EDL 681 - Middle Grades Field Experience/Practicum I (3)

Establishes a bridge between the experiences in the Foundations of Educational Leadership course and those at the school site by integrating knowledge and skills in a supervised middle grades school experience. As part of this experience, students are involved in a variety of supervised activities, including planning curriculum and meetings, using group process skills and strategies, participating in opening of school activities, solving disciplinary problems, supporting new faculty and staff, supervising activities, and communicating with parents and the community. Using experiences from the school sites, students study due process and school law cases to draw inferences and to assist with problem-solving and decision-making strategies during the four class sessions. The students analyze staff communication plans and public relations programs for their own school sites, review the literature in this area, and make comparisons with plans from other school sites to identify best practices. In addition, students develop an individual plan for the field experience that follows this class.