17.3120/6-001 Practicum in Literature, Literacy and Language
Taught by Deborah Schnitzer during the 2007-08 Fall and Winter Terms
Course Description:
The Practicum enables students to initiate and complete a volunteer work placement with organizations that support the development of literature, literacy, language and culture in Manitoba. Weekly seminars will introduce students to related programs, projects, fields, resources and communities and provide opportunities for reflection and assessment. The seminars will also assist students identify areas of interest, explore the theory and implications of the proposed work and design the terms of their commitment and accountability. Student hours will be flexible to accommodate the time spent in the placement.
The Practicum provides opportunities to explore a range of field placement possibilities, including one-to-one tutoring and special projects work related to in-house and community-based adult and family literacy, EAL (English as an Additional Language), immigrant and refugee settlement programs; adult education and learning partnerships; writing and publishing collectives; and cultural and creative organizations. Students can work with existing programs, help develop specific projects, and, in all aspects of the course experience, participate creatively and actively in the development of community-based language, literature, peace and justice, human rights and cultural literacies. While class hours will be flexible to accommodate the time spent in placement, seminars will continue across both terms.
The program/project partners will provide on-site, in-house orientation, training and support for the Practicum student(s) who have chosen to work with them. Each site has its own particular required readings as defined by the practicum partnership. These may include in-house resources such as tutoring handbooks, collections of authentic workplace materials, guides for tutors and learners, guides for developing meaningful evaluation, EAL and family literacy program resources, databases, project resources, and orientation workshops/seminars. Descriptions of each partnering site will be introduced during the first week of classes, and there will be a series of presentations given by many members of the partnering organizations throughout the term so that we get a feel for the fields and the range of the opportunities available. The weekly seminars will introduce related programs, projects, fields, resources and communities, and provide opportunities for reflection, development and assessment as you explore and refine the focus, direction and details of your placement.
Partnerships:
In the past partnerships have involved the following sites: Aboriginal Community Campus; ACT Manitoba; Amnesty; Argyle School; Art City; Bookmates; Children’s Hospital; Contemporary Verse 2; Employment Projects of Winnipeg; Grace Hospital; Frontier College; John Howard Society; Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada ; Knox United Church (immigrant/refugee arts-based and language learning programs); International Centre; International Writers Festival; Joint Inner City Ministry; Literacy Partners of Manitoba; Literacy WORKS; MAWA (Mentoring Artists for Women’s Art); Manitoba-Cuba Solidarity Network; Manitoba Theatre for Young People; Manitoba Writers Guild; Millennium Library; NEEDS (Centre for War Affected Families) Plug In Institute of Contemporary Art; Prairie Fire Press; Prairie Theatre Exchange; Rainbow Resource Centre; Rossbrook House; Save The Children; School of Contemporary Dance; St. Norbert Arts & Cultural Centre; Turnstone Press; United Food & Comm. Wrkr. Local 832 Training Centre; UNIFEM (women’s fund of the United Nations); University of Manitoba Press; University of Winnipeg’s Writer’s Collective, Juice, Stylus Magazine; Uniter and Virtuosi Series; University of Winnipeg Con. Ed. English Language Development Program; Winnipeg Adult Education Centre; Winnipeg Art Gallery; Welcome Place; Winnipeg Boys and Girls Club; Winnipeg Adult Education Centre; Winnipeg Boys and Girls Club.