This paper explores the possibilities presented in examining taken for granted aspects of pre-service teacher practicum practices, especially in terms of naming and positioning within teacher education, as they present at a regional university in Ballarat, Australia. The University of Ballarat has introduced a new P-10 teacher education course…

The primary form of experiential education in political science is an internship in a government office. Too often, however, with little actual monitoring of their experiences, government interns become little more than classic office "gofers." Fortunately, there are strategies to make political internships not only useful learning experiences for…

This investigation asked a small group of student teachers participating in their first pre-service teaching practice in New Zealand to state what they understood by the term feedback, how they expected to be given feedback, what they hoped to gain from the feedback they received, and what they found useful, particularly in relation to influencing…

Throughout the hundred years history of education for librarianship some issues have been discussed again and again without agreement being reached. A number of these are quite central to the problem of education for a profession: the desirability (or otherwise) of professional schools; the control of education by professional bodies; theory vs.…

The report, "The Ready to Teach Program: A Federal Initiative in Support of Online Courses for Teachers", describes the history of the Ready to Teach Program and its role as one of the solutions to the national need to increase the performance of teachers through professional development. The report describes selected findings from the Eisenhower…

This pilot study examined the experiences of 24 teacher education students and nine caregivers who participated in a weekly community play session on a rural University campus in NSW, Australia. Students completed a questionnaire at the beginning of the 13 week semester and at the end of the semester and were asked about confidence levels in…

Counselor educators can utilize the ideas of philosopher Michel Foucault in preparing preservice school counselors for their work with K-12 students in public schools. The Foucaultian ideas of "governmentality," "technologies of domination," "received truths," "power/knowledge," "discontinuity," and "archaeology" can contribute to students'…

This article reports findings from a mixed-method investigation of a cohort of teacher candidates who were placed in an urban and culturally diverse practicum site at an elementary school. Fifteen preservice teachers completed pre- and posttest measures related to hope, motivation for teaching, and efficacy for teaching. Throughout the semester,…

This report discusses a 2-year evaluation of the California Early Childhood Mentor Teacher Program (CECMTP), in which experienced child care teachers serve as mentors, using their classroom as a practicum environment to train student teachers. The evaluation assessed the extent to which CECMTP goals were met by answering the following three…

A chronic shortage of certified special education teachers has plagued rural West Virginia counties. This shortage is exacerbated by difficulties in teacher recruitment and retention. The highest priority of training must go to teachers currently employed in special education positions on temporary permits, since they are likely to continue…

A major problem in assessing off-campus experiential learning is the need to structure the learning process and document the learning outcomes. This report describes the procedure developed by the University of California at Los Angeles, that logically analyzes the learning that is taking place and therefore helps to shape and improve subsequent…

This study explores peer assessment and self-efficacy in a counseling practicum. Data was gathered on the perceptions of practicum students, in their second year of a master's program, with regard to the counseling competencies of their peers and themselves. Counselor self-efficacy was measured using the Counselor Self-Efficacy Rating Scale.…

Guidelines for the development of the University of Utah's externships and clerkships in community, hospital and clinical pharmacy practice are discussed. Topics include competency guidelines, curriculum, preceptor selection criteria, site selection, and preceptor and student evaluation. Behavioral objectives, library recommendations, and rating…

This digest focuses on the use of technology in the supervision of counselors. Each generation of new technology, from audiotapes and videotapes to fax machines and virtual reality, creates challenges and opportunities for the counseling supervisor. Increased use of computer-related technologies has given this generation of supervisors new ideas…

A year long practicum for preparation of learning disability teachers is described. The first of two components provides a field based internship intended to give the student an opportunity to apply skills learned in coursework. Among 20 skills emphasized in the field based component are classroom organizational skills; communication with…