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Practicum
Students who have completed the prerequisite
courses are eligible to register for the ECD 220L/220R Practicum
courses.
Practicum Assignment Procedures
The Practicum is a 300-hour directed practice that serves as a
student teaching experience for the Prekindergarten Associate
Teacher’s License and completion of graduation requirements for the
ECD Associate of Applied Science Degree Program.
Practicum assignments are
arranged through the ECD faculty. Prior to registering for the
practicum experience, the ECD student should complete the
appropriate readiness form and arrange a conference with the ECD
faculty member.
The faculty member and the
student will determine a site for the practicum based upon an
evaluation of the student readiness and the appropriateness of the
site. The faculty member reserves the right to make the final
determination of the appropriate practicum site.
The faculty member will
contact the site representative to verify the placement and then
notify placement approval to the student.
The student will then be
responsible to contact the employer for an interview and the
scheduling of hours. The site representation has the right to turn
down the student applicant after the interview. If the site
representative makes the decision to not accept the student, the
faculty member will be notified. The faculty member will then
notify the student and begin the process again.
Approved Practicum Sites
The practicum sites are centers and classrooms that have been
established for at least three years and that provide a supervising
teacher who has a minimum of three years of satisfactory experience
in early childhood education with at least one year in
prekindergarten programs. The teacher must practice developmentally
appropriate best practices, adhere to the Ohio Learning Content
Standards, be willing to model appropriate
practices for the student and to guide the student while allowing
him/her to take over the responsibilities of the classroom group.
Approved sites are also
sites that encourage diversity in the groups of children they
serve. Diversity in culture, race, gender, religion, and abilities
is preferred so the Edison Student gains experience in working with
heterogeneous groups and children with special needs.
Special consideration will
be given to sites that include the Ohio Early Learning Content
Standards in their curricula using strategies that are appropriate
to the developmental level of the age and group of children served.
Overfield Early Learning Program in Troy, Ohio,
is a popular practicum site. The curriculum is based upon the
Reggio Emilia model and practicum students who go to Overfield gain
rich experiences in the visual arts and collaboration with parents.
The Piqua Child Development Center is just one of several Head Start
programs who collaborate with Edison and serve student teachers as a
practicum site. |
