What will the new improvements in practicum requirements entail?
There have always been practicum requirements for the College of Education programs. Practicum experiences are field-based learning opportunities that focus on observation, application, and reflection. Practicums require the COE student to spend a prescribed amount of time in real-life classroom settings in order to demonstrate competency with predetermined activities that are aligned to professional standards in the field of education. Unfortunately, these requirements have not been consistently adhered to by students and instructors. This may be partly due to lack of sufficient communication by the College of Education. As a result, the College of Education has made efforts to provide explicit explanations of these requirements. These explanations will be further described in all course descriptions, syllabi, and assignments within courses. Both Faculty and students are required to use the practicum guidelines in each course and are held accountable for fulfilling the practicum activ