A study investigated 17 occupational therapy students' perceptions of the development of cultural competencies. A sense of Canadian-ness informed how students defined cultural difference in a clinical setting, and their own reflections of the concept of culture shaped their response to differences. (Author/JOW)

Describes a teaching framework combining culturally sensitive and culturally specific perspectives to prepare students for cross-cultural clinical social work. Three components are (1) an overview of social constructivism; (2) exploration of culture and self to encourage openness to cultural diversity; and (3) a social-constructivist approach to…

Describes a two-day field experience program for reducing preservice teachers' negative expectations of urban schools. The program occurred in a school using the Paideia approach (the belief that all students can make substantial academic progress). Student surveys and reflection indicated that attitudes and expectations were positively influenced…

Considering cultural diversity, and specifically ethnicity, in field work education is a key dimension in promoting the success of minority graduate students in social work. Supporting the strengths of the minority culture provides a foundation upon which students can master new learning. (Author/MH)

Examines the experiences of Native and non-Native Alaskan teacher educators in rural Alaska, describing opportunities for capitalizing on field settings available to faculty at any university. Discusses reasons for putting faculty in the field, looking at field-based training for Native teachers, the "ivory tower" versus the real world,…

Student teachers completing urban field experiences were trained in reflective thinking. Comparisons with students who did not receive the training indicated that field experiences with opportunities to reflect on practice increased the likelihood that students could recognize and process more of the complexity marking teaching and learning,…

The program to Prepare Teachers for Multi-Cultured Secondary Schools (MULTI-CUL) at Ball State University provides an alternative, elective program open to all enrollees in secondary education who wish to prepare for teaching their subject matter specialities in schools serving adolescents from a variety of cultural, religious, social, and ethnic…

The Pre-Service Teacher Education for Teachers of Minorities (PETOM) Program is a cooperative endeavor of the Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate, the University of Hawaii Colleges of Education and Arts and Sciences, and the Hawaii State Department of Education. The program's principal goals are to prepare teachers for the education of cultural…

The Community Learning Center Project, a multicultural training program, is presented as a successful model for the acquisition of culturally relevant social work practice competencies. Cultural pluralism is presented as the underlying framework for the project. The design and model of an evaluation study of the project are described. (Author/MLW)

One of the components of the international program at Michigan Technological University is an internship in Germany where students work for 3 months in companies or university research institutes. These paid internships offer students (mostly engineering and science majors) a unique opportunity to improve their communication skills and cultural…

Six issues to consider when colleges make placement decisions for prestudent teaching and student teaching are diversity, collaboration, cooperating teacher preparation, challenging beliefs, mentor matching, and clustering. A study of current North American placement practices is examined. Implications of the six considerations for teacher…

Investigated the impact of an urban field experience on rural/suburban preservice teachers, examining what they learned and how they applied their learning. Data from observations and student self-reports indicated that the experience was very positive for the participants, and it raised their consciousness about urban education. Participants…

This article describes the community-based block program in the Department of Counselor Education at San Diego State University. This program allows counselor trainees to work with disadvantaged youth in schools and other community agencies. The emphasis of this program is on the development of skills counselors can use with minority students…

Central Missouri State University faculty forged partnerships with teachers in urban charter schools in Kansas City in an effort to ensure that early childhood teacher candidates' field experiences would take place in school environments with diverse populations of students. During the spring 2001 semester, early childhood teacher candidates were…

Discusses the Reality Based Multicultural Model (RBMM) created for Minnesota's teacher education programs to ensure that the preservice teacher interacts with diverse student populations and demonstrates competence in each of six program components. The RBMM requires that preservice teachers complete a field experience in a culture other than…