Partner Connections and Field Advisories
STEP=UP students enjoy collaborating with practicing special education teachers -
and with each other. (Click on thumbnail to see full image.)
The heart of the STEP=UP Master's Degree program is the collaboration and conversations pre-service teachers engage in with exemplary special educators working in the Chicago Public Schools (CPS). From Day 1 of the program, these experienced educators help our Master's degree students build connections between the theory they learn in their coursework and the practical realities of teaching students with special needs. Students and experienced teachers engage in a unique partnership, enjoying two-way communication as they bounce ideas off of each other and reflect on their developing practices. To reflect the special nature of this relationship, we refer to all participants in the conversation as "Partners" - pre-service teachers are our "UIC Partners" and their more experienced counterparts in the field are "CPS Partners."
STEP=UP students meet with their Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Partners at least three times per semester for structured meetings on the UIC campus. At the start of the academic year, UIC and CPS Partners come together for a Partner Connection meeting, where they introduce themselves and begin to discuss their educational experiences and interests.
Following this first introductory meeting, UIC and CPS partners continue to meet to dig deeper into questions of educational practice and meeting the needs of students with disabilities. Each Field Advisory has a theme that guides discussion and collaboration. CPS Partners help facilitate these conversations by bringing objects, or artifacts from their classrooms. The discussion is centered around the artifacts, as CPS Partners and UIC Partners discuss issues of practice in the field of special education.
Meetings Summaries
2008-2009 Academic Year
2007-2008 Academic Year
2006-2007 Academic Year
Dr. Parker-Katz and veteran CPS Partner Aaron Brown.
2005-2006 Academic Year
2004-2005 Academic Year
2003-2004 Academic Year
