Student teachers now can go overseas
By Julie Rausch
About 130 students in WSU’s teacher education program will apply for student teaching status for spring 2001. For the first time, some of those students may apply to student teach in Germany and England as part of the U.S. Department of Defense Dependent Schools program.
The Department of Defense schools, which dependents of American armed services personnel attend, are located on or adjacent to U.S. military bases. DoDDS courses parallel those of U.S. public schools. National standards are incorporated into the curriculum, and standardized tests are given.
"The selection process for student teachers who apply to go overseas will not be easy," said Marcus Ballenger, associate dean for the College of Education who is helping to coordinate the program.
In addition to having good standing with the college, applicants will write an essay about why they want to be a part of the program and what experiences they expect to have. They also will be interviewed by a five-member faculty committee who will choose students for the program.
Because the DoDDS system observes the same calendar as U.S. schools, student teachers will have weekends and holidays for traveling and exploring the local environment.
Students will need to pay their own travel costs, but they may get a break on other living expenses, such as housing. Students will be assigned to a WSU faculty member and will provide weekly progress reports by e-mail.
WSU will work with Northern Arizona University, which has had a successful overseas student teaching program since 1990. The universities will share dual supervision and visitation of student teachers.
The program at WSU begins at an opportune time, said Ballenger. Former DoDDS teachers have selected Wichita as the site for the American Overseas Schools Historical Park and Archives Museum.
Wichita is home to about 6,000 military retirees, some of whom sent their children to overseas schools. The museum will become a site for national alumni reunions and military conferences.
The museum will work with WSU to organize and showcase artifacts from the overseas schools. The museum also could provide internships and research material for students in the College of Education.
The museum will be built along the Arkansas River, possibly breaking ground as early as this summer during a reunion of the DoDDS alumni teachers, Ballenger said. Its scheduled completion is winter 2001.
