Description
Developing into a professional social worker is a process, and your internship is both a key part of that process and a process unto itself. Your experience may align with the stages outlined in your course text, providing a benchmark for you to gauge your expectations and your progress. In this Discussion, you consider your potential development over the term.
LEARNING RESOURCES
Required Readings
Sweitzer, H. F., & King, M. A. (2019). The successful internship: Personal, professional, and civic development in experiential learning(5th ed.). Cengage.
Chapter 2, “The Anticipation Stage: Venturing Forth” (pp. 29–51)
Chapter 3, “The Learning Contract, Supervision, the Seminar, & Reflection” (pp. 53–65)
Wayne, J., Bogo, M., & Raskin, M. (2010). Field education as the signature pedagogy of social work educationLinks to an external site.. Journal of Social Work Education, 46(3), 327–339. doi:10.5175/JSWE.2010.200900043
Walden University. (2017c). BSW Student Learning AgreementLinks to an external site.. Available from http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/c.php?g=81877&p=…
To locate and download a BSW Learning Agreement template, click on the link referenced above. Then click on the “BSW Learning Agreement” tab to find the applicable template.
Walden University. (n.d.). Student guide to developing a Learning Plan using the Learning AgreementLinks to an external site.. Retrieved September 21, 2017, from http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/ld.php?content_i…
TO PREPARE
Your text proposes that there are particular stages to the internship development process. Review the Developmental Stages of an Internship table on pp. 19-21 of the text.
Post
Determine in which stage or stages in the social worker developmental process you expect to be by Week 11.
Explain the process you will engage in as you move through the different stages.
Identity a stage that may be more challenging for you and explain why.
Explain how understanding this developmental process is useful as you begin your field placement.
