November 14, 2006 Field Advisory
This schedule uses
pictures to identify
daily activities.
The last Field Advisory of the fall semester was held on Tuesday, November 14, 2006. The interactions and productivity were high as everyone seemed to understand what a valuable opportunity a field advisory can be. UIC and CPS partners alike were eager to get the most out of this experience before finishing the semester and enjoying the holidays.
As always, literacy artifacts dealt with a wide range of topics. One of the partners talked about the need for schedules, and how to create flexible schedules for each child, based on his/her reading level. It was also suggested that a non-traditional schedule can also be helpful. Using pictures to identify daily tasks or activities makes the schedule accessible to most students and lets them feel ready for the day. Another partner brought a form that she had created to help children with transition planning and thinking about what careers they would like to pursue. One of the exciting resources that a partner brought in was the Ant-Tunnel, a low cost resource that gets his students excited about observing the activity and behavior of ants. Students use literacy skills to access answers to questions on the internet and through other sources. They do associated writing activities, too. The ant-tunnel also keeps them occupied and free of behavior problems.
The discussion of educational issues led by UIC students was also diverse. One group discussed how NCLB affects special education based on their experiences and what they had learnt from various seminars and workshops. This group as well as another discussed how new teachers can measure their quality and effectiveness in the context of NCLB. Another group discussed issues related to co-teaching and behavior management that a student had recently experienced. Yet another group considered the role of parents as collaborators. Their discussion focused on teaching "life skills" and they talked about how it is important to encourage parents to give their children the opportunity to apply the skills learned in class to the real world by taking the lead while ordering at a restaurant or navigating a grocery store.
Gladys emphasizes a point about student learning.
Gene considers examples of student work from Amber Lee's classroom.
Morgan shows UIC Partners the ant farm his class has been observing.
