This paper examines a developing model for building an international social work placement that meets the needs of the host agency and community first. The paper addresses the challenges for social work departments to develop a strong learning environment while also keeping primary the needs of the host community and agency.

Since the 1970s, international fieldwork has provided opportunities for small numbers of pre-service teachers to teach and learn in a culture different from their own. Research into this fieldwork suggests that pre-service teachers are positive about their experiences, although questions remain about the ethics underpinning some of these programs.…

Recent reports call for a structural transformation of teacher preparation programs with increased attention to quality field-based learning experiences for pre-service teachers. Ideally, this occurs in the context of robust university-school partnerships. The challenges lie in identifying such school sites and building meaningful, reciprocal…

Growing up in Philadelphia, Jenna Moser always wanted to be like her dad, who was a member of FFA and grew up on a farm in western Pennsylvania. She took a big step in emulating her father when she enrolled at the W. B. Saul High School of Agricultural Sciences, and became a member of FFA herself, going on to serve as president during her senior…

Service learning is an educational practice that bridges the gap between academics and the real world. Knowledge generated within educational institutions is offered to a community with the goal of strengthening student learning and increasing students' civic engagement. There is a pedagogical congruence between service learning, civic engagement,…

This article provides a description of service learning implemented in an introductory special education course focused on the culture of disability. Collaborating with liaisons from five community service organizations, students provided services to individuals with disabilities in a variety of projects across two semesters. Communication and…

The benefits of family involvement in the education of children with disabilities are well documented. Few teacher education programs, however, implement specific strategies for encouraging interactions between families and those preparing to be teachers. The University of South Florida St. Petersburg and the local membership of a professional…

The purpose of this manuscript is twofold: First, the authors explore the nature of the learning in which their students engaged during a service-learning experience in efforts to understand the meanings of teaching and learning they constructed, and how the context of this experience interacted with their candidates' previously constructed…

This document reviews the development and progress of the experiential education program at the University of Kentucky. Following a review of why experiential education was developed and the stages of that development, emphasis is placed on the progress of the program in relation to its goals and objectives. (MJM)

Based on the premise that educational psychology is often taught as theory with few opportunities for practical application, the Student Mini-Learning Exercise (SMiLE) Cards are presented to help students apply educational psychology concepts to field experiences. Components of these SMiLE Cards focus on: identification information; the concept…

Following introductory material, this document presents a rationale for experiential learning. Service-learning programs and internships in North Carolina are described in light of their objectives, the role of agency colleagues, the role of faculty counselors, the students, and criteria for evaluation. (MJM)

A high-school-level field experience program in economic education in Meridian, Mississippi, is described. The program provided exposure to various careers as well as experience with economic processes. Each student spent several weeks in a variety of business, industrial, and manufacturing organizations. Students learned the background of each…

This article describes the Executive High School Internship Program which is an educational developmental experience that permits the qualified high school student to enter, on a full-time basis, the top-management level of the world of work in a real rather than a theoretical way. (Author)

Loras College recently became a laptop campus. Faculty members in the Division of Education viewed the transformation of the college learning environment as an opportunity to enhance the elementary education teacher preparation program. There was a desire to make productive use of the improved technology available and the early field experience…