VERSION ONE

ONLINE TEACHING PRACTICUM GUIDELINES

with thanks to the MOE for giving our student teachers this unqiue opportunity.

A MESSAGE TO OUR STUDENT TEACHERS FROM THE EXECUTIVE DEAN HCT

Please note it is a requirement for program accreditation to complete these practicum days and
it is important for the MOE and ourselves that you experience this new world from the point of
view of a teacher in the schools.
This is a unique experience that you should not miss and the days working with the MST in the
MOE Online platforms can only be an exciting learning opportunity.
You, your MST and MCT will liaise on what is best for you, the children and the EPC Practicum
course. Look at this NOT as a pressure filled, stressful, anxiety-ridden situation but an exciting,
new, wonderful opportunity to demonstrate your creativity and talents in a supported
environment where you can call on two professionals every step of the way.
This will be a special POSITIVE experience with teachers behind you, alongside you and
helping you ALL THE WAY.
I fully understand your concerns, and that is exactly why we are setting the whole approach up
as a small group with you, your MCT and MST to ensure it is managed in a way that supports
you but does not disadvantage you. You will not be required to do anything that you are not
fully ready for and you will with your MST and MCT decide what is possible to be accomplished.
This should be a wonderful learning experience to help you be comfortable with the MOE
system for the future. If you are not comfortable with anything, just speak to your MST and MCT
as the TP tasks can be adapted and based on planning, observation and reflection for example.
There are hundreds of possibilities and the aim is for you to experience online learning from the
teacher’s perspective not to be thrown into a classroom teaching situation unless you want to
try it. That is exactly why we have set the system up in these small groups, so you are fully
supported all the way and have a completely unique, exciting learning experience 😊
We have planned it out very carefully and you will appreciate this once the TP experience
starts.

INTRODUCTION
The aim of these guidelines is to ensure that students, Mentor School Teachers (MST) and
Mentor College Tutors (MCT) embrace the learning opportunities that this unique online
learning and teaching situation has provided us with.

We realise that every situation in every class will be different and that everyone is feeling
different levels of anxiety and concern about what these coming weeks will involve. These
guidelines have been drafted to assure each and every one of you that we all realise this and
that the only way this Online Teaching Practicum will be successful is by empowering each
team of MCT-MST-Student Teacher and recognise your roles as noted below. The aim of this
Online Teaching Practicum is to give you all a unique and enjoyable learning and teaching
experience.

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 ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES
The Student Teacher is to support the MST as best they can to deliver learning opportunities to
the children at home and help the parents as required.

The MST is to provide the Student Teacher with opportunities to contribute to their work as best
supports them.

The MCT is to work with the MST and Student Teacher to generate Tasks that allow
assessment of the student teacher’s planning, teaching and critical reflection skills that align
with the tasks that would normally be completed during Teaching Practicum (TP) in the schools.

THE FIRST DAYS EXPLORATION

The first few days we recommend that each team (MST-MCT-Student Teacher) explores what
is the best way they can work together and how the addition of the Student Teacher can help
the MST with the increased workload we know online teaching has created. It is recommended
that this would best be done at a team (MST-MCT- Student) debriefing meeting. This should be
a period of exploration, brainstorming and discovery, and agreement on how best to
communicate throughout the TP.

Start slow and pilot strategies focusing on one at a time to begin with (e.g. discussion boards,
chat exchanges, other LMS features …).

EXPECTATIONS
Please note that Student Teachers are expected to adhere to the same attendance, punctuality
and professionalism requirements as laid out in the HCT Teaching Practicum booklets.
Remember you are representing the HCT in the MOE Learning Environment and we rely on
you to make us proud of your professionalism, commitment, drive and creativity as always.

Student Teachers should always copy the MCT on all their communications with the MST and
also create a page on their e-Portfolio to keep all these communications. This will then be
evidence of professionalism.

All task modifications are saved by the MCTs and shared with Program Coordinators so that a
full record across all courses is available to everyone.

Everyone needs to be flexible, open to new ideas, stay in touch with each other and mutually
support each other.

Student Teachers should maintain a record of their daily tasks, observations, reflections and
recommendations to MCT and MST and keep all these records in their e-portfolios.

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 IDEAS FROM ALL AROUND
with thanks to the HCT Education faculty and students for all the ideas below

Please note this is not an extensive list nor does any idea have to be adopted. We hope that
every team will share their ideas so that in Version 2 of these Online TP Guidelines we can
have many more ideas listed and can all continue to learn and grow from each other.

