses beginning with EDUC250 Student Diversity and Schools where the focus is on tutoring experiences.  In subsequent courses, after admission to the School of Education , candidates have diverse and varied experiences of increasing responsibility and duration.  These early field experiences require a minimum of 15 hours per semester per course in focused experiences coupled with reflective journaling and fulfillment of additional course outcomes focused on the experiences.  Field experiences are required in each of the Professional Education Coursesrequired for elementary teacher candidates: EDUC250, EDUC301, EDUC330, EDUC110, EDUC411 and EDUC420, EDUC421, EDUC422, EDUC423 and EDUC424.  Each course requires a directed field experience with K-8 students in settings appropriate to their level and major/minors.  Course EDUC250-EDUC 411 each require 15 clock hours per course, EDUC420-EDUC424 each require 10 clock hours per course.  All EDUC courses and field work must be completed prior to entering the student teaching internship.  During the internship candidates work for approximately 22 weeks under the direct supervision of a classroom teacher and the periodic oversight of a university supervisor.  Candidates meet regularly with a university instructor for a seminar course, and are also concurrently enrolled in a graduate course each of the two semesters of the internship.  During the placement semester, candidates complete EDUC602 Reflection and Inquiry in Teaching Practice I examining qualitative and quantitative research methods and developing their own research based question addressing student learning and second level graduate level course on curriculum planning and implementation, EDUC605.

Student teaching internship placements extend across one university semesters, beginning generally with the start of the academic year in August/September and continuing through mid-April.  The second opportunity begins in December/January and ends in May.  Candidates are strongly advised they may complete two semesters of internship if they prefer.  Wherever possible candidates are placed in situations where they can teach in both their major and minor fields, either through split morning/afternoon assignments with different teachers, or placements in different schools for each semester. 

Expanded Narrative: Early Field Experiences

Field experience, in classrooms related to their levels and subjects of certification, are required in EDUC 250, 301, 430, 431, 440, and 44x.  Course descriptions and syllabi of each of the professional education courses are now available as a part of this program application.  Each education course requires 15 clock hours of field experience in the subjects of their training, e.g. Language arts, for a total pre-service field experience requirement totaling a minimum of 90 hours.  The requirements for these field experiences are described in our Field Experience Guidelines which apply to candidates AFTER Admission.  These guidelines are part of the school policy documents and are posted online at our website.  The candidates submit their field logs using the LSSU form F325 Field Experience Log for courses EDUC301 and above (includes a reflective narrative), and candidates submit  F320 Field Experience Log for EDUC250 experiences.  Additional narrative is provided in Section 5 of the Program Application narrative.  The field experience requirements are discussed in the Undergraduate handbook, available online, but also excerpted below:

Field Experience Expectations

Field experience for EDUC 150, EDUC 250, and EDUC 400 level classes outside of the Sault Area School District will be arranged by the

individual student. Arrangements for field experience in the Sault Area Schools will be handled through the office of the Field   Placement Director.

·         Canadian students may complete their field experience in the K-12 schools in Ontario.

·         Field experience for EDUC 301 will be arranged by the Field Placement Director in cooperation with the course instructor.

·         All placements for the internship year will be made by the Field Placement Director.

 It is required that all students entering into the Internship   experience carry professional liability insurance. This insurance is

offered through the office of the Uniserv Director of the Michigan   Education Association. The insurance is at a reasonable rate and

includes a student membership in the professional organization of   MEA

Additional Information

·         These field experiences are required of students as partial fulfillment of each course.

·         Students are required to provide their own transportation to and from the field sites.

·         Students are expected to dress appropriately and conduct themselves in a professional manner when working in the schools.

·         Additional field experience throughout the teaching preparation years is encouraged. Persons needing assistance in locating additional experiences may seek help from the Field Placement Director.

·         Students should report to the office at the school upon each visit.

·         Students should wear nametags when visiting the schools.
(COMPLETE EDUCATION COURSE LIST)

EDUC 250 Student Diversity and Schools   During this course students will be required to participate in 15   hours of tutoring students at the elementary or secondary levels. This may include working with individual students, small groups and/or large groups. Individual instructors will require evidence of   completion of this requirement and may establish other requirements related to this experience.

