Hours
Students are expected to spend the equivalent of a 3-credit hour course (8-10 hrs. per week, sometimes more in the summer) on their internships. These hours may be divided as on-site hours and off-site hours, or all hours may be performed on site. With few exceptions (i.e. in the case of micro-internships or specially designated projects approved by the Internship Director), internships are NOT intended to award course credit for work with a student’s current employer.
Internship Duties
During the proposal process, students should be sure to talk with their internship supervisors/mentors to ensure that both parties understand the workload and expectations of the partnership. Any activities that relate to the work at hand are appropriate. Students should not agree to do general office work such as filing, answering the telephone, making copies, or ordering supplies. Students should likewise never be asked or agree to perform personal favors, such as picking up dry cleaning or grabbing coffee for an internship supervisor or others at the internship site. Both interns and their mentors must understand what work is and is not appropriate for an intern to perform. If interns are ever put in an uncomfortable or inappropriate situation by anyone at their internship placement, they should speak with the Internship Director immediately.
Assignments
The internship course consists of three requirements to earn three semester hours’ credit:
- Regular conferences/check-ins with the Internship Director;
- Bi-weekly progress updates in this public-facing blog; and
- the Final Capstone Presentation.
These expectations are outlined in detail below.
Conferences
During the semester in which the internship takes place, students must schedule a minimum of 2 conferences with the Internship Director. These conferences should be scheduled in advance and spaced out across the duration of the internship. In advance of each conference, students should prepare a list of 3-5 topics/questions for discussion in addition to providing general updates on their progress and experience.
Blog
Students must keep an ongoing record of their internship experience throughout the semester, using this class blog (https://sites.gsu.edu/engl4500/) to describe what you see and do and to consider the significance of these observations and activities. Students should use blog posts primarily to reflect on the tasks they are currently engaged in, noting challenges they face and how they solve them. Students can also reflect on the dynamics of their sponsoring organizations including workflow, physical space, the leadership and mentoring they receive, etc. Teaching interns should discuss specific things they learn about instruction and pedagogy.
Final Capstone Presentation
Your capstone should describe and reflect on your overall internship experience in a public-facing presentation format (such as a slide deck accompanied by a recorded oral presentation, a video presentation, or a polished, 3-5 page reflective essay written for an audience of your peers and faculty). This project should consist of the following components:
- an introduction describing your workplace, its objectives and priorities, the type(s) of labor/teaching done there, and your supervisor’s expectations of you;
- a detailed description of the work you performed and how this work supported the organization’s mission and values;
- a conclusion evaluating what you learned from your experience, how your career skills improved during the semester, and how your expertise as an English major or minor contributed meaningfully to your work;
- an annotated list of resources that you found useful while working (these can include on-line resources, books, or periodicals);
- a portfolio containing a representative sample of work that you completed during the internship.
Be sure your internship supervisor understands that you will hand in some of your work as part of your final project in the course. You should strive to produce a capstone that you are proud to share with others, including your internship supervisor/sponsoring organization.