non-local students: placement package...2 - print and review the clinical/field pre-placement health...

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20-21

Early Childhood Education

AC Online

Algonquin College

Non-Local Students: Placement Package

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Introduction pg 2

Non-Local Placement Procedures pg 4

ParaMed Clearance pg 7

Contact Us pg 9

Frequently Asked Questions pg 10

Appendix: International Placements pg 13

Table of Contents

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General Information There are three block placements required for the ECE online program. They are offered in levels 2, 3

and 4 of the program and require a commitment of 4, 4 and 5 weeks on predetermined schedules; the

placement dates are not negotiable. All placements require full-time working hours Monday to Friday

following the same daily schedule as the onsite supervisor. Students will need to be fully available

throughout this time; exceptions will not be made for childcare, employment or other personal

obligations.

In order to be eligible for practice teaching field placements, students must meet the following

requirements prior to the placement deadline:

1. Academic Clearance: students must complete all required prerequisite courses prior to the

placement start date. This will be confirmed by the Field Placement Officer after the placement

deadline.

2. ParaMed Clearance: the ECE program requires students to meet the following medical and non-

medical requirements. Upon completion, these requirements must be confirmed through

ParaMed, our partner organization.

a. Immunization Records

b. Police Records Check for Service with the Vulnerable Sector (PRCSVS)

c. Standard First Aid/CPR C

3. ECE Placement Request Form: must be submitted prior to the placement deadline to ensure

students are added to the master placement list. This form is completed entirely online in just a

few minutes, and a new form is required for each placement. You can locate the ECE

Placement Request form on our website under “Quick Links” at;

https://www.algonquincollege.com/online/field-placement/

Introduction


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Placement Deadlines Students are required to verify that their documentation is up to date prior to each placement. All

documentation must be valid for the duration of each placement and must not expire before the final

placement day.

Placement Date Placement Deadline

Fall Term (Sep-Dec)

Placement I: September June 15

Placement II and III: November to December

September 15

Winter Term (Jan-Apr)

Placement I: January November 15

Placement II and III: March to April January 15

Spring/Summer Term

(May-Aug)

Placement I: May March 15

Placement II and III: July to August May 15

Note: spring and summer are often used interchangeably to refer to the May-August term.

Important Note Completing the documentation can be a complicated process and students should start the preparations

now! It may take 8 – 12 weeks to complete all placement requirements. If your documentation is not

complete and/or you are not cleared for placement by the program deadline, you will have to wait for

the following term before you can register again. There are no exceptions. This can delay your

progression in completing your program and may result in you incurring additional fees.

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Non-local students are defined as students located over 60 km from Algonquin College Woodroffe

campus, completing their placements outside of the Ottawa area. Students living on the borderline of

this area may choose to identify themselves as local and will be placed with partner agencies within the

local boundaries; or non-local and will follow the placement procedures as outlined below.

Please note: placement confirmations do not begin until the placement deadline has passed and both

academic and ParaMed clearance have been confirmed.

Placement Confirmation Process 1. Students submit their online ECE Placement Request Form identifying three licensed agencies in

their area for consideration for placement.

Note: students are not permitted to contact placement agencies in an attempt to arrange

placement. Placements are assigned by the Field Placement Officer as indicated below.

2. Agencies will be reviewed for eligibility in the order they have been provided.

a. Only agencies that have a valid license to operate through the provincial education

authority or equivalent will be approved for placements.

b. Conflict of interest: Students are required to identify any agencies they have experience

with and will not be considered for placements at these locations. Examples of conflicts

include, but are not limited to:

i. The student has worked, volunteered or been previously placed at the agency.

ii. The student has children attending the agency.

iii. The student has a personal relationship with the agency staff.

Students are not permitted to request placements with agencies they have a conflict of

interest with.

