Blog 3

Field experience by a pre-service teacher is a major part of study when learning how to become a teacher. This field experience can be very time consuming due to traveling that getting in the amount of observation hours required is tough for some students. In an article by James Lehman and Jennifer Richardson entitled, “ Virtual Field Experience: Helping Pre-service Teachers Learn about Diverse Classrooms through Video Conferencing Connections with K-12 Classrooms,” they explore the possibility of field experience being conducted through the use of video conferencing. It was found through their research that this method of using video conferencing was beneficial for the pre-service teachers it helped them learn from their observations, introduce educational technology and provide them with diverse classrooms. The limitations and setbacks that were discovered with the use of video conferencing use for field placement were; audio and/or video difficulty, school filters and firewalls, and lack of face to face contact and presence. The idea of video conferencing is great for schools and universities to use when the setting of them is in a rural area or a non-diverse area. The use of the internet and video conferencing observations allows those pre-service teachers to become part of a classroom setting that is different by being diversified and not like just the classrooms around the university. This project took place at Purdue University after several years of trying to figure out what ways can allow their pre-service teachers a diverse setting for field placement. There were two different types of video conferencing used in this project; the first being Class to Class via video conferencing, the second was small group instruction via personal video conferencing. Even though as discussed before their were strengths and limitations using this tool of educational technology the pre-service teacher became apart of a diverse classroom while being in a rural area of Indiana.

5 Disciplines

Personal Mastery: In this discipline students were able to reach their potential in observing classrooms by being able to observe a variety of classrooms. These classrooms being diverse which helps them become prepared for teaching, instead of just observing the rural classrooms around Purdue.

Systems Thinking- This was obtained by having the pre-service teachers interact with the classrooms or small groups. Both evaluated this process and work together to achieve the goal of getting the experience in a diverse classroom.

Mental Models- This was achieved through being involved in an urban classroom through video conferencing and being able to experience the different culture and ethnicities that are within an urban classroom setting.

Shared Vision- This is occurred with the Urban Classrooms involved, the administration, the pre-service teacher and the technology staff.

Team Learning- By the use of video conferencing and getting linked together with the pre-service teachers and the urban classrooms allows both parties to learn and create opportunities for new experiences.

References: Lehman, J. and Richardson, J. (2003). Virtual Field Experiences: Helping Pre-Service Teachers Learn about Diverse Classrooms through Video Conferencing Connections with K-12 Classroom Retrieved: April 20, 2007, from Purdue University website

Website: http://p3t3.soe.purdue.edu/EdMedia2003_Videolong.pdf