University Teacher Education Program

Practica

From a student’s first semester on campus, he/she has the opportunity to engage in pre-student teaching field experiences. Practicum placements are made in cooperation with area schools districts and vary every semester. An effort is made to provide students with varying experiences: districts that vary in size, socioeconomic status and location and observations of different teachings styles and grade levels. Student fees accompany these experiences. Practicum students need to plan to provide their own transportation. Limited carpool assistance may be available. The pre-student teaching field experiences described below can be elected more than once and students may choose to participate in all of the opportunities.

CI 280L –Early Field Experience

The overall goal of this course is to provide opportunities for students to observe students, teachers, and curriculum in a variety of contexts and to meet the State of Iowa standard requiring ten hours of field experience prior to admittance to the Teacher Education Program.

El Ed/Sec Ed 280 – Pre-Student Teaching Experience

The six options (280A through 280F) listed below place the elementary or secondary student in a school classroom for a minimum of twenty-four hours during the semester. Students attend weekly on-campus seminars to discuss their field experiences and complete assignments. In the schools, students assist teachers in a variety of ways and observe classrooms in session. The program is also available to students who wish to be placed in schools during the semester breaks. Most experiences are offered for one or two credits and are graded on a satisfactory/fail basis. The cooperating teacher completes a form summarizing tasks completed by the student.

If the student is enrolled for 1 credit, he/she is expected to be in the classroom for a minimum of 24 hours per semester and to attend the weekly seminars. For most students, this will mean going to their assigned school 12 weeks and spending 2 hours in the classroom each week. If the student is enrolled for 2 credits, he/she is expected to be in the classroom for 48 hours per semester.

280A: Pre-Student Teaching Experience (1 or 2 credits)

The student is placed in a typical classroom in which there will be both direct and indirect contacts with students. The student may be asked to help individuals or groups with reading or research projects and/or be invited by the teacher to lead the class in a mini-lesson. The student will give some clerical work such as grading papers, preparing bulletin boards, or filing papers. Every effort will be made to place the student at the grade level and subject field requested.

280B: Educational Computing Experience (1 or 2 credits)

The student is placed in a school assisting teachers and students in various educational computing activities. Students have the opportunity to observe, teach, and engage in research. At least 24 hours are spent in the school during the semester. A faculty member who teaches computer education supervises the students and directs their research projects. A prerequisite of this experience is that the student is enrolled in or has completed an introductory educational computing course or computer science course and needs to have taken or be concurrently enrolled in 280A.

280C: Native American Tutoring Experience (2 credits)

The student is offered an opportunity to tutor Native American elementary and secondary learners at the nearby Meskwaki settlement in Tama, Iowa. A student will spend 3 hours tutoring at the settlement once each week for twelve weeks.

280D: Museum Education Experience (1-3 credits)

The student will work with the Education Coordinator for the Iowa State University Museums. Students will participate in the development and teaching of thematic tours at the Brunnier Gallery and Museum or the Farmhouse Museum. Many school groups visit the university museums. The 280 students will be directly involved with the school visitations and will gain insight and experience in museum education. Students with a variety of backgrounds are needed for this program. Art, history, cultural studies, literature, and speech are good backgrounds, but this program works well for students in nearly any subject area.

280E: The Multicultural Youth Experience (1 or 2 credits)

The student is provided an opportunity to assist as a volunteer at Youth and Shelter Services in Ames or to complete a one-week practicum at a correctional school in Iowa.

280F: International Student Experience (2 credits)

This experience gives the student opportunities to visit and assist in a school in an international country. This experience, one to two weeks, is preceded by seminars and language instruction where appropriate.

El Ed/Sec Ed 281: The Special Needs Student Experience (2 credits)

This experience gives the student opportunities to assist for a one-week practicum at the Iowa School for the Deaf, the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School, or the Woodward State Hospital. These practica take place during the semester breaks and spring breaks when classes are not in session at the University. Also, this practicum experience is available during the summer session. Prior to the practicum, students attend seminars that focus on special students and visit several nearby schools that serve handicapped students. The host school provides free room and board to participating students, and travel to the school is provided when eight or more students from ISU attend (a student fee is assessed for transportation costs).

