Georgia piloted an externship program for dental hygienists that paired selected local dentists with senior dental hygiene students who had passed the national board examination and taken one state board examination. Dentists became mentors, and students learned about professional practice and were enthusiastic participants. (MSE)

The University of Maine redesigned its teacher preparation program to emphasize field experiences, occurring every semester, that gradually socialize students into the teacher role, provide a support system for preservice teachers, and lessen the transitional shock often suffered by beginning teachers. Student comments are included. (SV)

Resident outdoor environmental education (ROEE) is a camp-based extension of the classroom for two to five days, promoting student independence, interpersonal skills, and ecological awareness. Advantages and disadvantages of the "camp as innkeeper" and full program-provider models are given. Program development guidelines cover expenses,…

Summarizes the four-year findings for two different teams of practicum students participating in a study of peer coaching and paired placement during their early field experiences and before their final elementary student-teaching experience. Data from observations, surveys, journals, and peer-coaching forms indicated that the program positively…

Investigated the perceptions that traditional student teachers and emergency-permit teachers held regarding their experiences during their semester of student teaching. Data from student surveys indicated that most students from both groups were satisfied with, and successfully culminated, their field experiences. Both groups reported many…

Describes changes in preservice teachers' images and perceptions of teaching and literacy as they engaged in collaborative learning experiences within the college classrooms and in the elementary classrooms working with cooperating teachers and young children. Finds changes of preservice teachers in language use, perceptions of children's…

Investigated the preparation cooperating teachers received and experiences they desired as evaluators of early field experience students. Interviews with cooperating teachers, university supervisors, and elementary field experience directors indicated that though preparation was not mandatory, respondents endorsed introductory meetings at which…

Believes that the current geography curriculum in New Zealand needs to be reevaluated in order to maintain geography's relevance in the school curriculum. Discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the current curriculum and considers possible content for a new curriculum, such as field inquiry and global patterns and processes. (CMK)

Frogwatch is a volunteer monitoring program developed in response to worldwide concern about declining populations of amphibians. Outlines a frog-monitoring program and a wetland study to be conducted alone or together. Explains the basics, including choosing a frog, introducing the topic, mapping, recordkeeping, equipment, survey procedures, and…

Examined the developmental concerns of preservice elementary teachers in a paired peer placement peer coaching program who were randomly paired for their first teaching experience. Data from students' observations, feedback, and reflections on their teaching experiences indicated that students developed across a continuum of concerns from…

Describes the restructured, extended year Bachelor of Education/Diploma in Education Consecutive program within the Faculty of Education at Queen's University of Kingston, Ontario, Canada, which emphasizes field-based experiences. After examining research supporting experience-based learning, the paper describes program planning and development…

A study involving 127 undergraduates investigated the effectiveness of an innovative preservice training program designed to teach general education teachers how to use applied behavioral analysis to become reflective, responsive, educators. Participants in the field-based Instructional Assistants Program provided direct instruction and most felt…

Examines issues related to secondary teacher preparation, including: advantages of a discipline-specific, interdisciplinary field-based block of courses; whether field basing should occur earlier or later in the program; how universities can address preservice teachers' varying needs; how university and school faculty can best collaborate; and how…

The purpose of this study was to describe salient aspects of pedagogical content knowledge that preservice physical education teachers acquired and found problematic while learning a specific skill theme approach (Graham, Holt/Hale, & Parker, 1993) to teaching elementary physical education during their field-based methods course. The participants…

The idea that all stages of social research are gendered has been discussed extensively in the literature. A great number of texts are devoted to reflection how gender influence researcher/respondent interaction. In this article, the author presents reflection on discrepancies between her interviews with men and women conducted within the research…