James Madison University - Bluestone Schoolmaam Yearbook (Harrisonburg, VA)

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Practical Experience When I was a little girl, I learned to write and read, Histor ' , Geography, and Home Economy, But if anyone would ask me, What do you want to be? I ' d sa ' I want to be an engineer. I wake up e er ' morning, I work from eight to four, I ' ve come to the conclusion engineering is a bore. I want to work with people, I ' d enjo it so much more. Why did I want to be an engineer? — Peggy Seeger, I want to be an Engineer In today ' s world of specialized ca- reers, it is quite possible to spend tour years of college preparing for a job only to find ou dislike it. James Madison Uni ersit ' offers se eral career experi- ences for credit that let students test a job out, as well as pro iding on the job training that can ' t be had in a classroom. Under the name of internships, field placements , and practicums, these expe- riences can be arranged in almost an - area of study. There is no universit ' wide policy on career experiences for credit, con- sequently, each department ' s program is in some wa ' distinct from the others. Policies differ in their structure — some have very rigid guidelines for internship objectives and procedures, while otliers are extremely flexible. As a rule, the old- er a program is, the more structured it is. Student teaching is the oldest intern- ship at James Madison Uni ersit -, as the school was once primarily a teacher ' s college. The State of Virginia requires that education majors and minors spend at least eight weeks in student teaching, which makes it the largest internship at JMU. Dr. Henry Bowers, co-ordinator of student teaching, estimates that about 400 students participate in the program each year. According to the student teaching guidelines, the exp erience enables a student to appl the knowledge and skills he has learned in his classes. Julie Williams, student teacher at Waterman Elementar ' School, explains it dilferent- 1 . Student teaching allows you to sort tile information ()u ' e learned. The ac- tual situation is different from the books. You ha e to decide which lessons really appK and which ones don ' t. Mark Guerin, student teacher at Broadwa High School, adds an important function of the program: Books can ' t teach the self-satisfaction ()u get from teaching. Julie Williams derives satisfaction from her teaching as well, but also adds that there is alot of paperwork in- olved. The test of a vocation is the love of drudgerN it in ol es wrote Logan Smidi, describing another impor- tant function of interships. Students are given a chance to actualK tn. out a job to see if the ' would like to make a career out of it. Dr. Harold McGee, director of field placements in psycholog , feels that this chance is especialK ' important for Psy- cholog and Social Work majors. Both fields offer a great ariet ' of careers. A Student ma ' be suited for a school psNX ' hologist position, but not for work in a mental hospital. Cind ' Nash reports that her internship at Camelot Nursing Home has improved her social work skills, but she also learned that she ' d rather work in youth counseling. Dr. McGee emphasizes this learning aspect of internships b equating tliem widi die laboratory ' and field experiences of the science departments. The Ps cholog , Social ' ork, and Education internships are all er - struc- tured programs; the student nuist submit a formal application for an internship. If a position is available, he is assigned a faculty- advisor for the duration of his in- ternship, and a contract is drawn up be- tween the einpio er, the school, and the 18 Highlights