A University of Canberra (Australia) internship program in library and information sciences is a 12-month program based on the principles of experiential learning that is seen as successful by students, workplace mentors, and faculty. Processes for matching student and mentor, selecting and preparing mentors, and stimulating reflective practice…

This report discusses the major issues addressed at a two-day conference of Australian and Canadian library and information science educators. Topics include education for the future; core competencies; institutional accreditation; trends in professional education; distance education; economic factors; management education; practical experience;…

A survey of 114 institutions of higher education with early childhood education programs found that approximately a fifth of associate, master's, and doctoral degree programs and approximately a third of bachelor's degree programs required coursework in preschool mainstreaming. Less than 25% of the programs required field experiences in…

Part of the practicum curriculum for Children's Studies at Edith Cowan University, Australia, this program gives students field experiences in rural situations, which are especially relevant to the course's ecological approach. Describes some of the unique child care situations found in rural communities, and how students, staff, the university,…

The Webfolio project was developed at James Cook University to extend students' professional learning beyond what is taught in lectures or gleaned through the practicum. Through web based case studies, early childhood and primary preservice teachers explored topics of professional significance to their growth as teachers. Each case study included…

This paper reports on a comparison of two research approaches of the study of the reflective practice in two different modes of tele-guidance of the school practicum. The results of two studies were contrasted encouraging the dialogue between researchers coming from different research paradigms. Although the researchers in the two studies shared…

This paper reports on the feedback obtained from Ohio public school teachers who supervised the Creating Active and Reflective Educators (CARE) program students, initially called the Teacher Education for Civic Responsibility (TECR) program, during its first 4 years, from 1989-1993. The first group of 11 students were accepted into TECR in 1989;…

This paper describes the use of electronic dialogue journals in a college course designed to teach 14 students a student-centered, whole-language reading methodology for use with children with hearing impairments. Students used electronic mail to discuss issues with the course instructor at the same time they were writing interactive journals with…

A practicum was designed to interest and motivate students to participate in social studies, an area in which lack of motivation has caused many elementary students to do poorly. An active learning, cooperative, and collaborative approach to social studies was taken with a class of 30 fourth graders. Through cooperative learning, simulated…

Six communication instructors redesigned the curriculum of two courses to make integration part of teacher training both in course content and in the way trainees were taught and prepared. Having conducted a literature search, the six teachers developed a language arts interdisciplinary team to plan, pilot, and implement a new integrated approach.…

The impact of changes in the special education environment on the role of the resource teacher are discussed, such as trends toward placing students with special needs within regular classrooms, delivering programs to learners with a wider range of instructional needs, and collaborating in delivery of classroom instruction. Consequent shifts in…

This interdisciplinary inservice training project at the University of Illinois at Chicago was designed to improve early childhood occupational and physical therapy services by developing, implementing, evaluating, and disseminating a comprehensive training model. The competency-based program was designed to address the developmental needs of…

This paper describes a tri-level model of supervision of secondary teaching interns at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and presents research evaluating its efficacy. The supervision model involved the following elements: (1) the university supervisor met with the interns once per week, discussing such topics as lesson planning, assessment…

Students graduating from early childhood programs at a southeastern urban university in June 1992 and June 1993 completed the Educational Attitudes Inventory and the Teacher Efficacy Scale upon entry to the program, before entry to a practicum experience with kindergarten students, and upon completion of both the practicum experience and a student…

The Professional Semester program in the College of Education at Northeast Louisiana University originated in 1975 when a need was recognized to integrate practical applications of what was being taught in the required methods courses of the elementary education program. Program accreditation was received in Fall, 1998. This study was conducted to…