Telepresence Robots Open the World for Field Experience Placements (V)
Abstract: Early field experiences provide valuable experiences for teacher candidates before they engage in the full-time experience of student teaching. During early field experiences, sometimes called practicums, teacher candidates often apply methods coursework while learning it, explore a variety of grade levels and/or subject areas, and begin to build the identity of a teacher through experiencing the classroom as an educator, not a student. Often these early field experiences are limited to the geographical location of the teacher candidate, as they typically need to be scheduled around the candidate’s coursework. Through the use of telepresence robots, which look like an iPad on a Segway, classrooms across the state and even the world can be open to teacher candidates. Although this type of experience will never replace traditional in-person field experiences, it provides an opportunity for teacher candidates to experience diverse classrooms without being limited to location or travel time. This best practice session will review how our college of education first began using telepresence robots for field placements, demonstrate how the telepresence robot functions, and illustrate the types of assignments teacher candidates completed while working in classrooms as a telepresence robot.