3. The Field Placement Officer will contact agencies in order of preference to confirm placement

opportunities for students.

a. If none of the three agencies are suitable or interested in hosting a student, students

will be contacted by email to request alternative locations.

b. If an agency wishes to conduct an informal interview with a student prior to confirming

the placement, students may be asked to participate in a meeting of this nature. A

student may refuse to attend these meetings, but they are recommended.

4. Students receive confirmation of placement agencies as soon as agencies confirm. Students and

agencies complete a Placement Setting Information Form as part of the confirmation process.

This form is a requirement for all non-local placements.

Placement Procedures Non-local students follow the same placement expectations while out on placement. Students will

complete a preplacement visit, follow the weekly expectations and competencies as defined in the

placement manual, and conduct midterm and final evaluations with the onsite supervisor.

Non-Local Placement Procedures

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The Algonquin College Field Liaison (FL) will not conduct onsite visits. The FL will be available to assess

submitted materials through Brightspace, and touch base with students and agencies by email and

phone throughout the placement. The FL will be connected with students in the week prior to

placement start and will be the first point of contact for any placement related questions once

placement begins.

Placement Roles

Note: students are not permitted to contact placement agencies in an attempt to arrange placement.

•Identify 3 local agencies you would like to be placed with

•Complete the ECE Placement Request Form onlineNote: you will require the name, address and contact info for each agency

Student

•Contact the agencies in order of student preference

•Secure student placement

•Contact student to confirm details

Field Placement Officer

•Provide support to the student via email and telephone throughout placement

•Conduct midterm and final evaluations through telephone contact with the student and agency

Field Liaison

•Oversee and provide feedback on all student activity onsite

•Complete weekly meetings to review progress

•Complete student's midterm and final evaluation

Onsite Supervisor

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=JNkb7GoKqUqqicmAMWwESfwBUP7VFq1Fnyq6GJ0yrd5URFdRRzREQUhKQ0RMSzBHV1Q5OUo5MkY3MS4u

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Placement Registration Full-time students will be registered for practice teaching placement and field seminar automatically.

Part-time students will be provided with next steps to register after the placement deadline has passed

if they have submitted the ECE Placement Request Form and both academic and ParaMed clearance are

confirmed. Registration does not guarantee placement; part-time students must have Field Placement

Officer permission to register for all placement and seminar courses. Students will be withdrawn if

placement requirements are not met by the placement deadline.

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ParaMed is an Algonquin College partner organization. ParaMed employs Registered Practical Nurses

who are authorized to review and confirm medical clearance. The Requisite nurses at ParaMed clear

students from multiple colleges, programs and deliveries.

The role of the Requisite nurse with ParaMed is to review and confirm placement clearance only; they

do not plan placements and are not authorized to grant extensions on behalf of the program. If

students are not cleared by ParaMed they are required to contact the Field Placement Officer directly

and may not be eligible to complete their placement in their preferred term.

Initial ParaMed Clearance In order to obtain initial clearance for practice teaching field placements, students must follow the steps below. Initial clearance is required for any student who has not cleared ParaMed in the past—placement I students and any students who received exemption or PLAR for previous placements. Please note: students are responsible for the costs associated with the non‐medical requirements, immunizations and the services of ParaMed.

1 – Print and review the Clinical/Field Pre-Placement Health Form (hereafter referred to as “the year 1 form”) All requirements must be met by the placement deadline, you should complete the medical and non-medical requirements simultaneously to ensure all items are completed on time. 2a – Complete the Medical Requirements Make an appointment with your healthcare provider (physician or nurse practitioner) to complete the medical section of the year 1 form. If you do not have a primary health care provider, please visit a local walk-in clinic. Note: you can request your immunization records directly from Public Health if you do not have copies.

2b – Complete the Non-Medical Requirements PRCSVS: if you live in an area with high demand for police checks, you will require a minimum of 12 weeks to have this document updated. If your local police station requires a letter from the college, please complete the online request form. Standard First Aid/CPR C: students must provide current certification from a Red Cross, St. John’s Ambulance or equivalent First Aid course.

