Mandarin Immersion Internship/Academic Volunteer

Memorandum

San FranciscoStateUniversityin collaboration with StarrKingElementary School in San FranciscoUnifiedSchool District

SAN FRANCISCOSTATE INTERNSHIP AT STARR KING (DRAFT Fall 2010-Spring2012)

The narrative below regarding StarrKingElementary School’s Mandarin Immersion Program applies to graduate students who are enrolled in the Foreign Language Internship course listed as FL799 under the supervision of a faculty member in the Chinese Program, Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures at SF State.

Though the academic units of FL799taken can be varied, this program sets a priority to admit graduate students who have registered for three units in a semester in which the student must commit him/herself toa total of 40 to 45 hours on-site at StarrKingElementary School.

OBJECTIVE OF THE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM:

Students in this program will get first hand classroom experience in Starr King Mandarin Immersion classrooms. This internship provides the opportunity to obtain insights into how a language immersion model works in the public school setting and teaching strategies that scaffold such practice.

Through Starr King Elementary School’s Volunteer Program, the student internswill have the option to participate in the volunteer work and teaching practice in classrooms either during regular school hours (8:40-2:40 PM), or in the After School Program (3:00-6:00PM).

REQUIREMENTS:

I. CLEARANCE: All intern students are required to provideevidence ofbackground clearance (see website for further information and procedure, such as TB-test, etc.), school site may be responsible for providing appropriate forms and information on procedures; all related costs are absorbed by the school site as a sponsorship. To make this internship anoptimal learning experience, the student interns are expected to be conscientious. Please maintain a clear channel of communication in collaboration with a given classroom mentor instructor. Interns who register through SF State should update their progress with their supervisor on a regular basis.

II. OBSERVATION AND PAPERS SUBMISSION: Considering teacher-as-a-researcher/academic volunteer in action, the graduate students in FL799 are required to submit to the faculty in the Chinese Program (1) 6 observation responses (2) a 3-5-page mid-term (upon completion of 20 hours of internship) and (3) a 7-10-page final reflection paper (upon completion of the 40-hour internship; double spaced, 12 points font) regarding the teaching practicum experience. FL799 is a credit/no credit (pass/fail) course. Registering for this course means the students agree to follow all rules pertinent to the realistic needs of this internship program. Please be ready on site ahead of time and be conscientious for each visit. Performance of each intern (working ethics and relations, absence or presence, cooperative spirit, etc.) in FL799 will have a direct impact on the relationship and the quality of collaboration between SF State and StarrKingElementary School.

PARTICIPATION OPPORTUNITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

  1. Please provide weekly availability schedule in advance for mentor teachers to ensure regular and dutiful attendance.
  2. You will have opportunities to be engaged in planning lessons together with mentor teachers.
  3. You will be involved in daily classroom routines such as: small group/center instruction support, and one-on-one or a differentiated small group tutoring.
  4. Finally, upon request, interns may have the opportunityto teach in class though time may be limited, if they have the approval of a teaching planby their mentor teachers in advance.The mentor teacher must be present during the time assigned.
  5. Interns participating in the After School Program will focus on homework support and small group tutoring.

MENTOR TEACHER RESPONSIBILITIES:

  1. Mentor teachers will have to provide a one paragraph description (either via email or on an official note) regarding how the intern volunteers will be utilized in the classroom after discussion and mutual agreement. The Interns are to be evaluated concerning their performance based on the description.
  2. Mentor teachers will provide feedback and suggestions on a lesson plan/teaching planin cases where interns wish to teach a lesson. The intern’s actual teaching may be a 15 minute micro-teaching or longer.

Though feedback should be on-going, at the end of the internship cycle, a mentor teacher will set aside a time for providing feedback and helpingan intern to reflect on how the internship may be further improved.

  1. Provided that a student intern performs well throughout the internship cycle, a mentor may provide an acknowledgement (see sample below) indicating the total hours the student participatedfor the student intern’s own record on official stationary or with a seal of StarrKingElementary School. This will be helpful for the intern’s future job search or application for a teaching credential.

III. ROUTINE ATTENDANCE & CERTIFICATE OF PERFORMANCE

Before internship / An internship orientation and training session, during which all necessary procedures and requirements will be explained.
1st week / Complete an on-site training and classroom observation in pre-selected classrooms.
2nd week / Start observation in assigned classrooms (assignments will be based on interns’ strengths and interests).
3rd week onward / Observations and or practicum training opportunities in designated classrooms and classroom areas under a mentor’s supervision.
A sample of 40 hours or more acknowledgement of your volunteer service can be obtained, if jobs were well done. The interns are encouraged to type and print out a page such as this with duration of service and names and get the mentor teacher or Principal to validate your work before your last volunteer work.

SMAPLE of a necessary procedure for obtaining a “Clearance” before you work with children and teachers at a U.S. public school –

Thank you for coming to our school for your internship. To answer Mary's questions, as she had emailed me separately already, but to do so for any intern’s benefit at SFUSD too:

Free TB testing is run by the SF Dept of Health. The best location (w most hours available) is the SF GeneralHospital, located at 22nd and Potrero Ave. Starr King is also located up the hill from the hospital, so you may find it a good experience to learn the route on public transportation. For info, see here:

As for the clearance paperwork, SF Ed Fund runs a program where you may apply online. Please go here:

The SF Ed Fund requires that you go to their office to do an orientation. Please choose "scholarship" in order to get the clearance done for free (or at least a very reduced fee). And then choose one of their orientation dates from the drop-down menu.

After you have at least your negative TB test, I can do an orientation at the school and take you around. But you cannot start in the classrooms officially until the clearances are complete via the SF Ed Fund.

Please let me know if you have any further questions or encounter any problems.

Best,

Linda Chang

P.S. I'm not a parent from the Mandarin Immersion Parents Council (MIPC). Just a parent w a kid in first grade. :)

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