TRACKING AND MANAGING FIELD EXPERIENCES IN A TEACHER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

摘要

The field experiences of pre-service teachers are considered to be critical in teacher preparation. Many universities use a paper-based approach in tracking student experiences. This type of system is both cumbersome and inefficient and provides no method for aggregating data. In order to address this challenge at the University of Missouri-Columbia, a Web-based tracking system was developed. The purpose of the system is to provide students, host teachers, instructors, and administrators with tools to track time spent in the classroom, record the types of experiences, and review the reflections of students. This system will further the students' opportunities to learn from their active experiences in the classroom by providing them with tools to support reflection on their experiences and will reduce the paperwork needed for tracking the students' experiences. In addition, the system will provide instructors and program administrators with access to aggregated data about the students' experiences.