3 – Track your progress using the checklist provided The last two pages of this form are your clearance checklist. It is important to note that when you upload documents to ParaMed they are reviewed by a requisite nurse and a fee is charged, so you should always be prepared with complete information. Once all requirements have been met, upload the Clinical/Field Pre-Placement Health Form and the supporting

documentation to the Algonquin Requisite Portal. For assistance on how to use the online submission method please

reference the Student Information Package.

4 – A requisite nurse will review the submitted documents and communicate with you by both e-mail and the Requisite Portal and confirm your clearance.

ParaMed Clearance

mailto:[email protected]

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ParaMed Documentation Update Students are required to verify that their documentation is up to date prior to each placement. All documentation must

be valid for the duration of each placement and must not expire before the final placement day.

Expiry Dates for Documentation Immunizations: the only immunization record that needs to be updated year to year is your TB screening. Your initial ParaMed clearance requires a two-step TB test, and you will require a one-step TB test annually after that. PRCSVS: your police check must be updated annually. In some cases, centres may request a police check dated within the past 3-6 months. If your local police station requires a letter from the college, please complete our online request form. Standard First Aid/CPR C: this certification will usually last the entirety of your program, but it does expire every three years and may need to be redone if it expires before completing the program. To prepare for placement II and III, please follow the steps below: 1 – Confirm your ParaMed status Prior to each placement deadline, confirm your status by completing the online request form. If your documentation is up to date, you only need to submit the ECE Placement Request Form for this placement period. Both the ECE Placement Request form and Online Request form are found on our website under “Quick Links” at; https://www.algonquincollege.com/online/field-placement/ If any of your documentation expires, follow the steps below. 2 - Print and review the Clinical/Field Pre-Placement Health Form (hereafter referred to as “the year 2/3 form”) Note: the year 2/3 form is specifically designed for students updating expired documentation ONLY. If you have not previously cleared ParaMed, please review the initial clearance process above and use the initial clearance form. NOTE: Please disregard the Student Agreement for Clinical/Field Placement in section C of this form. It is not required. 3 – Track your progress using the checklist provided The last two pages of the year 2/3 form are your clearance checklist, only the expired items will need to be updated. It is important to note that when you upload documents to ParaMed they are reviewed by a requisite nurse and a fee is charged, so you should always be prepared with complete information. Once all requirements have been met, upload the Clinical/Field Pre-Placement Health Form and the supporting

documentation to the Algonquin Requisite Portal. For assistance on how to use the online submission method please

reference the Student Information Package.

A requisite nurse will review the submitted documents and communicate with you by both e-mail and the Requisite

Portal and confirm your clearance.

Once you have uploaded all documentation and you hit the “submit” button on the ParaMed website, you will be

charged a fee. For this reason, it is important to ensure you have all documentation uploaded before this step. If you

need to submit additional documentation after hitting submit, you will be charged additional fees. Please refer directly

to the ParaMed website for more information on their fees.


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*Please remember to include your full name and student number in all correspondence with the college*

Online Learning Field Placement Officer | AC Online Algonquin College | 1385 Woodroffe Avenue Phone: 613-727-4723 x 7047 Email: [email protected] Re: field placement and questions related to PLAR for placement I Student Success Specialists | AC Online Algonquin College | 1385 Woodroffe Avenue | Room P209 Phone: 613 727-4723 x 4846 Email: [email protected] Re: all student support, orientation, Brightspace troubleshooting, general inquiries ParaMed | https://algonquin-pilot.requisite.ca/ Phone: 613 728-7080/1-800-565-3393 Fax: 613-728-6583 Re: obtaining placement clearance Registrar’s Office | http://www.algonquincollege.com/ro/ Phone: 613-727-0002 Email: [email protected] Re: course registration or withdrawal, financial inquiries Health Services | http://www.algonquincollege.com/healthservices/ Phone: 613-727-4723 x 7222 Re: health requirements for placement clearance Centre for Accessible Learning | http://www.algonquincollege.com/cal/ Phone: 613-727-4723 x 7200 Email: [email protected] Re: Letters of Accommodation, counselling, referrals to other college services

