Community-Based Field Experience Placements
Teaching practicums for our Community-Based pre-service teachers in Rural & Remote Western Canada.
About Community-Based Field Experiences
Overview
Field Experience is the mandatory practicum component of the Werklund School of Education’s B.Ed program. It is during the time in the field that Pre-service Teachers will be given the opportunity to apply the learning from their EDUC theory courses as they experience the complexity of life in schools generally, and in their assigned placements more specifically. Each Field Experience will allow the Pre-service Teachers to deepen their understandings of what it means to be a teacher while incrementally increasing their responsibility in the field.
The student teaching practicum is unpaid and voluntary on the part both of the Pre-service Teacher and in-service Partner Teacher. The focus is on mentorship, not training, as teaching is a complex set of competencies, not a single skill. There are four Field Experiences in which Pre-service Teachers will take part during the course of the Bachelor of Education Degree, one in each EDUC semester.
Police Information Check Requirement
A current, clear Police Information Check (PIC), including a Vulnerable Sector search, is required of all students participating in Field Experience. This PIC should be dated after MAY 1 of each school year and must be re-aquired each year of a student’s enrollment in Field Experience. Students without a current and clear PIC will not be allowed to participate in Field Experience.
Placement Information Form
A placement information form is required of all students participating in Field Experience. This form collects your personal information and placement preferences to assist us with our placement process. This information helps us and our educational partners choose the most appropriate placement and partner teacher for you. You must be enrolled to access the Placement Information Form.
Other important considerations for all Field Experiences:
- Full-time, Monday-Friday participation is required.
- Field Experience will take place in schools and in person for all students. Field Experience I, II, III, IV students do not follow university breaks, including term breaks. They should refer to their placement school calendar.
- Each Field Experience will include Field Experience Seminars, which are considered an integral part of the field experience and attendance is mandatory. Details of the Field Experience seminar will be provided by your assigned Field Instructor. Field Experience seminars will be scheduled within course dates.
- The first field seminar will give the Field Instructor an opportunity to discuss the Field Experience and go over expectations and responsibilities as well as provide Pre-service Teachers with an opportunity for clarification. Field Seminars also occur at the conclusion of the Field Experience and will provide an opportunity for Pre-service Teachers to discuss their experiences and address topics needing supplementation. The final Field Experience in Field Experience IV will be dedicated to topics of import to a first-year teacher.
- Pre-arranging placements with specific schools and/or teachers is not permitted. Under no circumstances shall student teachers contact a field site regarding their placements until they have been confirmed and posted by the faculty.
Prepare for Field Experience
- Register for Field Experience: Review the Registration Guide
- Submit your Placement Information Form: Additional information will be emailed to you.
- Present your Police Information Check to UPE Field Experience: Additional information will be emailed to you.
- Review the Pre-Service Teacher Field Experience Handbook
Field Experience Dates, 2024-2025
The dates and details below are as anticipated. Confirmation will be provided in your Course Outline. Please ensure you are available for the entirety of the course and seminars.
Field Experience I, EDUC 440 - Fall 2024
- Dates: Monday, October 7, 2024 - Friday, October 18, 2024
- Placement length: 2 weeks
- Seminars: 2 mandatory seminars. Further details will be provided by your Field Instructor.
- Seminar 1: During Week 1, Oct 7-11, 2024.
- Seminar 2: During Week 2, Oct 15-18, 2024.
Field Experience II, EDUC 465 - Winter 2025
- Dates: Monday, March 17, 2025 - Friday, April 25, 2025
- Placement length: 4 weeks within 6-week timeframe, to allow for your placement school breaks. Ensure you are available for the 6 weeks stated above.
- Seminars: 2 mandatory seminars. Further details will be provided by your Field Instructor.
- Seminar 1: Monday, March 17, 2025; Calgary & Area placement: On Campus; Community-Based placement: Via Zoom.
- Seminar 2: Friday, April 25, 2025; Calgary & Area placement: Via Zoom; Community-Based placement: Via Zoom.
