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.

*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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
   1. Immunization Records
   2. 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.
   3. 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