Please note this document is current for Spring 2020 and details may be subject to change. Please visit the placement website for the most up to date placement information:


Contact Us

mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://algonquin-pilot.requisite.ca/http://www.algonquincollege.com/ro/mailto:[email protected]://www.algonquincollege.com/healthservices/http://www.algonquincollege.com/cal/mailto:[email protected]://www.algonquincollege.com/online/field-placement/

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General FAQs When and how will I find out where my Field Placement will be? Local students receive confirmation of field placement 2-3 weeks prior to the placement start date. All confirmations are received by email. Non-local students receive confirmation of field placements as the agencies confirm in order to complete the Placement Setting Information Form. They receive a follow up email with next steps at the same time as local student confirmations, 2-3 weeks prior to the placement start date. Can I request a placement location (local students only)? Local students cannot request specific placement locations. Placements are assigned at partner locations based on travel, age group and experience. Students are not permitted to contact agencies or make requests for placement locations. Can I contact a possible placement location? No students are permitted to contact placement agencies. Non-local students submit their top three choices, and local students are placed at partner agencies. All contact with agencies comes directly from the college to ensure professionalism and consistency both locally and non-locally. Can I request specific hours due to other obligations (child care, work, etc.)? Students must complete full-time block field placements and must be available between the hours of 7:00am to 6:00pm. The average placement day requires a 7-8 hour shift, and the shifts vary by agency. No guarantees can be made for specific hour requirements. Students must make alternative arrangements to be fully available throughout this time or they may not be eligible to go out on placement in their preferred period. Can I be exempted from placements based on my previous experience? It is possible to challenge Practice Teaching and Field Seminar I based on experience, though placements II and III must be completed by all students. Students can challenge this course through our Prior Learning Assessment Recognition (PLAR) process. To be eligible to PLAR the Practice Teaching and Field Seminar I (FAM1233/FAM1234), an individual must meet the following requirements:

a. A total of 300 hours of full-time paid work in a licensed group care or a licensed family homecare or drop in center working directly with children.

b. The work experience is current within the last 3 years. c. The work experience is consecutive over a 12 month period. d. Completed all Level 1 Courses

Frequently Asked Questions

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If you think you will be eligible to be exempted from these courses, please contact your Field Placement Officer for more information. Can I complete placement at a location that I have worked or volunteered with in the past? Students cannot complete placements at a centre they work with, have volunteered with or been placed with in the past for the following reasons:

1. Our placements are unpaid. If a student is paid for the placement time, it cannot be counted as placement hours by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities.

2. Students cannot be counted in ratio while completing placements as they do not have RECE designation and are not yet qualified to supervise children without a direct supervisor present. We understand that exceptions are made and you may be hired to supervise children without the RECE designation, however this is a college approved placement and while in the field you are insured by the college and must be treated as an unqualified student in the field.

3. It is not appropriate for students to be directly supervised and assessed by a colleague. Students are limited in what they can try and the new experiences they can gain when completing placements in familiar settings.

There are additional personal and professional benefits of completing placements at new and different locations. Placements allow students to try new things in a variety of settings and with different age groups. They allow students to learn from different philosophies and bring back new skills to current positions, and lead to building connections in the field that may lead to professional references and even alternative job offers. Can I just do longer days and have a day off so I can work at my job, or complete the placement in a shorter period of time? All placements require full-time hours (7-8 hours per day) Monday-Friday and cannot be condensed for a variety of reasons.

1. Your onsite supervisor is not going to be available for longer days. We try as much as possible to have students directly supervised by one person throughout the placement period.

2. Placements are designed to require students to take on increasingly more responsibilities throughout the placement period. If we condense placements further, there is no opportunity to slowly become familiar with the program and the children and to escalate the placement activities towards the final week of placement.