The ideas are in no particular order and can be adapted in any way the team see fit:

 Student Teacher-MST online collaboration for both synchronous and asynchronous

online teaching as per school direction.
 Document the Student Teacher daily tasks in the e-Portfolio.
 Document the MST daily workload and tasks.
 Adapt lesson plans
 Record online planning meetings with MST (e.g. through Student Teacher notes)
 Reflection on teaching competencies while on online TP
 Shadow teaching and reflection
 Prepare online teaching materials
 Record online meetings with MST / MCT (only with agreement) and reflect on them
 Reflection on online TP experience
 Reflection on online platform and how it has been and could be used
 Alternative tasks for lesson observations as agreed by the team
 Assessment of lesson and activity plans
 Rationales and justifications for using a specific activity and how it relates to the learning
outcomes
 Use of student teachers in break out rooms
 Student teacher read alouds (these could be pre-recorded)
 Video recordings for children to watch independently.
 Voice over presentations
 Nearpod lessons
 Extra learning sessions taught by Student Teachers
 Online Story time
 Develop home learning resources
 Additional materials creation
 Parent guides
 Video guides
 Online resources for children to explore
 Small group teaching as required by MST in a separate MS Teams Channel or break out
room
 Activities design
 See futher ideas in the Appendices below:

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 APPENDIX ONE
Guidelines for Online Teaching Practice
from HCT-RKW
 Observe regular rules of dress code and professionalism (needs a reminder list of
guidelines)
 Observe online and digital etiquette (needs a list of guidelines on its own)
 Be 20 minutes early to log on and to prepare.
 Load your materials and presentations before the class.
 Test your audio, video, and all computer equipment and peripherals a few hours before
the class so that you have time to troubleshoot.
 Always do a test run of new application or strategies with the students who you are
teaching. So if you want them to use an online discussion board to complete a worksheet
(as example), take one class to let them use it under your guidance. The next time you
can let them do it on their own.
 Get your students involved in your online teaching! This can make it more exciting and
help them to learn valuable research skills and digital skills. Let them hunt for materials
or teach an online class or presentation for themselves as part of a flipped classroom.
 Classroom management occurs in virtual spaces too! Set rules with your students and
help them to learn what this means.
 Use a variety of apps to create an interactive learning environment.
 Create a space using apps such as yammer where students can go to chat together
about their work outside of class time. If they were on a physical campus they might
have been able to get together at lunch time to chat about group projects or to plan
presentations – now they are going to need a space.
 Be gentle on yourself have fun with your own learning!

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 APPENDIX TWO
Online Teaching Practice Guidelines & Tasks
from HCT-AAW
Task Modified Online Approaches
1 School Profile Can remain for those who have been on teaching practice.
If online practicum is available, students can still collect
information and identify how online learning is taking place for
the class. If not, students can either:

(i) find a relative and seek information from them re:

home learning set up
(ii) find a homeschooling family online that provides an
overview of how they homeschool and write it up
(and include the link to the video)
(iii) use school information from last semester.

2 Classroom Part A – A list of negative phrases to be provided. Students to

Management choose 4 and rewrite with explanations as outlined in the
notebook
Part B – Students can identify 2 rewards and consequences or
other behavior management system appropriate for home use
and explain (examples include:
chore charts
https://www.amazon.com/Star-Reward-Chart-2yrs-
Reinforcement/dp/B004VEPQ1E?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_1
Assorted ideas

3 Implementing Provide students with 2 videos and identify the learning

Learning strategies used.

4 Building 3 Videos to be provided- students identify 3 students (from any

Rapport one or all videos) and complete the task as expected.

5 Math Identify 2 CLOs

For each CLO:
 Identify an online game
 Identify a hands-on activity appropriate for home
learning
 Create a worksheet or identify an appropriate worksheet
for home learning
Identify an assessment task (describe how to do it)
6 Science Identify 2 CLOs
For each CLO:
 Identify an online game

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  Identify a hands-on activity appropriate for home
learning
 Create a worksheet or identify an appropriate worksheet
for home learning
 Identify an assessment task (describe how to do it)
Task Modified Online Approaches
7 Lesson Students complete 3 lesson plans for 3 identified CLOs for
Planning math

Students teach the focus math activity and record it (they can
use a family member). No faces need to be in view. Voices,
hands, and materials to be visible only.
Feedback to be provided by practicum teacher
Lessons can be uploaded in WiX , One Drive or Gmail.

Reflection to be completed by students.

Lesson plan, feedback and reflection to be uploaded in wix.

8 Gallery Provide students with website listing duties of a teaching
assistant and chooses 5 sections.
https://www.theschoolrun.com/what-is-a-teaching-assistant

Students are asked to amend the gallery content to reflect

learning at home.

e.g. setting up learning at home.

https://l6oof67.wixsite.com/mysite/gallery - I am working with
the students from week 29th March – 2nd April. You can see an
examples on the attached wix link. This is one of the students
wix links for the semester.

