During the first three weeks students will visit three sites, each for one week’s time. For each site (urban, rural, suburban) a context profile will be completed as part of their bulletin board assignments/reflections.  Each profile will include:

Activity 1: Student shadow/interview:

• Includes analysis of student needs as adolescent and how school meets these needs
•  Includes analysis of student individual characteristics : diversity, talent identification, interests, cognitive, social and physical issues, special needs
• Includes analysis related to context/setting of this school and community issues

ASSESSMENT: Adolescents in Today’s World- Connects three student research pieces with research related to adolescents in today’s context.

Activity 2: Shadow/interview one of the following (administrator, counselor, secretary, special education teacher, exploratory teacher)

• Describes role tasks and purpose
•  Examines how the role is related to meeting student needs
•  Includes a role relationship analysis
•  Explains how the role is affected by the context

Activity 3: Community experience (time in a community setting with reflection)

• Describes purpose of community setting
•  Explains how it meets the community’s needs
•  Examines how it is related to adolescents in the community
•  Tells how it relates to the teacher role
•  Illuminates insights gained from the experience

Activity 4: Building summary: goals, management, policy, schedule, structure, facilities:

•  Describes how the building’s vision is related to adolescent needs
• Describes teacher’s role (power, curriculum, management, policy and goals)
•  Described how a student-centered/teaching for understanding/constructivist position is reflected