El Ed/ Sec Ed 282: The Urban Pre-Teaching Experience (1 credit)

Students interested in an urban educational experience should consider this 1 credit option. Students attend seminars that focus on urban teaching and visit several nearby urban schools. It may conclude with an optional one-week practicum at a urban setting. For further information, contact the Curriculum and Instruction department.

Sec Ed 480: Field Experience for Secondary Teaching Preparation

Students are placed in a variety of school settings after admission to the Teacher Education Program. Permission of the secondary area coordinator is required prior to enrollment. Sec Ed 480 may be taken in addition to Sec Ed 280 to complete the required 50 hours of practicum experience.

Iowa State University students enrolled in practica accompanying methods courses are Early Childhood Education majors and Elementary Education majors who have been formally admitted to the University Teacher Education Program at Iowa State.

Practica in Teaching Options:

CI 468A: Primary Grades, Reading and Language Arts
CI 468B: Intermediate Grades, Reading and Language Arts
CI 468C: Mathematics
CI 468D: Science
CI 468E: Foreign Language
CI 468F: Primary Grades, Literacy, Inclusive
CI 468G: Primary Grades, Mathematics, Inclusive
CI 468I: Primary Grades, Science, Inclusive
CI 468J: Secondary Science I
CI 468K: Secondary Science II
CI 468R: Reading Endorsement
Sp Ed 459: Field Experience and Practicum Students with Mild/Moderate Disabilities

Descriptions of Practica in Teaching Options:

The three practica below (468A, 468B, 468G/468I) have students assigned to primary and intermediate elementary classrooms in schools in Central Iowa. Students are required to be in the classroom for the entire school day for two days a week for four weeks:

Literacy Block I is 468A (Primary Grades, Reading and Language Arts) paired with 468C (Mathematics). Students will attend methods courses (CI 377 and CI 448) twelve weeks for two days a week. Literacy Block students will be assigned to a classroom those same two blocked days for four weeks during the semester. This will provide an opportunity for the student to gain practical classroom experience, as well as to practice specific teaching methods.
Literacy Block II is 468B (Intermediate Grades, Reading and Language Arts) paired with 468D (Science). Students will attend methods courses (CI 378 and CI 449) twelve weeks for two days a week. For four weeks, block students will be assigned to a classroom(s) those same two days. Students will remain all day at the practicum site. This will provide an opportunity for the students to gain practical classroom experience, as well as to practice specific teaching methods.
The Primary Math/Science Inclusive practicum (CI 468G and 468I) provides an opportunity for the student to gain practical classroom experience, collaborate with special education teachers, and practice specific teaching methods and differentiate lesson plans introduced in the primary math and science methods courses (CI 438 & CI 439), which is taken at the same time. Students have an opportunity to practice time management and good communication skills as there are a variety of assignments to schedule and complete.

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Primary Grades, Literacy Inclusive practicum (CI 468F) provides an opportunity for the student to gain practical classroom experience, collaborate with special education teachers, and practice specific teaching methods and differentiate lesson plans introduced in a primary reading and language arts methods course (CI 367), which is taken at the same time. The student will attend the practicum twice a week for 4 weeks, a half day each visit.
The fall semester practicum Students with Mild/Moderate Disabilities (SpEd 459) is designed to accompany Classroom Assessment for Special Education (SpEd 365) and Instructional Methods for Teaching Students with Mild/Moderate Disabilities (SpEd 436) courses at Iowa State University. During SpEd 459, the student will incorporate the material being introduced in SpEd 365 and SpEd 436 into appropriate learning activities and educational experiences in a multi-categorical resource classroom. An effort is made to provide a variety of experiences that will allow the practicum student an opportunity to work directly with special education students and apply knowledge from other courses. Time in schools is based on student schedules and their individual availability. A supervisor will visit with the student once during the practicum.

University Teacher Education Program