The practicum is a learning framework that connects theory and practice and includes field experience, group instruction and / or individual instruction.
The practicum takes place one day a week, in addition to the school day, during the two years of study for the master's degree and is accompanied by individual instruction which in many cases does not take place at the university.
Practicum frameworks:
In the field of guidance and counseling - the practicum takes place in group settings for preschoolers such as daycare centers for preschoolers and nurseries and accompanies the teamwork. In the first stage, the students learn to recognize and evaluate the needs of a boy or girl in the educational framework and in the family and community context, as well as to recognize and evaluate the needs of a group of boys and girls, staff and parents and examine the educational framework.
The second stage includes experiencing a variety of interventions: creating meaningful interaction with a boy or girl through observation, play and conversation, coaching staff, providing information and counseling to parents.
In the field of mental health - the practicum is held in settings for children at risk and for families in distress, such as multi-purpose dormitories and early childhood treatment centers. The male and female students work with the educational and therapeutic staff, with the families and with the boys and girls and are integrated into an intervention program determined according to the characteristics of the boy or girl, the family, the educational framework and the goals of the intervention.
The practicum framework is a place for application taught in theoretical courses. In most theoretical courses there are tasks that need to be performed in a practicum such as: observations, intervention with a boy or girl, intervention with a family, team training, analysis of the curriculum's sources of influence, examining the quality of education-care of the framework and more.
The training at the practicum:
The purpose of the training is to support the personal and professional development of each and every student.
The training takes place once a week in the mental health program and once every two weeks in the training and counseling program, each training session lasts one hour (60 minutes). In most cases, the instruction does not take place at the university on the school day, but according to a predetermination between the instructor and the student. This coordination requires maximum flexibility as well as inquiries.
The contents of the training refer to the professional development of the instructor, her experiences, her profession and her professionalism and there is an emphasis on professional ethics.
The instructor staff at the practicum is part of the program staff. Most of the instructors are graduates of the program and currently hold key positions in the field of early childhood in Israel.