Field Experience III, EDUC 540 - Fall 2024
- Dates: Monday, October 28, 2024 - Friday, December 13, 2024
- Placement length: 6 weeks
- All Field Experience III placements are anticipated to start in schools on Tuesday, October 29.
- Seminars: 2 mandatory seminars. Further details will be provided by your Field Instructor.
- Seminar 1: Monday, October 28, 2024; Calgary & Area placement: On Campus; Community-Based placement: Via Zoom.
- Seminar 2: Thursday, November 21, 2024; Calgary & Area placement: On Campus; Community-Based placement: Via Zoom.
Field Experience IV, EDUC 560 - Winter 2025
- Dates: Thursday, February 13, 2025 - Friday, April 25, 2025
- Placement length: 8 weeks within 10-week timeframe, to allow for your placement school breaks. Ensure you are available for the 10 weeks stated above.
- All Field Experience IV placements are anticipated to start in schools on Wednesday, February 19 (note the first mandatory Field seminar takes place on Tuesday, February 18). End dates will be communicated by Field Instructors based on individual school spring break calendars.
- Seminars: 3 mandatory seminars.
- Seminar 1: Tuesday, February 18, 2025; Calgary & Area placement: On Campus; Community-Based placement: Via Zoom.
- Seminar 2: Friday, March 7, 2025; Calgary & Area placement: On Campus; Community-Based placement: Via Zoom.
- Seminar 3: Friday, April 25, 2025; Calgary & Area placement: Via Zoom; Community-Based placement: Via Zoom.
Field Experiences: At a glance
| Course & Title | EDUC 440: Field Experience I Life in Schools | EDUC 465: Field Experience II Individual Learning in Classrooms | EDUC 540: Field Experience III Principles of Social and Cultural Engagement | EDUC 560: Field Experience IV Extending Teaching Curriculum Expertise |
| Placement details shared | Late September | Late February | Early October | Late January |
| Duration and Dates | 2 Weeks Fall 2024: Monday, October 7, 2024 - Friday, October 18, 2024 Full time, Monday to Friday participation required | 4 Weeks Winter 2025: Monday, March 17, 2025 - Friday, April 25, 2025 Full time, Monday to Friday participation required | 6 Weeks Fall 2024: Monday, October 28, 2024 - *December 13, 2024* Full time, Monday to Friday participation required | 8 Weeks Winter 2025: Thursday, February 13, 2025 - Friday, April 25, 2025 Full time, Monday to Friday participation required |
| Seminars | 2 mandatory seminars. Via Zoom, within course dates noted above. | 2 mandatory seminars. Via Zoom, within course dates noted above. | 2 mandatory seminars. Via Zoom, within course dates noted above. | 3 mandatory seminars. Via Zoom, within course dates noted above |
| Education Term | First Education Term Fall | Second Education Term Winter | Third Education Term Fall | Final Education Term Winter |
| Placement Considerations | Your Community-Based placement will be offered by the School District. We consider: Your teaching subject area and route; | Your Community-Based placement will be offered by the School District. We consider: Your teaching subject area and route; | Your Community-Based placement will be offered by the School District. We consider: Your teaching subject area and route; | Ideally, students will remain in the same placement for EDUC 540 and EDUC 560. |
| Location expectations | As a Community-Based student, Field Experience I and II placements are based on your Community-Based application address. We rely on your Placement Information Form submission to confirm your placement preferences. | As a Community-Based student, Field Experience I and II placements are based on your Community-Based application address. We rely on your Placement Information Form submission to confirm your placement preferences. | Field experience placements can be arranged across rural and remote areas in Western Canada. We have successfully placed Pre-Service Teachers across Alberta, rural and remote British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, the Yukon, Nunavut, and Schools in Indigenous Communities across Western Canada. Field Experience placement requests east of Manitoba will not be considered. | Ideally, students will remain in the same placement for EDUC 540 and EDUC 560. |
