Practice 3. Year, 5. Term, 6 Period
Supervised professional training is varied and ensures that students gain experience of different aspects of the kindergarten teacher profession in a kindergarten field characterised by change, diversity and complexity.
Supervised professional training and academic studies will together help students develop knowledge, skills and general competence.
Supervised professional training will connect the different parts of the educational programme, prepare students for work in kindergarten, and help them understand children’s situation in the family and society. Supervised professional training is an integral part of the various fields of study in the educational programme.
The main perspective for supervised professional training during the third year of study is the ‘Management of children and kindergarten’.
Students must familiarise themselves and comply with the laws and regulations that apply to the university and the kindergarten conducting supervised professional training.
Students must anonymise all written communication/documentation that involves children and parents/guardians. When using video recordings, photographs, audio recordings, etc., special permission must be obtained from the child’s parents/guardians. Storage of the recordings must take place in accordance with the licensing provision for the kindergarten.
A ‘Declaration of Confidentiality’ must be signed by students at the start of studies and is submitted to the Service Office. If necessary, students must also sign a ‘Declaration of Confidentiality’ at their practice placement.
Passed supervised professional training during the second academic year of study.
An approved certificate of good conduct is required from the police.
Passed supervised professional training during the second academic year of study.
An approved certificate of good conduct is required from the police.
General learning outcomes that apply to all periods of supervised professional training:
KNOWLEDGE. Candidates
• have knowledge about kindergarten’s social mandate and have the ability to initiate and cope with changes, and be able to influence developments in kindergartens
• demonstrate the ability to reflect on kindergarten’s core values, their own and others’ attitudes and behaviour
• see a connection between theory and practice and can use academic literature and relevant theory in all work tasks
• have the ability to lead balanced pedagogical work, with the main emphasis placed on children’s formation, play and learning
SKILLS. Candidates
• can plan, carry out and assess pedagogical work in accordance with ethical requirements and guidelines
• have the ability to contact and interact with individual children, groups of children and adults
• have leadership and collaboration skills in relation to groups of staff, parents/guardians and other partners, as well as knowledge about the coordinators’ tasks
GENERAL COMPETENCE. Candidates
• have the ability to reflect on ethical challenges in the profession
• have the ability to assess themselves and are responsible for their own learning
• demonstrate responsibility for following up work schedules and agreements
Learning outcomes that apply specifically to the 6th period of supervised professional training:
"Management of children and the kindergarten"
Art meetings, creative processes and professional ethical training
Candidates
- must be able to work with aesthetic and philosophical issues with children.
- must be able to plan, structure and create environments that invite children to aesthetic experiences, wonder, exploration, creative joy and play.
- must be able to lead groups of children in aesthetic processes
Outdoor Life, Nature, Local Environment and Professional Ethics Education
Candidates
- must be able to map and analyze a natural area in the immediate environment of the kindergarten and be able to use this in a subject-didactic scheme
- must be able to plan, implement and assess a subject-didactic program with children based on the framework plan for the kindergarten's subject areas "nature, environment and technology" and "body, movement, food and health".
Diversity and Mastery
Candidates:
• have further developed their knowledge, insight and understanding of multicultural and linguistic processes into professional knowledge that can be utilised within different pedagogical understandings and frameworks in innovation work in kindergartens and schools
• have ethical and professional insight and competence in the application of academic mapping and method application in collaboration with children, pupils and teachers
• can use their professional knowledge critically, creatively and reflectively for visible and multicultural educational activities that safeguard cultural heritage from indigenous peoples as well as national minorities and the majority population.
• have basic tolerance, interest and respect for the backgrounds of children, pupils and partners regardless of cultural, religious or philosophical affiliation.
Outdoor Education
Candidates:
• can plan, carry out and evaluate kindergarten projects related to Outdoor Education.
• can apply their knowledge and experience using management, reflection and guidance to investigate, understand and further develop work with children in nature.
• can exchange academic views and experiences with others and thereby contribute to the development of good practices
• have insight into relevant academic and professional ethics issues and can assess their own knowledge and skills in relation to this.
Creative and creative work
The candidate
- has the ability to create indoor and outdoor spaces that invite children to aesthetic experiences, wonder, immersion, exploration, creative joy and play.
- have the ability to develop their skills in the use of materials, tools and techniques in their own creative work, and explore these together with children in planned and spontaneous situations.
- is a co-creator, participant and role model in children's creative activities.
It is assumed that individual students follow the Supervised Professional Training Handbook and familiarise themselves with the stipulated requirements and expectations.
These include:
* Meetings
* Attendance
* Procedures in the event of any doubts as to whether supervised professional training has been passed or not
Scope of 6th supervised professional training period: 10 days in 5th semester.
Nord University allocates practice placements in municipalities with which the university has collaboration agreements.
Supervised professional training is a compulsory part of kindergarten teacher education. Experiences gained by students during supervised professional training are the starting point for discussion and reflection in the programme of study. A clarification and concretisation of the work in connection with the periods of supervised professional training are stated in the training plan.
100% attendance is required regarding supervised professional training.
The supervised professional training period must be passed in order to proceed to the next supervised professional training period. In special cases, the head of studies may decide on deviations from this rule.
6th period of supervised professional training. 5th semester.
"Management of children and employees"
Assignment 1. Assessed and approved by the practical training supervisor:
• A presentation letter must be sent to the kindergarten conducting supervised professional training
• Supervised professional training contract (clarify expectations, work schedule for the period, supervision)
• Minutes from and reflections on supervision conversations, meetings
• Final self-assessment of the period
Assignment 2. Assessed and approved by the practical training supervisor.
• Informal observation of groups of children and the physical environment inside and outside,
• Plan, implement and reflect thoroughly on a didactic activity in which it is specifically stated how the specialisation subjects have been applied. Focus on the management of children and kindergartens.
• Use theory from the syllabus in supervision meetings to explain the choice of content and reflection after completion.
Assignment 3. Assessed and approved by the practical training supervisor.
• Reflection on one’s own professional role with emphasis placed on ethical issues.
An ongoing assessment takes place in consultation with the student during supervised professional training.
Assessment is based on the students’ practical and theoretical work during the period of supervised professional training. 100% attendance is required regarding supervised professional training.
All assignments must be approved and available in Canvas after the applicable deadline.
Final assessment; Supervised professional training, individual, grading scale Pass/fail, represents 100%.
Educational institutions and kindergartens are learning arenas of equal importance that are jointly responsible for content, quality, progression and assessment in supervised professional training.
According to the Regulations relating to Studies and Examinations at Nord University, students are entitled to two attempts at supervised professional training. If the student fails to pass the supervised professional training course on the second attempt, the student’s admission to a course or specific programme of study will be revoked. Students who have not passed, discontinued or have received legitimate absence from supervised professional training must, as a general rule, attempt a new round of supervised professional training during the next ordinary implementation of the course.
Students may complete the semester they have started, but will then receive a one year intermission in their ordinary course of study. A new period of supervised professional training will be carried out the next time ordinary supervised professional training is organised, normally the following academic year.