Experiential Learning in a Rural University Clinical Setting: Developing Teaming Skills across Three Courses:

Abstract Collaboration has historically been essential in rural areas due to scant resources. This article presents a rural model for experiential learning of collaborative and consultative teaming skills across three special education teacher preparation courses, Instructional Methods, Behavior Change, and Assessment. A University-based Summer School was provided for area children, some with various disabilities. This Summer School provided a clinical experience to fulfill assessment, teaching, and planning practica requirements. A collaborative, consultative planning team was established for each child. Teams simulated actual Teacher Assistance or Child Study Teams, unavailable in schools over Summer sessions. Instructors observed and documented teaming skills development. Over the past decade, the nation's shortage of qualified teachers has been well documented in the education literature, causing a high number of unprepared and non-certified personnel to provide instruction to students, including those with disabilities (U. S. Department of Education, 2000). This shortage impacts rural special education because openings may be more difficult to fill in rural districts, causing a number of teachers to serve on emergency or waiver of certification status (Boe, Bobbit, & Terhanian, 1998; Lemke, 1994). Moreover, in the past several years it has been generally recognized that in order to prepare highly qualified teachers who can implement best instructional practices to benefit all children, a unified approach to core knowledge and skills is required. Faced with this critical teacher shortage and the need for standards-driven school reform, multidisciplinary collaboration and consultation among educators is essential for successful problem solving and for whole school viability (Little & Crawford, 2002). Collaboration has been common in rural schools even before becoming popular on a broad basis because of the historic need in rural areas to share scant resources (Martin & Williams, 2000). Therefore providing experiences that prepare pre-service and inservice teachers to participate in and contribute to collaborative team decision-making for students with diverse and exceptional needs is especially imperative in rural areas. Team collaboration requires redefinition of roles and structures in conjunction with reflection on practice (York, Kronberg, & Doyle, 1995). Team development occurs in stages (Scholtes, 1993). Each stage adds dimension to the team's reflective self-evaluation, effectiveness (Are we doing the best job possible?), efficacy (Are we doing the best possible job in the best possible ways?), and efficiency (Are we doing the best possible job in a timely manner?). Evaluating team member performance provides reliable data to indicate that pre-service teachers perform at levels of competence required to meet National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), and State Standards. This article describes a multidisciplinary, collaborative teaming approach to teacher preparation across three courses that focused on Behavior Change, Assessment, and Methods. To assist instructors in sorting out which students were meeting criteria for successful teaming, three measurement tools were collaboratively developed for the project. Program Description During the Summer months of 2001 and 2002, a rural preparation and training program for special educators was conducted with both a pre-service and an in-service focus. The Methods students were inservice teachers meeting certification requirements in Special Education. A university-based Summer School was provided for community children. Included were children with various academic, social-emotional, and/or behavioral disabilities who were referred by their parents and school teachers. These Summer school experiences provided simultaneous clinical opportunities for three university special education courses, Methods of Instruction, Learning Theories in Special Education (the Behavior Change course), and Assessment. …