Preparing for Fieldwork Learning

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Preparing for Fieldwork Learning

• An Experience You will Never Forget
• T.Y. Lee, Fieldwork Coordinator (BSW)

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Field Education holds promise for

• Our Students - through their education and entry
  to the profession
• The Profession - through the renewal of its ranks
  and the contribution of new knowledge and methods

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Field Education holds promise for

• The Clientele of social work - through service,
  leadership, and advocacy
• Our Communities - through the distinct service
  contributions of students as they are learning

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Students wants

• to do something
• actively,
• interactively,
• using general theoretical knowledge

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The appeal of the fieldwork

• 1. in real world
• 2. in vivo learning experiences
• 3. its inherent authenticity,

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The appeal of the fieldwork

• 4. its actualization of students desire to try
  themselves out
• in a professional role,
• help someone,
• accomplish something.

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Teaching Practice Skills

• requires substantial amounts of time, resources,
  patience
• especially important for students not only
• know the what and why, but also
• the how to of practice intervention

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Instruction through-
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weekly close supervision
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direct observation
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demonstration
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case sharing
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audio/video tapes
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Purposes of Instruction

• 1. transfer of practice judgement
• 2. transfer of practice wisdom
• 3. for the growth of the student

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Use of Theories and Knowledge

• Connecting the theoretical with the actual
• best done by an inductive-deductive cycle of
  inquiry

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Inductive-deductive cycle of inquiry

• begin with the immediate practice situation
• students are challenged by the responsibility
  the desire to so something meaningful
• this represents the opportunity for a guided
  cognitive process

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• which searches inductively for -
• relevant knowledge
• concepts,
• the practice wisdom of others

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Predominant orientation is...

• social work process,
• problem-solving, with an emphasis on
• action
• intervention.

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Methodological questions...

• where and when to intervene?
• who or what to target?
• presenting dilemmas with -
• complexities
• anxieties

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Reflective of Knowledge Values

• Social work process is empty,
• uninformed,
• if not reflective of knowledge
• value underpinnings.

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From conceptual to interactional
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The End