FIELD PLACEMENT MANUAL:

Educational Planning & Evaluation

 

(Educ. 352/3/4)

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. David Raker Fall 2000

draker@foma.wsc.ma.edu 572-5293

http://www.wsc.ma.edu/faculty/draker

 

INTRODUCTION

 

EDUC 0354 (EDUC 0353; EDUC 0352) Educational Planning and Evaluation is designed to assist students in meeting a field-based component of thirty (30) hours in accordance with "Amended Regulations for the Certification of Education Personnel" effective October 1, 1994 (Commonwealth of Massachusetts).

The pre-practicum manual is completed by the student, including signature(s) of cooperating practitioner(s) in field-based sites, and submitted to the college instructor. The manual is used for monitoring the student's progress and is retained by the instructor for program review purposes. (It is strongly recommended that students retain a duplicate copy for their own personal files.)

Educational Planning and Evaluation is mandated to meet the following common competencies:

Competency II: Communication Standard

Competency III: Instructional Practice Standard

Competency IV: Evaluation Standard

Competency V: Problem Solving Standard

Competency VII: Professional Standard

Although not required to meet Equity Competency VI, many of the course and field assignments address issues surrounding this standard.

INFORMATION FOR THE COOPERATING PRACTITIONER

AND

PRE-PRACTICUM STUDENT

Educational Planning and Evaluation is a pre-practicum course which requires a minimum of 30 hours field-based work. Students seeking middle school generalist or middle and/or secondary school specialist certification will use this opportunity to establish their competencies for certification. In the prepared portfolio for the pre-practice, you will note that specific standards required by the state are cited. We appreciate the contribution of your time, effort, and expertise in assisting our students in developing these competencies.

In brief, the role of the Cooperating Practitioner includes the following activities:

1. To supervise the student during his/her stay at your school. Dates and times of field experience are flexible and determined jointly.

2. At your discretion allow students opportunities to become involved in some of the following activities:

 

Cooperating teachers are asked to sign the Acceptance Form and Documentation of Field-Based Activities Sheet. Mid-way through the pre-practicum you will be given a Student Mid-Term Evaluation Form and a stamped addressed envelope. We appreciate your taking the time to provide us with feedback on the student's performance. Of course, the Education Department would like to be informed of any serious problems which may occur during this field experience as soon as possible. My name and telephone number are given on the student log sheet. Once the student has submitted his/her completed Field Manual, Westfield State College will send you a letter documenting student hours which can be used towards state recertification.

This is one of the last pre-practicum experiences students have before beginning their student teaching. It is desirable that students have some experience (at least two twenty-minute segments) in front of the classroom during their stay.

Students are required to complete the activities in the pre-practicum guide as assigned by the professor.

COOPERATING PRACTITIONER'S ACCEPTANCE FORM

 

 

I will allow _________________________________________________, a student in your Educational Planning and Evaluation class, to fulfill his/her field work assignment in my class.

 

Sincerely,

 

 

 

Signature___________________________

Name(printed)________________________

Date________________________________

 

School Address_______________________

Phone # _____________________________

 

 

Prof. David Raker

Education Dept.

572-5293

draker@foma.wsc.ma.edu

Educational Planning & Evaluation (352/3/4)

 

DOCUMENTATION OF FIELD-BASED ACTIVITIES (Fa. 2000)

 

Student Name:

Semester/Year:

School:

Grade levels/ subjects:

 

DATE                    PURPOSE/ACTIVITY                  TIME                     HOURS

(attach additional pages as necessary)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Hours ________

(minimum of 30 hours required)

 

Student Signature______________________________________ Date:_________

Practitioner's Signature_________________________________ Date:_________

Dr. David Raker: (413) 572-5293

 

Activity 1: Schools as Part of a Community

Tour city/town in which school is located. In this assignment you are being asked to spend approximately 30 minutes driving within the community in which your school is located. Students may go together, but should write their own descriptions. Your goal is to try and find answers to these sample questions: What kind of a community do my students live in? Where do people live; where can they go to shop, relax? Where can students meet? What kinds of community resources, such as the YMCA/YWCA or library, are available? What benefit is it to you as a teacher to understand the social environment of your students?

 

Activity 2: Interviewing Cooperating Teacher

Interview your cooperating teacher regarding his/her views on the following four topics: teaching, student assessment, professional development, and use of technology in their field. Make a list of questions prior to talking with your teacher.

For example: Why did you become a teacher? What do you enjoy most about teaching? What do you find most challenging about teaching middle or secondary students? How do you assess your students? What advantages or disadvantages are their to this approach? What advice would you give a new teacher on student assessment? What has been your best resource for professional development? Do you attend professional conferences during the year? What role does technology play in your teaching? Do you think this will change in the near future?)

After conducting the interview, reflect on what has been said. Summarize your interview under the four headings. What are some of the general comments that your teacher made? Reflect on his/her approach.

 

Activity 3: Observing a Bilingual, ESL, or Reading Class

Observe a bilingual, ESL classroom or Reading Resource class at your level of certification. (If your school does not have any of these types of classes, arrange to visit a different school. Check with classmates for possible sites.) Note the kinds of materials and methods of instruction being used. In what ways is this observation useful to you as a teacher?

