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This academic year, the University of North Georgia's (Â鶹ÊÓƵ) College of Education rolled out a program that allows students who began their college careers at Â鶹ÊÓƵ's Blue Ridge Campus to partake in an online professional development community (PDC) and teach close to home as they satisfy their elementary and special education program's practicum and internship requirements.  

Previously, these students had to transfer to another campus to complete their clinical requirements. This year six juniors will have the opportunity to fully experience this new format, while five seniors graduating this May have been able to return home for their final internship experiences.

Macy Greene, a junior from Blue Ridge, Georgia, pursuing a degree in elementary and special education, is grateful for the opportunities provided by the new program that includes student-teaching in the Fannin County School District.

"It's important to have a placement in the district where I want to work. I'm already able to start networking," Greene said. "I want to stay local and give back to the community where I was raised."

It's important to have a placement in the district where I want to work. I'm already able to start networking. I want to stay local and give back to the community where I was raised.

Macy Greene

Â鶹ÊÓƵ junior pursuing a degree in elementary and special education

As online instruction progressed in fall 2020, Â鶹ÊÓƵ faculty saw an opportunity to reach more schools.

"We knew some students who started their introductory education courses at the Blue Ridge Campus would have to transfer to our Dahlonega Campus to take upper-level courses and conduct their student-teaching nearby," Sears said. "But what if there was a way for them to finish their field placements, internships and degree there?"

She said the Department of Elementary and Special Education faculty brainstormed ideas and the online PDC was born. Usually, students are assigned a PDC for their junior and senior years and complete practicum and internship placements at schools within the PDC school district.

"The PDC provides our students with a community of supportive teachers, professional mentors, instructors, and field supervisors," Dr. Cristina Washell, associate professor and head of the Department of Elementary and Special Education, said. "We all work together to help support our teacher candidates."

Through the College of Education’s elementary and special education program, the juniors take courses online and spend three days a week in their assigned field placement classrooms. As seniors, during their final semester they assume all full-time teacher responsibilities and like juniors, all of their coursework is completed online.

For more information, contact Washell at Cristina.Washell@ung.edu or visit the elementary and special education webpage.

Kameron Stone, a senior pursuing a degree in elementary and special education, is one of the five seniors who is able to benefit from the online PDC format.

"I cannot express how thankful I am to have the opportunity to student-teach near my hometown," Stone said. "Financially, it has helped me prepare for getting a master's degree within the next few years."