Early Childhood Education – Field Practicum Information
Introduction
Welcome to the Field Guide for the Early Childhood Education program. The instructions below will walk you through the process of preparing for fieldwork.
We advise all students to bookmark this page so you always have access to the most current practicum information.
Please note: it is the student’s responsibility to ensure that the field practicum requirements, including documentation submission, ParaMed, and academic clearance are met within the stated deadline. The deadlines do not change year to year and are always available to students. No extensions will be granted.
If your documentation is not complete and/or you are not cleared for practicum by the program deadline, you will have to wait for the following term before you can register again. There are no exceptions. This can delay the completion of your program and may result in you incurring additional fees.
Program Overview
There are three block practicums required for the ECE online program. They are offered in levels 2, 3, and 4 of the program and require a commitment of 4, 4 and 5 weeks on predetermined schedules; the practicum dates are not negotiable.
All practicums, even if you are studying part-time, require full-time working hours Monday to Friday following the same daily schedule as the onsite supervisor. Students will need to be fully available throughout this time; exceptions will not be made for childcare, employment, or other personal obligations.
Practicum Deadlines
Students are required to verify that their documentation is up to date prior to each practicum. All documentation must be valid for the duration of each practicum and must not expire before the final practicum day.
| Terms | Practicum Date | Due Dates: ParaMed and Online Forms |
|---|---|---|
|
Fall Term
(Sep-Dec) |
Practicum I: September |
June 15th |
| Practicum II: November to December |
August 15th | |
| Practicum III: November to December |
August 15th | |
|
Winter Term
(Jan-Apr) |
Practicum I: January | November 15th |
| Practicum II: March to April |
December 15th | |
| Practicum III: March to April |
December 15th | |
|
Spring Term
(May-Aug) |
Practicum I: May | March 15th |
| Practicum II: July to August |
April 15th | |
| Practicum III: July to August |
April 15th |
*Note: Spring and summer are often used interchangeably to refer to the May-August term.
Completing the documentation can be a complicated process and students should start the preparations early. It may take 8 – 12 weeks to complete all practicum requirements. If your documentation is not complete and/or you are not cleared for practicum by the program deadline, you will have to wait for the following term before you can register again. There are no exceptions. This can delay your progression in completing your program and may result in you incurring additional fees.
Practicum Eligibility
In order to be eligible for practice teaching field practicums, students must meet the following requirements prior to the practicum deadline:
- Academic Clearance: students must complete all required prerequisite courses prior to the practicum start date. This will be confirmed by the Student Advisor after the practicum deadline.
- ECE Practicum Request Form: this must be submitted prior to the practicum deadline to ensure students are added to the master practicum list. This form is completed entirely online in just a few minutes, and a new form is required for each practicum.
- ParaMed Clearance: the ECE program requires students to meet the following medical and non-medical requirements. Upon completion, these requirements must be confirmed through ParaMed, our partner organization. Please ensure you log in to your ParaMed account prior to the deadline to verify that all documents are valid for the duration of your practicum period. If any of your documents expire before or during practicum you will need to upload new documents by the deadline listed above. Please get started on the ParaMed Clearance process as early as possible to ensure you are able to meet your practicum deadlines.
- Immunization Records
- Police Records Check for Service with the Vulnerable Sector (PRCSVS): if you live in an area with high demand for police checks, it may take up to 12 weeks to receive this document. If your local police station requires a letter from the college, please complete the online request form.
- Standard First Aid/CPR Level C: students must provide current certification from a Red Cross, St. John’s Ambulance, or equivalent First Aid course. This course must be completed in-person to be valid, online first aid certification will not be accepted. **Note: Emergency First Aid/CPR training is not accepted. Students must complete the Standard level of training
Please ensure you log in to your ParaMed account prior to the deadline to verify that all documents are valid for the duration of your practicum period. If any of your documents expire before or during practicum you will need to upload new documents by the deadline listed above.
Registration
Full-time Students:
Eligible full-time students will be registered for practicum by their Student Advisor automatically. Please confirm your registration in ACSIS and connect with your Student Advisor if you have any concerns regarding your course load.
Part-time Students:
Online registration is not available for part-time practicum courses. Part-time students will be provided with the next steps to register after the practicum deadline has passed if they have submitted ECE Practicum Request Form and both academic and ParaMed clearance are confirmed.