3. Most centres that run programs into the evening offer limited programming outside of regular business hours. After 6:00 pm centres tend to run dinner and sleep routines, there are far fewer opportunities to implement activities and curriculum.

ParaMed FAQs Why the rush to get this done so quickly? In a worst case scenario for students who are missing specific immunizations, completing these requirements can take up to 6 months. For students with current immunization records the average time to prepare all ParaMed documentation is 6-12 weeks. If you are not cleared by the placement deadline, you will not be eligible for placement. This will prolong your graduation and may result in additional fees.

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What if my current requirements expire before my field placement? You are responsible for making sure your medical and non‐medical requirements are valid for the duration of your placement. If they expire, you will need to redo them prior to the placement deadline. How do I get a letter from the college to obtain a Vulnerable Sectors Police Records Check? Some districts will require a letter from the college indicating why you require a VSPRC. If you require a letter, please complete this online request form. Why do I need to make an appointment with Algonquin College Health Services or my healthcare provider? Section A of both forms covers all the medical requirements as outlined by your academic facility and your field placement facility/organization. It is your health care provider’s responsibility to complete and sign all the areas on section A where it requires his/her signature. These are the shaded areas. While they will guide you through what will be required from you in the process, it will be your responsibility to make sure the health care provider completes all the shaded areas required and provide you with the proof of the identified immunizations and blood test results. What if I don’t have a primary health care provider (Physician or Nurse Practitioner)? If you are in the Ottawa Capital Region please go to Algonquin College Health Services. If you are outside the Ottawa Capital Region please visit a local walk-in clinic. There is a requirement in section A, which Algonquin College Health Services or my health care provider says that I don’t really need. What should I do? All items of this form are required for placement. It will be your responsibility to impress upon the health care provider that if you don’t have this, you cannot be cleared for field placement and will not be able to participate in this mandatory program course. Other than the completed form what other documentation might I be leaving with, from Health Services or my health care provider’s office? At the end of your visit, you will need copies of all supporting documentation: the completed Clinical/Field Pre-Placement Health Form, your yellow immunization card and/or municipal/regional health unit documentation denoting record of your immunization history and blood test results if applicable. What if there are some things I can’t complete on the checklist? Please contact your program Field Placement Officer immediately. How can I pay for my appointment? You can pay with Debit, Credit or pre-loaded cards; cash will not be accepted. The current rates are posted on the ParaMed website. If you bring a “parent” credit card, you will need written permission.

mailto:[email protected]

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Students completing placements outside of Canada must comply with the medical and non-medical requirements of their placement agency. Students are advised to complete their placements at International Schools when possible, as placements must be completed and assessed in English. The Field Placement Officer will be available to provide support throughout the process, but international students are required to find their own placement agencies.

Step 1 - Identify an Agency

•Identify a placement agency which meets the requirements:

•English speaking agency following Canadian, British or American curriculum

•Supervisor must be RECE qualified or equivalent

Step 2 - Reach out to the Agency

•Request an International Field Placement letter from the Field Placement Officer

•Contact your placement agency to confirm their interest in working with you

Step 3 - Meet the Medical and non-Medical Requirements

•Confirm the medical and non-medical requirements with the agency

•Complete the required documentation and provide it directly to the agency

•Request a letter from the agency (on official letterhead signed by the principal or director) indicating that you have met all agency medical and non-medical requirements - provide the completed letter to the Field Placement Officer

Appendix: International Placements

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Note: All students, international, non-local and local, must complete the online ECE Placement Request form. International placement students can complete this form once they have confirmed their agency information, but should be submitted by the deadline. For Canadian Students completing placements abroad ONLY Canadian students must be cleared for placement through the International Education Centre. They must follow college policy AA44 regarding International Travel. These requirements may take 2-4 weeks to process and should be completed prior to your departure.

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