Field Experiences: Best Practices

1. Patricia Alvarez McHatton, Ph.D. Field Experiences: Best Practices Alvarez McHatton - Monarch 2011

2. Why Our Work is Important • Taylor Mali Alvarez McHatton - Monarch 2011

3. Clinical Practice: Why it is Important • Learn through direct observation and instructing of students guided by qualified professionals (Howey, 2010) • Moral aspect to teacher preparation (Alter & Coggshall, 2009) • Our role as gatekeepers Alvarez McHatton - Monarch 2011

4. What the research says • Field experiences considered one of the most important aspects of their teacher preparation program (Wilson, Floden, & Ferrini-Mundy, 2001). • Linked course and field experiences contribute to teacher retention as does student teaching lasting 10 or more weeks (Benner & Judge, 2000; Brownell, Ross, Colόn, & McCallum, 2005; Connelly & Graham, 2009; Graziano, 2009; NCES, 2010) • Linked course and field experiences are more influential and supportive of teacher candidate learning than discrete, isolated experiences (Darling-Hammond, 2006; Tatto, 1996) Alvarez McHatton - Monarch 2011

5. What the research says • Teachers demonstrating greatest student gains: • Had extensive, well-supervised clinical experiences • Engage in the actual practice of teaching • Studied and assessed local school curriculum • Completed a capstone data-focused experience examining impact on k-12 learning (Boyd, Grossman, Lankford, Loeb, & Wyckoff, 2008) Alvarez McHatton - Monarch 2011

6. What the research says • Issues • Lack of common definition (O’Brian, Stone, Appel, & House, 2007) • Learning in field experiences is highly contextualized and uneven (Téllez, 2008) • Need for purposeful experiences that bridge theory to practice • “Two-worlds pitfalls” (Feiman-Nemser & Buchmann, 1985) Alvarez McHatton - Monarch 2011

7. What NCTQ Says Alvarez McHatton - Monarch 2011

8. Think-Pair-Share • Over the past 5 years, how have you changed how you do field experiences? • What challenges have you faced in planning and supervising field experiences? • What have been some positive outcomes? Alvarez McHatton - Monarch 2011

9. IHE Challenges • Disconnect between campus and field-based faculty (Vick 2006) • Lack of incentives for tenure-track faculty to engage in site-based work and/or field supervision (Labaree, 2004) • Field placements outsourced to a Central Placement Office or left up to individual students (Zeichner, 1996) Alvarez McHatton - Monarch 2011

10. IHE Challenges • Doctoral students as university supervisors • Lack an understanding of the research on supporting teacher candidates • Lack experience with adult learning models • Lack an understanding of the totality of program and/or the history of the evolution of the program • Don’t consider themselves teacher educators • Have a narrow view of teacher preparation • Are unfamiliar with district / school policy / politics • Turnover results in a lack of consistency (Zeichner, 2010) Alvarez McHatton - Monarch 2011

11. School Site Challenges • Difficult finding suitable mentors • Compensation for supervising teachers is minimal • Teachers lack an understanding of the program in general and of course/field expectations specifically • Loss of tenure and pay for performance may create additional challenges (Zeichner, 2010) Alvarez McHatton - Monarch 2011

12. The Where, What and How Best Practices Alvarez McHatton - Monarch 2011

13. The Where One Possibility SCHOOLS Alvarez McHatton - Monarch 2011

14. Professional Development Schools • A school where university work collaboratively with practitioners over time with the goal of improving teaching and learning through: • Upgrading the education of pre-service teachers; • Provide professional development for experienced teachers; and, • Conducting field-based research. (Dolly & Oda, 1997) Alvarez McHatton - Monarch 2011

15. Professional Development Schools • Challenges • Leadership turnover • Sufficient number of appropriately credentialed teachers • Under-valued • For Special Education • Small n Alvarez McHatton - Monarch 2011

16. PDS without Walls • Characteristics • Multiple sites • School Liaison at each site • Identifies supervising teachers and assists university faculty in purposeful matching with teacher candidates • Provides professional development at the school site • Meets regularly with university faculty to discuss teacher candidate progress, needs, challenges (Epanchin, USF) Alvarez McHatton - Monarch 2011

17. Residencies • Year-long classroom apprenticeship under the guidance of a mentor teacher • Aligned coursework • Stipend for living expenses • Move from collaborative teaching role to lead teacher (Urban Teacher Residency, 2011) Alvarez McHatton - Monarch 2011

18. The What Some possible instructional strategies Alvarez McHatton - Monarch 2011

19. Instructional Strategies • Incorporate representations of teacher practices • Videos • Guest lectures • Teach courses on-site and connect to teachers and instruction within that setting • Instructional Rounds Alvarez McHatton - Monarch 2011

20. Instructional Strategies • Community mapping exercises • Hands-on activity • Gain an insider perspective of the community • Identify assets of the community • Engage community members as partners Alvarez McHatton - Monarch 2011

21. Instructional Strategies • Case conferencing • Work with faculty to meet the needs of individual students • Critical Friends Groups • Protocols and support materials • http://www.nsrfharmony.org/protocol/inquiry_supp.html • Action research (Teacher as Problem Solver) • Teachers examine student learning through their own teaching Alvarez McHatton - Monarch 2011

22. Support at Placement Sites • Professional Learning Communities • Critical Friends • School AND community • Teaching Clinics • Clinical coaches • Distributed mentoring Alvarez McHatton - Monarch 2011

23. The How Possible structures for field experiences Alvarez McHatton - Monarch 2011

24. Possible Structures Alvarez McHatton - Monarch 2011

25. Kenji’s Clinical Training Model • Initial Experiences • Video Lab where teacher candidates examine: • Student profiles requiring diagnostic analysis • Exemplary teaching practices classified by content and student • Common classroom dilemmas • And analyze lessons and instructional units • Extended experiences throughout the program with an emphasis on K-12 learning • Teacher candidates compile a teaching portfolio chronicling development including examples of teaching with voiceover analysis • Final Internship (Howey, 2010) Alvarez McHatton - Monarch 2011

26. One Model • Site-Based with District input • Linked Course and Field Experiences • Purposeful Collaboration • Intensive Summer Institute • Professional Practice Partners Alvarez McHatton - Monarch 2011

27. Purposeful Collaboration Alvarez McHatton - Monarch 2011

28. Alvarez McHatton - Monarch 2011

29. Unique Features Alvarez McHatton - Monarch 2011

30. Professional Practice Partners • Master Teachers • Principal and District Recommendation • Application Process • Graduate Level Course on Clinical Training and Mentoring • Clinical Faculty • Meet with University Supervisor bi-weekly when supervising interns Alvarez McHatton - Monarch 2011

31. Response to Demands In response to demands for quicker, cheaper ways to prepare teachers, “…teacher education as an enterprise has probably launched more new weak programs that underprepare teachers, especially for urban schools, than it has further developed the strong models that demonstrate what intense preparation can accomplish” (Darling-Hammond, 2006, p.3). MORAL ASPECT TO TEACHER PREPARATION Alvarez McHatton - Monarch 2011

32. Your Turn • Reflect on your current field experience structure • How might you enhance / revise what you are already doing? Alvarez McHatton - Monarch 2011