Please note registration does not guarantee practicum; part-time students must have Field Practicum Officer permission to register for all practicum and seminar courses. Students will be withdrawn if practicum requirements are not met by the practicum deadline.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and how will I find out where my Field Practicum will be?
Students will receive their practicum locations 1-2 weeks prior to practicum starting. All confirmations will be sent to your Algonquin email address only.
Can I request a practicum location (local students only)?
Local students cannot request specific practicum locations. Placements are assigned at partner locations based on travel, age group and experience. Students are not permitted to contact agencies or make requests for practicum locations.
Can I contact a possible practicum location?
No students are not permitted to contact practicum agencies. Non-local students submit their top three choices, and local students are placed at partner agencies. All contact with agencies comes directly from the college to ensure professionalism and consistency both locally and non-locally.
*If the Field Practicum Team requires help finding a practicum in your area they will ask for assistance.
Can I request specific hours due to other obligations (child care, work, etc.)?
The average practicum day requires a 7-8-hour shift (excluding lunch), and the shifts vary by agency. All practicums, even if you are studying part-time, require full-time working hours Monday to Friday following the same daily schedule as the onsite supervisor. Your schedule cannot be changed or adjusted during practicum. Students may be starting as early as 6:45 a.m. and ending as late as 6:15 p.m.
Students will need to be fully available throughout this time; exceptions will not be made for childcare, employment, or other personal obligations. Students must make alternative arrangements to be fully available throughout this time or they may not be eligible to go out on practicum in their preferred period.
Can I save my practicums to the end of my program?
No, practice teaching field practicums must be completed during the indicated series and cannot be saved until the end of your diploma. You must meet the academic requirements to be eligible for practicum.
Can I be exempted from practicums based on my previous experience?
It is possible to challenge practicum I based on experience, though practicums II and III must be completed in person by all students. Students can challenge Practicum I through our Prior Learning Assessment Recognition (PLAR) process.
If you think you will be eligible to be exempted from practicum I, please contact the Field Practicum Officer for more information.
Can I complete practicum at a location that I have worked or volunteered with in the past?
Students cannot complete practicums at a centre they work with, have volunteered with or been placed with in the past for the following reasons:
- Our practicums are unpaid. If a student is paid for the practicum time, it cannot be counted as practicum hours by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities.
- Students cannot be counted in ratio while completing practicums as they do not have RECE designation and are not yet qualified to supervise children without a direct supervisor present. We understand that exceptions are made and you may be hired to supervise children without the RECE designation, however this is a college approved practicum and while in the field you are insured by the college and must be treated as an unqualified student in the field.
- It is not appropriate for students to be directly supervised and assessed by a colleague. Students are limited in what they can try and the new experiences they can gain when completing practicums in familiar settings.
There are additional personal and professional benefits of completing practicums at new and different locations. Practicums allow students to try new things in a variety of settings and with different age groups. They allow students to learn from different philosophies and bring back new skills to current positions, and lead to building connections in the field that may lead to professional references and even alternative job offers.
Can I just do longer days and have a day off so I can work at my job, or complete the practicum in a shorter period of time?
All practicums require full-time hours (7-8 hours per day) Monday-Friday and cannot be condensed for a variety of reasons.
- Your onsite supervisor is not going to be available for longer days. We try as much as possible to have students directly supervised by one person throughout the practicum period.
- Practicums are designed to require students to take on increasingly more responsibilities throughout the practicum period. If we condense practicums further, there is no opportunity to slowly become familiar with the program and the children and to escalate the practicum activities towards the final week of practicum.
- Most centres that run programs into the evening offer limited programming outside of regular business hours. After 6:00 pm centres tend to run dinner and sleep routines, there are far fewer opportunities to implement activities and curriculum.
What if I get sick during practicum?
If you miss any days of practicum due to sickness you will need to make up these days at the end of your practicum period. Plan for an additional 5 days at the end of practicum in order to be able to make up any potentially missed days.
What book is required for practicum?
All students will require a new manual for each practicum. If you do not already have a copy of your required manual please order one from the bookstore as soon as possible.
Please note: it is not uncommon for the bookstore to run out of copies and need to back order the manual. If you do not have the manual at the start of your practicum you will not be prepared which comes off as very unprofessional, and you will not be provided with an alternative version. All students must have a practicum manual before the prepracticum visit.
Have a specific question?
Book a one-on-one meeting with an ECE Field Practicum Officer:
Reservation Page