The Center For Internships and Professional Development handles the pre-service activities, seminars and field experiences for candidates of the undergraduate and graduate programs associated with all majors and programs of education. This office supports the high quality programs of the School of Education through field experiences and internships, on-going assessment, professional development and other opportunities to ensure that all graduates meet high professional standards.
|
|
Overview
Field experiences are an integral part of the Teacher Education Program at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. These experiences contribute significantly to each candidate’s developmental growth from pre-service teacher to in-service teacher. Candidates participate in a variety of field experiences which allow them to apply and reflect on their content, professional and pedagogical knowledge, skills, and dispositions. These experiences are designed to facilitate the candidates’ development as a Professional Educator Catalyst for Learning.
The Teacher Education Program embraces the ideals of its national and state accrediting bodies, the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI). In addition, it also addresses the goals and objectives of the Teacher Education Program at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and supports the components of the A&T Professional Development School (PDS) Partnership.
Research findings relative to theory and practice indicate that the use of school-based experiences promotes the development of effective teachers. School and university collaboration provides opportunities for reciprocal interaction by satisfying mutual educational objectives that emanate from clients and institutions involved in the preparation of professional educators.
All teacher education candidates at North Carolina A&T State University complete a minimum of three (3) field experiences prior to student teaching. The field experiences are sequentially planned, supervised, and formal evaluations are completed. Through these sequentially planned field experiences, candidates are given opportunities to (1) observe, (2) monitor, (3) tutor, (4) guide, (5) diagnose, (6) attend meetings, (7) take part in professional conversations with other educators, and (8) implement critical teaching behaviors that enhance the intensity and/or quality of classroom instruction. Therefore, the overall goal is to provide sequentially planned field experiences that will develop professional educators who are catalysts for learning, who reflect on their teaching, and who have the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to become masters in their field.
|
