EPI Practicum

EPI 507

Syllabus

Course Description:

Practicum provides the opportunity for students to relate their learning to field based experiences. This course synthesizes theory and practice. The practicum is planned cooperatively with the professor and through conference calls with student and supervising teacher.

Course Texts:

• Teacher Education University Field Experience/Practicum Handbook

Objectives:
1. Identify a problem in the educational setting.
2. Apply the problem solving process to the project problem.
3. Target data illustrating the problem exists and develop a problem statement.
4. Investigate causes of the problem.
5. Investigate through research possible solutions to the problem.
6. Select a solution strategy for the problem.
7. Define objectives for the strategy.
8. Outline an evaluation plan.
9. Implement plan.
10. Evaluate results.

Teaching Methodologies:
The EPI Practicum  is a forty-five hour, 3 credit graduate course. This course is a supervised fieldwork experience in which Teacher Education University and the supervising teacher guide, instruct and supervise the student’s introduction to classroom teaching as well as to a particular functional project. This practicum offers an opportunity to gain additional insight into a specific issue, problem, or concern.  The end product of your functional project is a tangible outcome of the learning experience and needs to be jointly determined by your supervising teacher, course professor and you based on the information gained in this practicum course. It is very important that you find out what if any restrictions there may be on completing specific research at the site of your practicum experience and get clearance from your supervising teacher.
The extent of involvement of the student’s supervising teacher is through phone conferences and e-mails with the course professor and student where applicable. Documentation of student contact with the supervising teacher will be through notarized papers from the administrator and the student.

Module Outline
Module 1: Defining the Problem.
1. “What is” and “what should be” parameters of the proposal.
2. Writing the problem statement.
3. Looking at data to determine the problem.
4. Discovery of the real problem.
5. Do other problems exist?

Module 2: Writing a Problem Statement
1. Investigating: a cause-effect; an impact of an action; or a relationship between two things.
2. Ten characteristics of a good problem statement.
3. Researching information on the formation of an appropriate problem statement.

Module 3: Research Questions
1. Writing research questions.

Module 4 :Research Ethics
1. Maintaining ethics in research procedures.

Module 5: Data Collection Instruments
1.Selecting data collection instruments based on content/face validity, and reliability.

Module 6: Data Analysis
1. Increasing awareness of analysis as it pertains to testing hypotheses and answering research questions.

Module 7 :Conclusion and Recommendation
1. Writing a proposal conclusion and recommendation, based on the study’s findings.

At the conclusion of the field experience, students will submit all required documents and supervisor evaluations to the University administrator. These will be combined with grades received by Practicum instructor to calculate a final grade.

Grading Criteria:
A = 195-182
B = 182-166
C = 165-150

Assignments:

1. Students are to complete all module reflection assignments and forum posting.
2. Students are to contact a site administrator and submit appropriate paperwork to the course professor regarding their site administrator.
3. Students are to maintain a log of all activities completed for the EPI Practicum  assignments and responsibilities.
4. Students are to submit the EPI Practicum Proposal to the course professor.

References

Brown, K. J. (2002, January). 'One bite at a time': Intervention practices in Utah districts strengthen reading teachers and improve student literacy. School Administrator, 59, 24+.
Burnaford, G., Fischer, J. & Hobson, D. (1996). Teachers doing research: Practical possibilities. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Burant, T. J. (1999). Finding, using, and losing voice: A preservice teacher's experiences in an urban educative practicum. Journal of Teacher Education, 50(3), 209.
Carr, K. C. (2003). Today's reading clinic: How relevant is the graduate reading practicum? A researcher evaluates the effectiveness of a graduate-level clinical practicum and finds positive results. The Reading Teacher, 57(3), 256+.
Chapman, B. S. (1999). Praxis: An adult education practicum. Adult Learning, 11(1), 14.
Fitch, T. J., Canada, R., & Marshall, J. L. (2001). The exposure of counseling practicum students to humanistic counseling theories: A survey of CACREP programs. Journal of Humanistic Counseling, Education and Development, 40(2), 232+.
Fitch, T. J., & Marshall, J. L. (2002). Using cognitive interventions with counseling practicum students during group supervision. Counselor Education and Supervision, 41(4), 335+.
Fraenkel, J. R., & Wallen, N.E. (2001). Education research: A guide to the process. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Fraenkel, J. & Wallen, N. (2006). How to design and evaluate research in education (6th ed.). Boston, MA:McGraw-Hill.
Glanz, Jeffery. (2003). Action research: an educational leader’s guide to school improvement (2nd ed.). Norwood, MA: Christopher-Gordon Publishers, Inc.
Glenwick, D. S., & Busch-Rossnagel, N. A. (1993). Co-Teaching a joint graduate practicum in community and applied developmental psychology. Teaching of Psychology , 20(3), 141-143.
Graf, N. M., & Stebnicki, M. A. (2002). Using e-mail for clinical supervision in practicum: A qualitative analysis. The Journal of Rehabilitation, 68(3), 41+.
Grossman, B. (2005). Maria Berg-Weger and Julie Birkenmeyer, the practicum companion for social work: Integrating class and field work. Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare, 32(1), 162+.
Haigh, M., & Ward, G. (2004). Problematising practicum relationships: Questioning the 'Taken for Granted'. Australian Journal of Education, 48(2), 134+.
Huinker, D., & Freckmann, J. L. (2004, March). Focusing conversations to promote teacher thinking. Teaching Children Mathematics, 10, 352+.
James, L. E., & Watson, S. B. (2001). The effects of participating in an elementary science practicum on classroom practice. Journal of Elementary Science Education, 13(1), 43+.
Lowery, Lawrence (2001). The biological basis for thinking and learning. Berkeley: University of California.
Ortlipp, M. (2003). Assessment of the early childhood Ppracticum: What can we learn from tertiary supervisors' silences?. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 28(4), 29+.
Panos, P. T., Panos, A., Cox, S. E., Roby, J. L., & Matheson, K. W. (2002). Ethical issues concerning the use of videoconferencing to supervise international social work field practicum students. Journal of Social Work Education, 38(3), 421+.
Ralph, E. G. (1999). Oral-questioning skills of novice teachers: . Any questions. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 26(4), 286.
Regehr, C., Regehr, G., Leeson, J., & Fusco, L. (2002). Setting priorities for learning in the field practicum: A comparative study of students and field instructors. Journal of Social Work Education, 38(1), 55+.
Stier, K. W. (2001). Updating course content and instruction through a practicum experience. The Technology Teacher, 61(1), 27.