| Commute Expectations | Every effort is made to place student teachers within a reasonable traveling distance from their place of residence, however, based on available school sites, this cannot be guaranteed. While we aim to secure a placement for you within a 60-minute commute of your home, travel times could be up to 90 minutes (one-way). Our priority is to give you the best placement possible with a focus on partner teacher availability and school willingness to host pre-service teachers. Please be advised that Community-Based Field Experience placements are made with the understanding you have access to a vehicle. We cannot make accommodations for transit in areas outside of Calgary - please ensure you are able to get to the places requested. | Every effort is made to place student teachers within a reasonable traveling distance from their place of residence, however, based on available school sites, this cannot be guaranteed. While we aim to secure a placement for you within a 60-minute commute of your home, travel times could be up to 90 minutes (one-way). Our priority is to give you the best placement possible with a focus on partner teacher availability and school willingness to host pre-service teachers. Please be advised that Community-Based Field Experience placements are made with the understanding you have access to a vehicle. We cannot make accommodations for transit in areas outside of Calgary - please ensure you are able to get to the places requested. | Every effort is made to place student teachers within a reasonable traveling distance from their place of residence, however, based on available school sites, this cannot be guaranteed. While we aim to secure a placement for you within a 60-minute commute of your home, travel times could be up to 90 minutes (one-way). Our priority is to give you the best placement possible with a focus on partner teacher availability and school willingness to host pre-service teachers. Please be advised that Community-Based Field Experience placements are made with the understanding you have access to a vehicle. We cannot make accommodations for transit in areas outside of Calgary - please ensure you are able to get to the places requested. | Every effort is made to place student teachers within a reasonable traveling distance from their place of residence, however, based on available school sites, this cannot be guaranteed. While we aim to secure a placement for you within a 60-minute commute of your home, travel times could be up to 90 minutes (one-way). Our priority is to give you the best placement possible with a focus on partner teacher availability and school willingness to host pre-service teachers. Please be advised that Community-Based Field Experience placements are made with the understanding you have access to a vehicle. We cannot make accommodations for transit in areas outside of Calgary - please ensure you are able to get to the places requested. |
| Description | An observation of life in schools. There is no Partner Teacher but, instead, Pre-service Teachers observe the school as a whole under the guidance of the Field Experience Liaison and the Field Experience Instructor. | An examination of the complex dimensions of individual learning in classrooms. Pre-service Teachers are assigned to one or more Partner Teachers and will ideally be placed in pairs with another Pre-service Teacher. | A collaborative examination into the complex dimensions of whole class learning. Pre-service Teachers are assigned to one or more Partner Teachers. | A deeper examination of curriculum, planning and assessment to engage diverse learners in whole class settings. Pre-service Teachers are assigned to one or more Partner Teachers. |
| Developmental Focus | Documentation of the lives and cultures of students, teachers and schools using ethnographic field notes. Pre-service Teachers will be expected to assist as much as possible, at the discretion of the Partner Teacher. | Planning and teaching of learning experiences or parts of learning experiences aimed at gauging the learning of individual students, small groups of students or the larger class. | Planning and teaching of lessons and series of lessons leading up to partial curriculum units (at the discretion of the Partner Teacher) in whole class settings with the aim of assessing student learning. | Planning and teaching of organized unit(s) of study while deepening competence in the specialization. |
| Pre-service Teacher Responsibilities | Observation and assisting teachers according to the Course Outline. Completion of all EDUC 440 course work. | Teaching 1/3 or approximately one class per day by the end of week 2 (at Partner Teacher’s discretion) Written lesson plans for all lessons taught including formative assessment. Completion of all EDUC 465 course work. | Series of lessons leading up to partial curriculum units (at the discretion of the Partner Teacher). Teaching 50-75% of the day by the fourth week. Written lesson plans and unit plans (where appropriate) for all lessons taught including formative assessment. Completion of all EDUC 540 course work. | Series of lessons leading up to curriculum units (at the discretion of the Partner Teacher). Teaching 80-100% of the day by approximately the end of the fourth week. Written lesson plans and unit plans for all lessons/units taught including assessment components. Completion of all EDUC 560 course work. |