Alternative Practicum Community Placements Available for 2013

Contact Information: Anabela Videira, community.outreach@queensu.ca 

In 2010-2012, approximately 75 teacher candidates engaged in a wide range of community education initiatives in mathematics, science and technology, literacy and healthcare through three-week alternative practica placements at the Community Outreach Centre. The following alternative practica placements are available for 2013:

1. Mathakazam Puppet Show

Be a puppeteer in a groupe coordinated by Annie Milne, Artistic Director at the Upper Canada Academy of the Performing Arts, and perform a play for hundreds of local children about the power of positive thinking and mathematics. The play will be performed four times inthe Auditorium at the Faculty of Education during the last week of the Alternative Practicum Placement.

Mathakazam!is a 30 minute puppet play that illustrates the ways in which math impacts daily life and why it is ‚cool‛ to like and do math. In two weeks, over 2000 children from 27 schools will have participated in performances of the play that featured four teacher candidate puppeteers. Watch the video at Mathakazam Puppet Show.

Response from teachers and children has been overwhelmingly positive and many requests for ongoing performances have been received.

Almost 700 children from 24 schools have had the opportunity to experience the magic of science in their classrooms because of a set of workshops and resources developed and implemented by two teacher candidates to promote Science Rendezvous and dispel the myth that science is‚ geeky.‛

2. Mathematical Melodies

Put your musical talents to work with fellow BEd musicians & local musician/song-writer Gary Rasberry. Write songs, lyrics and lesson plans to help students understand the complex world of math in a fun, lighthearted and 'fine-tuned' manner. Develop games, hands-on activities, lesson plans to encourage children to construct relationships and ideas with mathematical content. Check out past mathematical melodies: Mathematical Melodies.

3. Royal Military College of Canada (RMC)

Work with scientists and Graduate Students in physics, chemistry, biology and engineering labs at RMCto write curriculum for 800 Sea Cadet students who will attend a summer science camp in July 2013.

4. FIRST Robotics Canada

Work With teams of elementary and high school students to build a robot given specific criterion and assist in organizing a Kingston-wide Robotics Competition.

5. Science & Technology Workshops in Schools

Develop and teach science & technology workshops to students in classrooms within the Limestone District School Board.

6. Kingston Museums

Work with local museum curators to develop curriculum units and hands-on displays for after-school programs, teachers, parents/guardians and Science Rendezvous. You will also have an opportunity to field test the resources with school children who participate in the museum programs.

7. Kingston Literacy & Skills (KL&S): The Reading and Parents Program (RAPP) 

The Reading and Parents Program (RAPP) is a family literacy program provided by Kingston Literacy & Skills. The RAPP pack is loaned on a bi-weekly basis to parents who attend playgroups in the area or take part in family literacy programs such as Toddler Music Time and Alphabet Soup in Motion.

Job Tasks

i) Work with the Family Literacy Coordinator or Early Literacy Specialist to:

• Create at least one new RAPP pack based on a children’s picture book. This includes developing language and reading hints, a craft, finding rhymes and poems and creating learning activities book that children will do at home with their parents

ii) Assist the RAPP coordinator by:

• Preparing RAPP Packs for families
• Visiting RAPP groups (playgroups, parent/child drop-ins and so on) with the coordinator
• Maintaining RAPP records
• Leading at least one parent/child session such as Toddler Music Time or Alphabet Soup in Motion (dependant on which program is being provided at the time)