A. Design
During the academic year 2020-2021, the design and organization of the 3rd Phase of students’ Practicum (Teaching Methodology – Practicum) in the Department of Primary Education of the University of Western Macedonia is necessarily differentiated due to the prohibition of students’ presence as well as the prohibition of teaching work elaboration through physical presence in the collaborating schools. These protective measures against Covid-19 disease are imposed by a relevant decision of the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs. Therefore, the design is organized as follows:
Students are initially divided into 10 groups of 10 people; with each group being supervised by a supervisor, who guides and evaluates students’ teaching. Therefore, each group functions as a “virtual” classroom. A representative is appointed in each group, with whom the students teach only the following teaching subjects from 5th and 6th grade: Language, Mathematics, Physics, History. Two (2) of these teaching subjects are taught online –at least one (1) from the direction of Humanities and one (1) from STEM–, for which their designs/plans are also submitted. Regarding the other two (2) subjects, a detailed lesson plan and design is submitted. In total, students submit four (4) lesson plans. Each lesson plan begins with a brief presentation of its design.
Regarding the material succession, the first student of the group starts from a predetermined unit (e.g. from History) and the next one continues with the following unit, either by teaching it online or by submitting its lesson plan. Each group starts from the same unit. Students are given an excel file, in which they complete the titles of their teaching units and deliver it to their supervisors before the group starts teaching.
Sessions are carried out with the use of the course’s zoom link on the days and hours that are announced and given to the students in a separate file. This means that during each of these days, four (4) lessons are carried out, so that the group’s practicum can be completed in five (5) sessions, in total. During each session, two (2) students teach the two subjects that they chose and are going to be supervised by the supervisors. Each session lasts three hours.
Each lesson is organized, so that it lasts 40 minutes. After the two subjects are taught by a student, there is a short break of 10 minutes and the next student continues with teaching his / her own two subjects. At the end of each session, all lessons are evaluated by the group. While organizing and designing their lesson plans, students take into account what they have been taught and assimilated during these particular courses’ didactics, which they are now asked to adapt in the context of the online classroom.
B. Obligations and evaluation
All group members’ participation and presence is mandatory during these five (5) sessions of each group, when twenty (20) lessons are conducted.
After the completion of all groups’ lessons, the members of each students’ group submit in a pdf file the following: 1.The lesson plans (4 in total); 2. A brief self-assessment/reflection regarding the online classroom instruction;
3. The analysis / interpretation of three (3) critical incidents. Students are asked to select three of the six (6) suggested critical incidents, which are posted on the online classroom (eclass) along with detailed instructions on their analysis; 4. A complete Flexible Zone of Cross-thematic and creative activities program of three to four-hour duration related to a topic that students have taught; 5. Critical remarks for the whole practicum.
The final assignments are submitted to each students’ group supervisor at the end of the semester.