Examples on padlet
https://padlet.com/jolene_scullio1/rref4jwmnw7f
Use Padlets as a teaching & learning resource
https://padlet.com/ssaed/psvgegjsz4xl

1. Delivery of interactive reading of stories through video

2. Demonstration or modelling of learning activities
through video
3. Number 7 (Lesson Planning) can apply to English /
Science too
4. Video to show use of positive class management
5. Number 5 is also applicable to other subjects
6. For students who are working on PDPs, they can
provide a video link to show as evidence of their

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 progress (one for each goal)
7. All tasks can be completed as normal through the
discussions between the MST and the student teacher
with minor modifications that can be completed by the
course system leader
8. Peer observations.
9. The number of lessons to be delivered should be
reduced or for Year 3 for example 3 lessons to be
delivered instead of 7 and the other four can be task
delivery only.
10. The MST can have discussions and meeting with the
student to familiarize her with the school and the daily
routine outside the online class time.

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 APPENDIX THREE
Teaching Online Observation and Reflection Task
from HCT-SJW (Dean Vanvelzer)
One of the best ways to learn how to teach is to observe others. During these next two weeks,
you have an amazing opportunity to learn about online teaching and learning. During this TP
experience, you will observe lessons each week and complete observations and reflections that
will become evidence of your learning for your TP report.
When teaching online there are some basic elements of good teaching practice such as:
 Student/teaching interaction
 Effective Instruction
 Active and personalized learning
 Assessment
 Effective use of technology
Instructions:
 Use this observational form to observe the lessons. For each lesson you observe or
assist with please complete this reflection and observation sheet.
 Choose five of the questions in each domain to help with your observation and reflection.
 Keep the name of the teacher anonymous.
Observer Name: ______________________ School: ___________________________
Grade: ___________________________ Platform Used: _________________________

Teacher/Student Interactions:
Did the class promote student interaction via discussions and/or collaborative
assignments?
Do students actively participate?
Did the teacher encourage students to introduce themselves to one another informally
and to post short bios and photos?
Do students engage with one another Did the teacher encourage all students to
participate and ask open-ended questions to prompt engagement and draw out shyer
students?
Did the teacher seem to express enthusiasm in engaging with students and the
content?
Are the classroom dynamics respectful?  
Do the students interact well with each other?  
Is the teacher open and responsive to questions?  

Answers:

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Effective Instruction:
What were the learning objectives of the lesson?
Did the teacher present clear objectives or plans for the lesson?
How clearly did the teacher communicate the objectives or plans to the students?
How the instructor carry out the objectives?
Did the teacher use various presentation formats (i.e. text, graphics, digital slides,
video), to appeal to different student learning styles and abilities?
Does the teacher approach difficult concepts in a variety of ways: e.g., written English
explanations, ASL explanations, use of photos, animation, graphs or charts?
Did the teacher model or explain different concepts?
Was there a clear connection/relationship between the objectives, content and the
material? 

Answers:

Active and Personalized Learning:

Active Online Learning:
Are students actively signing, writing, typing or utilizing other forms of self-
expression?
Did students have opportunities to gather information, synthesize, analyze and solve
problems?
Were students engaged in collaborative learning activities?  Are there paired and
small group activities?

Reflection:
Are students participating in reflection on learning or outcomes?

Differentiation:
Is there differentiation in the lesson or lessons?
Are there some flexibility in completing assignments in different formats or
independence in picking a topic?  

Answers:

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Assessment:
Were there examples of the assignments provided for the students?  
Were students clear on what is expected from them?
What formative assessment was done in the lesson?
Were there opportunities for informal feedback that does not involve grading (e.g.
class discussion, paired feedback, small group draft presentation)?
Were there opportunities for students to provide feedback for the teacher and course
throughout the semester?  
Does the teacher ask questions and survey students for feedback?
Was there feedback provided to students?

Answers:

Use of technology:
What technology or platform is being used?
What special features does it have?
How did the teacher use the technology to teach?
How did the technology support student learning?
Were there any challenges experienced by the teacher or student?

Answer:

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 APPENDIX FOUR
Teaching Online and Learning Task
from HCT-SJW (Dean Vanvelzer)

Task 2: At the end of your two weeks, reflect on your experience based on the observations of
the teaching and also your own engagement/and or teaching in the classes.
1. What were some of the challenges that you see to online learning? (3 challenges)

2. What are some of the benefits of online learning?

3. Compare online teaching with face to face instruction. What are some similarities and
differences between the two methods?
Similarities Differences

4. What skills can students develop from online learning?

5. Why might some students struggle with learning online?

6. What specialized skills do you think you need to develop to be an effective online
teacher?

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