A program developed for undergraduate students at Michigan State University that trains and utilizes students as mental health agents working with normal and clinic-referred children is examined. The program helps develop in the students communication skills with young children for use in mental health treatment or preventive capacities.…

The British Isles Field Experience (BIFE) program was initiated at Williamsport Area Community College (WACC) to provide a group of WACC faculty and staff members with individual and group activities of a personal, professional, and cultural nature in order to promote an international perspective that can be infused into student, collegiate, and…

This paper describes a model of a field based or clinical experience program for prospective teachers. An overview of issues and concerns regarding field experiences and student teaching describes the traditional approach to supervised practice teaching. In a discussion of contemporary perspectives on student teaching programs, it is noted that…

A description is given of an orientation program for freshmen in a college elementary education program. One of the major components of the introductory course is a school field tour. During this activity, students may observe elementary classrooms, and visit with teachers and other school personnel. The tour enables them to see teaching as a…

This study investigated the differences in secondary preservice teachers' perceptions of school climate before and after completion of a field-based practicum experience. It also sought to determine if there were significant relationships between their perceptions of school climate and their grade point average in selected standardized tests. The…

The Hispanic elderly population shares a common language and similar belief systems, although the population is comprised of subgroups of various national origins. Hispanic elderly are a rapidly growing proportion of the total Hispanic population, and are also among the most economically, physically, and emotionally vulnerable populations. This…

The objective of an early field experience program is to force students to confront their assumptions on teaching. The experience, coupled with activities and readings in the university classroom, is designed to make students reconsider a variety of issues--what it means to learn something, the intellectual capabilities of children, the role of…

A growing body of literature and research examines the stress experienced by preservice teachers. This study hypothesized that preservice teachers would generally overrate their preparation, and experience no net change in comfort level over time. A questionnaire was administered to preservice teachers (N=54) prior to their initial 5-week…

This paper examines the expectations of second semester teacher education students regarding the selected standards of education, related teaching tasks, and the goals of education. Eighty-one second semester students starting on their second field experience completed the Inventory of Perceptions and Expectations (IPE) prior to beginning their…

Students in the City-As-School (CAS) program, an alternative high school in New York City, spend 95 percent of their school time at field-based learning sites, such as business, civic, and cultural organizations. A majority of the participants are dropouts, or were high risk students before entering the program. In 1985, CAS was awarded a grant to…

After presenting an argument for a liberal arts education for media students, this report describes the mass communication education program at DePauw University for which students must take coursework in at least five of six areas of study: natural sciences and mathematics, social and behavioral sciences, literature and the arts, historical and…

The University of North Florida's Teacher Education Internship Project had as its purpose the expansion and refinement of a clinical supervision model for undergraduate teacher education interns and preinterns. Goals included the revision of data gathering instruments and the pooling of program graduates to determine the success of these former…

The current status of undergraduate participation in public service activities at the University of California (UC) at Davis, was investigated in 1986-1987. Public service included all work performed for nonprofit, government, and service organizations. The first questionnaire was completed by 70 departments (out of 95) to determine information…

This paper presents an analysis of the perceptions intern language arts teachers have of the roles their cooperating teachers play in content and pedagogical knowledge development. Eight secondary student interns in secondary language arts participated who were completing a 14-week teaching internship which was the final requirement of a 5-year…

This report on sites for student field experiences in refugee mental health has been prepared by the University of Minnesota's Mental Health Technical Assistance Center for the state refugee assistance programs. After a brief introduction describing the mission of the Technical Assistance Center, the characteristics of field experience in mental…