EDUC 301 Learning Theory and Teaching Practices   The field experience for this course is an integral part of the class.   Students will be expected to spend eight class sessions in the schools at the level in which they plan to teach. Specific   expectations for this field experience will be designed by the course instructor.

EDUC 400 Level Courses Students are expected to spend a minimum of three hours per week, per course, engaged in classroom practice during the fall and spring semesters working at the level of and in the area of their expertise. Instructors of these courses will provide specific requirements for the field experiences and required documentation.

EDUC 492 Internship in Teaching Diverse Learners  II   Teacher Interns will begin their academic courses on campus in   mid-August before reporting to their K-12 assignments. The teaching internship begins in the field when teachers report for their fall semester or at the completion of the August classes on campus. Interns are expected to be with their assigned cooperating teachers during the school year. A calendar of activities related to the internships will be distributed to all interns, cooperating teachers, school administrators and university supervisors. Students will be asked to identify the geographical area within LSSU service area where they would like to serve their internship year. The School of Education will attempt to place the students where they desire. However, there is no guarantee, actual or implied, that internships will be provided in these areas. Students are not allowed to do their internship at a school where a family member is employed and will not be placed in a school district where a family member is an administrator or on the school board. Students who attempt to establish their own internship placement   without going through the process as established by the Field Placement Director may jeopardize their placement for that given academic year.

Instructional Methods

Appropriate and effective applications of instructional technology infuse the elementary education professional education courses, and are incorporated into the specific courses in English, communicaiton and theatre as appropriate.  Elementary candidates complete EDUC411 a course focused on preparing graduates to lead the instructional activies in their classrooms.  Through the required courses in the BX program, candidates become proficient to implement a range of instructional techniques and practices.  Assignments  and activities provide experience in developing curriculum lessons and units, alignment of curriculum items to standards (including the Grade Level Content Expectations) Each of the professional education courses has a required fieldwork component where the candidate applies the concepts and theories through modeling and practice lessons in secondary classrooms as appropriate to their certification. 

Lake Superior State University elementary teacher candidates are prepared in instructional methods and the applications of instructional technology through the professional education sequence (EDUC/TE150-EDUC/TE422). In the professional education sequence, ALL elementary candidates complete: 

EDUC/TE 150 Reflections on Learning  

EDUC/TE 250 Student Diversity and Schools

EDUC/TE 301 Learning Theory and Teaching Practices  

EDUC/TE 330 Reading in the Elementary Classroom

EDUC/TE 410 Corrective Reading in the Classroom 

EDUC/TE 411 Elementary Language Arts and Methods across the Curriculum

EDUC/TE 420   Math Methods for Elementary Teachers

EDUC/TE 421 Science Methods for Elementary Teachers  (syllabus)

EDUC/TE 422 Social Studies Methods for Elementary Teachers (page 2)  modeling and practice lessons in elementary classrooms as appropriate to their certification. 

Technology

Technology is integrated throughout the professional education sequence, in fulfillment of the 7th standard of the Professional Standards for Michigan Teachers (PSMT).  Students work in each course to implement appropriate application of technology through their own instruction, and with the K-8 learner.  Assessment of the student teaching internship is directly aligned to the ELSMT (now PSMT) standards.  The School of Education impresses on students the necessity of technological competence through appropriate technology use by our faculty, the requirement for an electronic portfolio for the education program, and by providing appropriate technologies for students through the university learning center and the School of Education office.  The School of Education uses extensive resources available for Michigan teachers to enhance their preparedness for the effective use of technology, including, for example, the Michigan Teacher Network (http://mtn.merit.edu), and the Preparing Technology Proficient Teachers(www.preteacher.org), Coalition for Outstanding Achievement through Teaching with Technology (http://www.coatt.org) and electronic portfolios (Taskstream http://taskstream.com)  into our professional education sequence.  This integration is reflected in many of our internal documents which are archived on the School of Education website.