Unit 1: Setting the Stage for Clinical Practice

Project Description

Overview

In order to prepare for this section of the program this week you will organize yourself and your approach to teaching. In this activity, you will review the work you have completed in the program so far and identify documents that you have created such as  management and lesson plans, resource kits, and other resources that will be useful to you during your Clinical Practice.  

Performance Outcomes

• Candidates will organize their plans, resources, and strategies in preparation for the Clinical Practice portion of the program.

What will you do?

1. Review your Clinical tab on the learning platform to ensure that everything is confirmed and updated.

• Ensure that you have a Confirmed School and Confirmed Mentor prior to beginning your clinical practice in Module 8. You will see the Confirmed School and Confirmed Mentor information on the Clinical tab of the learning platform. If this information is not confirmed, you will only see Suggested School and Suggested Mentor sections.

• In this case, you need to follow up with your School Supervisor to e-sign the MoU agreement sent to the supervisor to confirm your placement and mentor. On the Clinical tab check the Subject Area and Grade Level that you have entered. You should be completing your Clinical Practice in the same subject area. This is important information that you will need to confirm prior to completing your Clinical Practice in Module 8. If the subject area is locked by the Admin, and you need to make a change, please email clinical@moreland.edu and the Clinical Team will help you update the information. 

     2. Review all the Handbook documents such as the Clinical Practice Handbook, Mentor Handbook, and the Sequencing Guide (for new teachers). If you have a confirmed mentor, please review these documents with your mentor. 

     3.  Finally, review your work in previous modules and identify the documents that you will need during Clinical Practice. Revise the documents to make them relevant to the students you will be teaching for 12 weeks in Module 8. Here are some examples of documents that you can collect:

• Student inventory of background, interests, talents, skills, learning difficulties, language barriers, etc. 

• Managing the Learning Environment Plan

• Assessment Strategies (Formative and Summative)

• Unit Plan or Curriculum Map

• Other relevant resources and strategies

     4.  Make a copy of the Preparing for Clinical Practice Checklist and include the documents you have collected from the work you have completed in the program. Include items on your checklist that you have completed as well as those that you plan to complete prior to beginning your clinical practice in Module 8. The template has been provided in the Activity Resources to help you get started.

Candidate Assignments

• Checking the Clinical tab on the Learning Platform

• Preparing for Clinical Practice Checklist

Overview

You are now getting ready to begin Clinical Practice. In preparation, candidates should get to know the standards used to observe, evaluate, and reflect on their own teaching. Moreland University uses the Clinical Practice Rubric based on the 10 InTASC Standards to evaluate candidates' teaching practice. To meet all objectives in Module 8, candidates will get to know the 10 InTASC Standards thoroughly. The cohort will discuss the expectations of the standards in the Virtual Classroom and Discussion Forum and with their instrcutor. Use this time to clarify doubts, questions, and ideas that you may have around each standard and how it will influence your Clinical Practice. 

Performance outcomes

• Candidates discuss ideas, problems, and solutions in applying the 10 InTASC Standards described in the Clinical Practice Rubric to their own teaching practice.

What will you do?

1. Review the Clinical Practice Rubric and the Ways of Thinking About the Clinical Evaluation Criteria documents and prepare your questions before the next virtual class. 

2. As a cohort, create a separate Discussion Forum thread on each standard to keep track of the discussions related to each standard. 

3. Write a post on at least one standard, explaining how you will apply it in your classroom during Clinical Practice. Your Discussion Forum post should detail how you will apply the standard to the subject area and grade level that you will be teaching. Include any questions specific to the standard. You may also share an idea of how to present this standard. You will be presenting this standard to your cohort in the Virtual Classroom in the upcoming weeks of Clinical Practice. Your instructor will share a sign-up sheet to schedule your presentation session.

   • Tip: Select a standard that you feel you can demonstrate well in the classroom or one that you think would be a challenge for you to demonstrate. This is an opportunity to research, learn, and practice teaching in the virtual classroom with your peers.

4. Comment on posts made on at least two other standards by your peers in the cohort. Your responses to colleagues should be relevant, thorough, and kind.

5. Review the discussions on the 10 standards in the Discussion Forum and write a summary of how you will apply all 10 standards to your teaching practice on this activity’s Submission page along with your selected standard for presentation.

6. Prepare to participate in next week’s virtual classroom discussion on the 10 standards of the Clinical Practice Rubric. 

Report requirements

• Discussion Forum post on at least one Standard from the Clinical Practice Rubric 

• Comments on cohort peers’ posts on at least two other standards 

• Selected standard for presentation and summary of discussions 

Notes:

• Next week you will be discussing the InTASC Standards with your mentor.

• All assignment descriptions are written for Proficient. You should carefully examine the criteria for an Outstanding score if you want to aim for Outstanding.

Project Description

Overview 

Training teachers in sexual abuse and molestation prevention is paramount as it equips educators with the knowledge and tools to safeguard the well-being of their students. Teachers are often the first line of defense in identifying signs of abuse and providing early intervention, ensuring students are protected from potential harm. Complete the Prevention of Sexual Abuse and Molestation Training by reviewing the learning objectives, thoroughly reading/viewing each resource, and completing the final reflection.

Learning objectives 

• Recognize signs of sexual abuse and molestation

• Establish professional boundaries

• Maintain ethical conduct with students

• Identify best practices for reporting procedures for concerns or suspicions

What will you do? 

1. Review the three resources on recognizing signs and reporting sexual abuse and molestation

• Darkness to Light: Child Sexual Abuse Updates

• Reporting Child Abuse: Steps to Taking Action

• CDC Fast Facts: Preventing Child Sexual Abuse

       2.  Review one resource on understanding professional boundaries, how they may be compromised, and possible consequences. 

• Professional Boundaries

       3.  Review two resources on understanding ethical principles, responsibilities, and dilemmas.

• Modeling Ethical Conduct in the Classroom: Edutopia

• NAEYC: Focusing on Ethics. Professional Boundaries in Early Childhood Education

Candidate assignments

• Develop a 2-3 minute reflection identifying:

  • The signs of sexual abuse and molestation and the reporting process within your school. 

  • The potential consequences of boundary violations.

  • Two possible dilemmas and how you would address them

Reminder: To maintain academic integrity, you must cite any information, ideas, text, or images used in this activity by identifying the source.