Calidad de las Aguas y Ecosistemas Relacionados
3.3. Protección de Humedales y Conservación Hídrica
Field instruction is a program in which over 700 social work students participate each year with at least as many field placement sites and field instructors involved. When this many people get together, it is not surprising that a few problems arise from time to time. Most problems, whether personal, academic, or administrative, if identified and acted upon early, can and are resolved by the parties involved in a professional manner. As soon as a problem arises, field instructors and students should discuss these and together attempt to resolve them. Should problems arise, remember that the longer it goes on, the longer it will take to solve. Performance expectations vary with foundation and advanced field instruction and increase with each term of placement. Beginning competency is expected in foundation field instruction, while greater mastery is expected in advanced field instruction. With each successive term, students should be able to work more independently, and with increasingly difficult or complex fieldwork assignments. Bloom's taxonomy of learning is utilized and thus a developmental learning approach in field instruction is applied.
If students have questions/concerns, they should first talk to their field instructor and vice versa. It is natural for students to have questions, concerns and anxieties. The student must take the initiative and responsibility for their own learning and utilize the problem-solving model to work on resolving problems in the field placement with their assigned field instructor. Field instructors should contact the field faculty right away if they have any questions about the student's participation or other problems related to the field placement.
The following key strategies are recommended:
o Plan ahead, make the Educational Agreement form reflect interests and needs of the student, and review it carefully.
o Utilize an agenda during supervision.
o Frequent and regular performance feedback should be given to the student. Include a mid-term verbal evaluation. o If students have special constraints, i.e. a documented disability, pregnancy, illness in the family, transportation problems, childcare responsibilities, religious limits, etc. which may create future problems, these issues should be discussed with the field instructor and field faculty member early in the term.
o Students should be sure they clearly understand directions, instructions, and requirements including field placement policies, guidelines, expectations, etc., and ask for assistance when needed.
Professional Decision-Making Tool: Reviewing Choices, Weighing Options, and Evaluating Consequences
It is natural to experience conflict within ourselves related to the choices we need to make and options we need to explore in our professional and personal lives. Balancing these choices and options so that we take full responsibility for our decisions requires having a vision, setting goals and taking some risk. We are in control of the way we think, the way we behave and the choices we make. Even a “non-decision” is a decision as it is choosing not to take action. The following steps should be helpful as you attempt to reconcile your options with their inherent consequences and with your values:
I. WHAT?
a. What is driving you/this situation/issue now?
b. What 4 things are the most important to you now as you reflect on this? c. What factors, beliefs, assumptions impact the decision you need to make?
II. SO WHAT? Now think about and reflect on the questions below and jot a few notes: a. What am I currently doing that supports/hinders achieving my goal(s)?
b. Who else do I need to talk to in order to solicit support?
c. What options do I have and what are the consequences and what are the benefits of acting upon each option? Remember, sometimes your option is not about what to “do” but rather how to “react."
III. NOW WHAT?
a. Change involves taking risks. Jot down the risks associated with each option you have identified.
b. After carefully weighing each option and the consequences, write down your decision and the next steps. References:
Burton, Valerie. 2007. How did I get so busy? New York. Broadway Books
Wetmore, Donald. February 20, 2010. Top five time management practices. The Productivity Institute 1999.
Section 12.01
Performance Learning Plan: Problem Resolution
The following steps should be followed with the goal of resolving problems in field placement. If the issues are not resolved, the field faculty member should be contacted and a performance learning plan initiated.
Steps in the Process
o The student should first talk to the field instructor(s) about concerns and problems concerning the field placement. A student may choose to obtain advice from the field faculty member before talking to the field instructor(s).
o Once the student has talked to the field instructor and problems still remain unresolved, the student may request a meeting with the field faculty member and together they will develop a plan of action. The field faculty may consult with the Director of Field Instruction as needed.
o If a satisfactory solution is still not found, the field faculty member and the student may begin the process of terminating the field placement or initiating a performance learning plan
(http://www.ssw.umich.edu/programs/msw/ofi/PerformanceLearningPlan.pdf) with the goal of improving student performance in the field placement. This plan becomes a contract between the student, the fieldwork site, and the Office of Field Instruction in the School of Social Work. A performance review meeting will be held with the student, the field instructor, and the assigned field faculty member participating in order to develop the plan. The goal of the meeting is to identify the specific concerns/issues in behaviorally specific terms and to outline the tasks/actions that need to be accomplished in order for the student to be considered successful in placement.
Failure to accomplish the identified action steps could result in termination of the field placement which could mean receiving a grade of marginal or unsatisfactory for the field instruction course. Should the placement be terminated, consultation due to failure to meet the performance learning plan, will be held with the Associate Dean for Educational Programs and could include referral to the Academic Concerns Committee for dispensation.
o If a student is experiencing problems related to the assigned field faculty member, they should first discuss the issues with that person where and when possible. If this does not resolve the problem, the Director of Field Instruction should be consulted and attempts will be made to mediate the problem. If this does not resolve the problem, the student can consult with the Associate Dean for Educational Programs.
o If there is a dispute over a grade in field instruction, the normal University procedures will be followed.
For additional information, please see the SSW Student Guide, Volume 1, Chapter 14: Definitions and Chapter 15: Academic Standing and Academic Difficulty.