Practicum (ADED 42292) is an important part of the one-year internship in the secondary licensure program. It complements your second specialty methods courses and student teaching with a fall placement at your student teaching site.
Below are a description of the practicum and below that are links to samples of the general syllabus, assignment descriptions and rubrics from Fall 2009.
Purpose of Practicum: Practicum (ADED 42292) is an important part of the one-year internship in Kent State’s Adolescent to Young Adult (7-12) licensure program. It complements your second specialty methods courses and student teaching with a fall placement at your student teaching site. During this time you will gradually get to know different aspects of what it means to be a teacher in the context of the school in which you will teach in the spring. You will begin by examining the culture of the community in which your school resides and consider how this culture will impact your instructional decision-making (Assignment 1). Understanding where your students come from will help you understand how to make lessons more meaningful for them. You will then complete interviews with selected members of the school that will be very important during this year, the intervention specialist and the disciplinary principal (Assignment 2). These conversations will help you meet these individuals, learn about their expectations, and how you can fit within the school. You will get more involved in the school and your classroom in various ways depending on your subject area (Assignments 3 & 4). During September, with your mentor, you will decide what to focus your teaching time on. You will design an pre-assessment, administer it, analyze it, and plan a two-week unit for your methods course that you will then teach during the end of October and/or November. While you teach this unit, your practicum instructor will observe you teaching (Assignment 5), you will video tape yourself and analyze the video (Assignment 6), and you will gather and analyze feedback from students on your teaching (Assignment 7). These items will help you begin to understand and think about specific aspects of the multifaceted world of teaching in a focused manner. These assignments have been ordered in a specific fashion to increase your involvement in the school in a conscious, deliberate way, as well as to fit with your developmental needs as a growing professional.
Practicum Requirements: During the fall semester, you will be required to spend a minimum of 96-hours, this is equivalent to 6 hours per week for 16 weeks, at your student teaching school. In the beginning you can arrange times with your teacher to get a variety of experiences. For about six weeks (last 2 weeks of October and all of November), arrange visits for the same time (same periods) each day so that you get to know your students well enough to relate to them when you teach your unit. Your mentor teacher will be aware of your responsibilities as they will receive a package of information detailing your requirements for the program but feel free to share the url listed above and the syllabus so they can see it at any time. In addition to the 96-hours in the field, you will also have 5-6 scheduled classes (2 hrs each) held with your practicum instructor. You must complete all 96 hours of practicum, receive an 80% on each assignment, attend all practicum meetings, and receive a passing evaluation of your teaching in order to pass this 3-credit course. You may resubmit any assignment that is under the required percentage but you may not omit any assignment even if your average without that assignment is 80%.
Each subject area plans for the scheduling of the practicum differently so make sure to check with your instructor if you forget.
You will each be assigned a University Supervisor who will make three (3) visits this fall and then continue to observe you during Student Teaching. The University Supervisor has received a packet and is aware of your assignments and obligations. He/She will make (1) an initial visit with you and your co-operating teacher at your school site, (2) one visit to observe you teaching, and (3) a meeting at the end of the experience to prepare for spring.
In addition to the University Supervisor, your Practicum Instructor will come out to observe you teaching a lesson of your unit, meet with you on campus for the on-campus seminars, and read, provide feedback, and grade the course assignments.
Practicum Assignments:
Assignment 1 Visual Essay of School Study
Assignment 5 Observation of your teaching a Lesson From the unit
Assignment 6 Video analysis Directions and Charts
Assignment 7 Analysis of Student Evaluations of Teacher Candidates Teaching
Evaluation form to be completed by the University Supervisor
Evaluation form to be completed by the Practicum Instructor
