Practicum During the Pandemic: Zooming In

Authors

  • Christine Ho Younghusband University of Northern British Columbia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18357/otessac.2022.2.1.89

Keywords:

practicum, teacher education, remote learning, formal observations, COVID-19

Abstract

Universities in British Columbia pivoted to remote online learning in March 2020 and remained online in the upcoming school year. Teacher Education Programs also pivoted to remote online learning, with exception to practicum. Teacher candidates returned to K-12 schools for practicum as of the Fall 2020 term while coursework at universities remained online. Teacher candidates were placed into schools in their home communities, if possible, for practicum. At one university, some teacher candidates were supervised and formally observed and supported by the practicum mentor remotely due to limited staffing, location of placement, and COVID safety protocols. Formal observations and pre- and post-conferences with the teacher candidate were conducted using video conferencing on Zoom. Normally, remote observations are not accepted by the regulating board but during the COVID-19 pandemic some exceptions were made. There were some advantages and disadvantages to remote observations.

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Published

2022-12-23