 

Activity 4: School's Physical Environment

Describe the physical environment of students. What is the condition of the building? Are classrooms attractive? What information/art is provided in classrooms? Is this a comfortable place where students can learn? Is student diversity acknowledged? First describe what you see and then evaluate. Consider the needs of middle or secondary students in your answer.

 

Activity 5: Observation of Class Management

Observe classroom management techniques. This includes teacher's use of language and any techniques used, including curriculum, to prevent problems from arising as well as handling them when they do.

Subject Observed:

Grade Level:

Teacher:

Techniques Observed:

Overall Comments:

 

Activity 6: Observation of Class Instruction

Observe classroom for instructional techniques used to teach students. Be specific. Does the teacher lecture, use handouts, emphasize videos, student interaction? Does the teacher incorporate critical thinking, multiple perspectives, reading or study skills into instruction. Explain.

Subject Observed:

Grade Level:

Teacher:

Techniques Observed:

Overall Comments:

 

Activity 7 & 8: Pre-practicum Student Teaching Experience

Teach two lessons to the whole class or a small group. Review with your cooperating teacher your lesson plans and arrange for date and length of your lessons (i.e. 20 minutes with the whole class). Be sure to include lesson plans AND your completed evaluation. At this point, I am assuming that your lesson plan will be well designed; the emphasis here is in assessing your ability to deliver instruction. After completion of each lesson taught, please answer each of the questions listed below. If you wish, you may ask for input from your cooperating teacher. Take care in writing your evaluation.

1. Justifiability of the instructional objective of the lesson.

Comments:

2. Relevance of the set induction to the lesson objective(s).

Comments:

3. Set induction was creative and thought-provoking.

Comments:

4. Use of concepts: culture, change, conflict, communication, and interdependence. Comments:

5. Variety of learning activities.

Comments:

6. Use of effective questioning/probing.

Comments:

7. Level of student involvement/participation.

Comments:

8. Teacher's positive reinforcement of student responses.

Comments:

9. Acceptance and incorporation of student comments.

Comments

10. Teacher's enthusiasm and poise.

Comments:

11. Teacher's effectiveness in communication; knowledge of the subject matter.

Comments:

12. Effective closure.

Comments:

13. Classroom management

Comments:

GENERAL COMMENTS:

 

Activity 9: Achieving Instructional Goals

Observe a class in order to discern lesson objectives. Discuss how well you think the teacher met his/her objectives for students. What might have been done to modify or improve on this lesson? This activity asks you to observe a lesson and determine for yourself what objectives you believe the teacher was trying to achieve and whether or not you think s/he was successful. Understandably you are a novice teacher and your evaluation is part of your training, not a judgment of the teacher.

 

Objectives for students:

 

Overall Evaluation:

 

Activity 10: Using New Technologies

 

 

Activity 11: Principal or Administrator Interview

Conduct a fifteen minute interview with the principal of your school. Make a list of questions to ask prior to the interview. You may use the following questions and add some of your own: What do you enjoy most about your job? Least? What is unique about this school? Is there a lot of parent involvement in this school? What do you look for in hiring a teacher? What kind of relationship do you like to see between teachers and the administration? What advice would you offer a prospective middle or secondary teacher? (Note: If there are several pre-practica students at the same school, you may want to do this activity together.)

 

Activity 12: School Intervention Programs

Meet with a guidance counselor to find out what kinds of intervention programs for students exist at your school. List the different programs and include a brief summary of services. Be sure to inquire about services available for students who have or are affected by drug and/or substance abuse.

 

Activity 13: Professionalism

Include a copy of the thank you letter written to your cooperating teacher(s). Be sure to send a copy to the principal of the school. This is an important professional courtesy on your part and will become part of your cooperating teacher's personnel file.

 

Activity 14 Overall Critique of Field Experience

Consider your overall field experience: Are students learning? Be sure to provide well thought out responses to the following questions. You may feel free to add additional comments:

a. What kinds of knowledge, values, modes of interaction are students being taught?

b. What are the explicit and hidden curricula being presented?

c. Does instruction take into account the skills, and competencies of students (reading, writing, mathematical, reasoning)?

d. Are different teaching styles being used to meet the learning styles of secondary, middle, culturally diverse students?

e. What social skills are being developed: cooperative, confrontational, apathetic?

f. Is education equitable for all students?

Appendix A:

EVALUATION FORM

Educational Planning & Evaluation (352/3/4)

 

Evaluation of the Pre-Practicum Student's Field Experience

Student: Certificate:

School: Grade:

Practitioner:

Rating Scale:                                          1. YES     2. MOST OF THE TIME     3. NO

 

Please feel free to make additional comments:

1. The student's behavior is professional.                   1             2            3

2. Student is punctual.                                                1             2            3

3. The student follows visitation schedule.                1             2            3

4. The student is appropriately dressed.                     1             2            3

5. The student appears confident.                               1             2            3

6. The student is willing to assist at all times.         1             2            3

7. The student interacts well with others.                 1             2            3

8. Did the student satisfactorily teach two lessons? 1            2            3

Comments:____________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________Thank you!

 

 

Cooperating Practitioner:_______________________________________Date:______