Bielefeld School of Education - BiSEd

I would like to do the block work placement within the BI, HF, LIP, GT, MI region after next semester. When and how do I register?

Registration takes place in the first two weeks of the lecture period, i.e. in October for the block work placement in spring and in April for the block work placement in September. Registration is only possible via the internet. Here you will find the link to the registration at the beginning of each lecture period.

 

I need to do a theory-in-practice course. Can I look for a school myself?

No, in the majority of cases not! This is usually not possible, partly for content reasons and partly for organizational reasons.

First, the exception to the rule: Those who want to do the theory-in-practice course outside of the BI, HF, LIP, GT, MI region are exempt. They can look for a place by themselves.

Also, for theory-in-practice courses abroad, find your school yourself. You can find more information and references to counseling opportunities in the BiSEd's Infopool Internationalization.

Places for school-based theory-in-practice courses in the BI, HF, LIP, GT, MI region are solicited and arranged by the BiSEd.

The reason for this rule is simple: well over 1000 theory-in-practice courses are conducted in the region each year. When pupils call or visit schools in large numbers, it regularly leads to exasperation. The internship placement office gets calls from schools from time to time complaining about this uncoordinated practice. Sometimes they say, "If the university doesn't finally coordinate this, we won't take any more interns at all!"

By the way, we always find that students who try to get around the rule get themselves into trouble. There are many examples of this. Several times we had the following variant: some schools carelessly decided positively on further "side requests" in addition to the official request. Now, however, in many schools no one keeps records of such decentralized inquiries, at least not completely. Sometimes the school then realizes on the first day of the internship that it cannot afford what is coming up and sends those back home who have not followed the official path. Incidentally, these candidates are the only ones who have come away empty-handed in recent years. In each of the placements made by BiSEd, all students have been taken care of. Well over 90% have been placed at one of the five schools they indicated on the Internet during registration; over 60% have even received their "first choice" school.

 

What are all the requirements for? Why can't I do my internship when, where and how I want?

It is not about you doing any "internship". In the theory-in-practice course with aptitude reflection, you are supposed to explore school practice in a theory-guided way. "Internship" in the teacher training program therefore always means the linking of theory and practice, including university teaching and learning arrangements [Centre for teaching and learning]. Therefore, systematically prepared and followed-up or continuously accompanied theory-in-practice courses are developed. This is not only seen as such in Bielefeld, but also corresponds to the requirements of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The Teacher Training Act (LABG) 2009, as amended in 2016, states that:

The orientation practical studies serves "the critical-analytical examination of school practice, the reflection of the aptitude for the teaching profession and the development of a profession-oriented perspective for further studies." (§ 12 LABG)

Further binding objectives are specified by § 7 Lehramtszugangsverordnung (LZV) and by the circular of the Ministry of School and Further Education of 28 June 2012 (corrected, incorporated: RdErl. v. 15.12.2016) on the practical elements in the degree programmes related to teaching.

"The practical elements enable in particular theory-based experiences in the field of action school. Thus, the fundamental tasks of the teaching profession become a central guideline of the training." (RdErl.)

"The practical elements are intended to stimulate students to accentuate their further studies and to reflect on their understanding of their role and their professional perspective. In the practical elements, students should systematically link theoretical studies and practical experiences (internships) in schools as well as in non-school educational settings. The practice elements enable students to observe, analyze, reflect on, and test all aspects of teaching and school life that are essential for this purpose within the framework of inquiry-based learning. All practice elements also contribute to continuous aptitude reflection." (RdErl.)

 

Why are no places arranged for semester-long theory-in-practice courses in the form of day and project internships?

With the available capacities, only highly standardized mass procedures can be carried out. Day or project internships cannot be handled in the usual mass procedures because of the diverse content and organizational forms as well as the closer cooperation between teaching staff, instructors, lectures at the Universities. Even the question of when pupils are in school can only be negotiated individually, while in block work placements the motto is: in a fixed period of time X, Y hours per week are completed according to the school's requirements. This is neither sensible nor possible in terms of study organization for semester-long theory-in-practice courses.
 

 

Can I also do my internship abroad?

Yes, you have the option of completing the practical studies for professional orientation abroad, whether in Europe or outside Europe. Further information can be found here.

However, the occupational practice studies are particularly suitable. Here you can also attend an educational sciences seminar to prepare and accompany the BPSt abroad, regardless of your chosen teaching profession or subject combination. In this format designed by BiSEd, students are specifically prepared for theory-in-practice courses abroad and accompanied during their stay.

 

 

When exactly do the block internships take place in the spring or late summer?

Although the times change from year to year depending on the location of the school vacations and the lecture-free period, there are a few rules of thumb:

The internship in spring
- usually starts at the earliest one week after the end of lectures;
- should preferably not start on Shrove Monday;
- should preferably not extend into the last week before the Easter vacations.

The internship in late summer should start at the earliest one, preferably two weeks after the start of the school year. If possible, it should take place in September to early October.

In some years, there may nevertheless be deviations from the rules of thumb, because otherwise the 25 internship days for the OPSE cannot be met.

Possible causes - your reaction:

• To log in, you need your Matriculation number and the BIS password you use for the BIS services (e.g. eKVV).
• If you have questions about the BIS password, please inform yourself here.
• If you cannot solve your problem yourself, please contact the BITS user support: https://www.uni-bielefeld.de/einrichtungen/bits/services/support/bits-beratung/.
• None of these causes - email praktikumsbuero-bised@uni-bielefeld.de with the problem and the following information: Your name, Matriculation number, and the introductory seminar you are attending.

Possible causes - your reaction:

• You have not yet entered the subject (event) - you need to work your way down from the top, this is the only way the system can display the drop-down lists that are relevant to you.
• None of these causes - write a mail to praktikumsbuero-bised@uni-bielefeld.de and tell the problem and the following data: Your name, Matriculation number and the introductory seminar you are attending.

Possible causes - Your reaction:

• You are looking for a course that is not an introductory seminar at all - Check the electronic course catalogue (eKVV) or inquire in the subject for the correct course.
• You attended the introductory seminar some time ago, so it is no longer displayed in our database for the current internship session. Write a mail praktikumsbuero-bised@uni-bielefeld.de and tell the problem and the following data: Your name, Matriculation number, the introductory semester you attended (document number and semester).
• None of these causes - write a mail praktikumsbuero-bised@uni-bielefeld.de and share the problem as well as the following data: Your name, Matriculation number, and the introductory seminar you are attending.

Possible causes - your reaction:

• The school does not belong to the region in which we provide placement. The region includes the cities and districts of Bielefeld, Gütersloh, Herford, Lippe and Minden-Lübbecke.
• It is a privately run school that does not provide pupils with internships.
• It is a special school. These are excluded from the placement.
• None of these causes - write a mail praktikumsbuero-bised@uni-bielefeld.de and tell which school is missing.

Your response:

• In many cases (and always at least until the end of the registration period) you can change your data. Re-login and change your data. If the system denies you approval, the solicitation of your space is ongoing or even completed. You can still write a mail praktikumsbuero-bised@uni-bielefeld.de and tell your change request. However, the internship office can then no longer guarantee that the request will be considered.

Special education majors are mostly dropped from placement. They are needed for the subject Special Education in the Master of Education.

The choice of pupils is limited from the second priority. This is not a mistake, but intentional: schools or school types that experience has shown to be overcrowded can no longer be selected here.