Overview of Field Experiences

UNIVERSITY PARK CAMPUS FIELD EXPERIENCES in C&I

All Penn State candidates for teacher certification (N-3, K-6, N-6, Pk-4, 4-8, 7-12 , and P-12) are required to observe and teach in settings that include diverse populations, students with special needs, and students of different ages as an integral part of the undergraduate education major. This page provides a general overview of field experiences. Detailed specific information about the various field experiences can be found on the web page that is specific to that field experience.

General Timeline for Field Experience Courses

•  Early field experience (C I 295 A,B,C) occurs typically during semesters 3 or 4 (No application necessary)
• Middle field experience (C I 495 A, B or C) occurs typically during semesters 6 or 7 (on-line application necessary; see below)
• Student teaching practicum (C I 495D/F or E) occurs typically during semesters 7 or 8 (on-line application necessary; see below)

Application for Field Experience Courses

• Early field experience (C I 295A,B,C) does not require a preliminary application, unless exceptions occur due to schedule conflicts.
• Middle field experience (CI495A -- Early Childhood Education; C I 495B—Elementary Education; C I 495C—Secondary Education): This information is to be submitted well in advance of the semester for which the practicum is planned. There is a separate on-line application for the middle-level field experiences.
• Student teaching (C I 495 D/F, E, or G): On-line applications must be submitted by the beginning of the semester one year in advance of the academic year desired for a student teaching assignment. Example: Applications are due Fall Semester 2009 (end of September) for student teaching Fall Semester 2010; while an application for a Spring 2011 student teaching assignment must be filed by the end of January 2010.

Location, Transportation and Housing for Field Experiences

Students have the responsibility for obtaining their transportation, housing, professional attire, health and insurance verifications, and all required clearances.

These issues have financial and legal ramifications for each student. Additional information is available in the Curriculum and Instruction Field Experiences Office, 170 Chambers Building (814-865-1734) and on this web site. Student teaching applications must be completed and submitted on-line via our website.

• C I 295, the early field experience course required for early childhood, elementary,world language, and secondary education majors, requires participation in full-day school visits. Transportation is provided by the University; special housing is not required.
•  C I 495A, the middle field experience course required for early childhood education majors, occurs in child development centers and elementary schools within a commuting distance, (a 60 to 70 mile radius) of University Park. Students must make arrangements for their own transportation. Special housing is not required.
• C I 495B/C, the middle field experiences for elementary and secondary education majors, occur in schools within commuting distance, a 60 to 70 mile radius, of University Park. Students must make arrangements for their own transportation. Special housing is not required.
• For C I 495 D/F, G, or E, most student teaching practica occur in schools beyond commuting distance and in various University-selected regions throughout the Commonwealth. Student teachers must arrange their own housing and daily transportation in their assigned areas. Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education majors may apply to participate in a student teaching practicum in South Dakota (Pierre Indian Learning Center). Secondary Education majors may apply to complete student teaching in Norway, the Netherlands, South Dakota, or Sweden.

Additional Locations for Early Childhood and Elementary

Also available for C I 495 D/F , are

1. UTC: Isaac Sheppard Elementary Professional Development Partnership in Philadelphia. The urban teaching experience is one part of a joint Penn State/Philadelphia School District Collaborative that places Penn State elementary education majors in an inner city school for their final field experience. Elementary education teaching candidates involved in the UTC do the DI (Discipline Inquiry block during the fall semester (CI 495B) and student teach at Sheppard during the Spring semester (CI 495D/F). We anticipate we will have ten to twelve interns (student teachers) in the program for the 2009-2010 school year.
2. State College Professional Development School (PDS) Collaborative for Elementary Education majors. More information is available on this at: http://www.ed.psu.edu/pds/

Discipline Specific Locations for Secondary Majors

Discipline-specific supervision is a critical component of Penn State’s teacher education program; hence, each discipline has one or multiple primary regions for student teaching placement. Note below the specific disciplines and the current regions to which student teachers are assigned. Students should assume that they will be assigned to their primary region (s) and plan accordingly.

Primary Discipline Region(s):

• Secondary Education English: Greater Pittsburgh
• Secondary Education Mathematics: Greater Pittsburgh
• Secondary Education Science: Central West (Altoona)
• Secondary Education Social Studies: Greater Philadelphia or Greater Pittsburgh
• P-12 Education World Languages: Central Region

• Secondary English – PDS program in State College is also available. For more information on this program go to: http://www.ed.psu.edu/englishpds/

In addition, mixed cohorts of secondary student teachers (English, Mathematics, and Social Studies) will be placed in the Central region on the basis of students' need to be placed close to the University Park campus for student teaching.

NOTE: Students should indicate two preferences for Regions on the on-line student teaching application, but preference indicated is no guarantee of placement in any particular region.

Orientation and Seminars for Early and Middle Level Field Experiences

C I 295 A/B/C and C I 495 A/B/C officially begin at the start of the semester, even though the actual field experience does not begin until several weeks into the semester. Large group orientations and small group seminars are held in the first weeks of the semester to communicate valuable information and further prepare students for their entry into schools.

Student Teaching

• Student teaching is a full-time 15-week, 15 credit practicum/seminar block for all teacher certification programs in the College of Education.
• Student teaching is a full-time activity. Additional course enrollments are not permitted. This includes courses described as correspondence, distance education, online, continuing education, evening or weekend courses at Penn State or other institutions. Deferred grades and correspondence courses must be completed before the start of the student teaching experience.
• Most student teaching practica occur in schools beyond commuting distance of the University. Student teachers must, therefore, arrange their own housing and daily transportation in their assigned areas.

Assignment Process for All Field Experiences

• The Curriculum and Instruction Field Experiences (CIFE) Office procures and assigns the placement for each student. Students may not seek nor procure their own placements.
• Students are assigned only to schools with which Penn State has prior agreements, and those to which University Park clinical faculty travel for supervision. These agreements are subject to change from semester to semester.
• Living at one’s family home is not a primary consideration for determining assignments, including student teaching.

Required Clearances

Information on required clearances for all field experiences can be located on the Clearances section of this website.