WHY AND HOW DID I CHOOSE MY PRACTICUM

  • How I found my practicum, and my advice to future Media Scholars on identifying a practicum site
    • I found my practicum by chance! As an education major, I was looking for on-campus opportunities to work with kids. I received an email from the College of Education advertising the Maryland Mentor Corps (formerly AR*AC*PNP) and decided that the Maryland Family Literacy Program aligned with my interests. I started working for MFLP as a freshman and, during my sophomore year, decided to use this as my practicum. 
    • My advice to future media scholars looking for a practicum is to reach out to your advisors! Your practicum should be somewhat related to your career goals, so reaching out to people who work in the advising department of whatever college you belong to can be very helpful. The sooner you start looking for a practicum site, the better! Having previous experience with MFLP before starting my practicum was very beneficial because I already knew what to expect!

    MY GROWTH

    • The adjustment to the online format during the pandemic was challenging. It took me a while to find my confidence, talking to a screen instead of a group of people. 
    • This spring, thanks to good feedback from my peers and better content creation, I created more engaging videos.  

      • The top video is one created in the fall, and the bottom was created this spring.

    • As a professional, I also learned what platforms work best for students. We started out uploading the videos on YouTube but switched to uploading them directly to Google Classroom because they were easier to access from the student's Chromebooks. 
      • I also learned about the importance of reliable internet access and the achievement gaps that have been exacerbated during this pandemic. 

             

     

    MY FUTURE 

    • What I learned from my practicum
      • My practicum has taught me a lot about the needs of students and families. Interacting with families during workshops and then creating digital content during the pandemic helped me realize what barriers students and families in Title 1 schools face. 
    • How my practicum experience can be applied to my life/career moving forward 
      • As someone who hopes to one day work in schools, this experience is directly applicable to my future career. I got hands-on experience with not just students but parents as well. Working with parents gave me a greater understanding of the complex family dynamics that can impact educational success. 
      • Working with Title 1 schools has given me a new perspective on educational access and the achievement gap.
      • More generally, my practicum has cemented my desire to work in education and has inspired me to be a better educational advocate! 
    • My plans for the rest of my time at UMD
      • I plan to continue studying Secondary Education and Government and Politics at the University of Maryland. I plan to start more education-related coursework next semester in anticipation of my student teaching placement during my senior year. 
      • I also plan to finish up my french minor by participating in the Language House Immersion Living and Learning Program!
    • Post-graduation and prospective career  
      • As stated above, I hope to work in schools. I would love the opportunity to become a public school teacher. I am also considering doing a master's in Educational Policy since it ties in well with my other area of study, government and politics. However, I would like to get some experience as a teacher before doing so.
      • After graduation, I'd love to have the opportunity to travel. I am considering putting my French minor to use by applying to a program to teach English in France for a year.