Summary of Field Advisory, November 2009
Lisa Burke presents award to Mary Stalzer
STEP=UP held its final Field Advisory session on November 17, 2009. UIC students and CPS teachers collaborated one last time to share great teaching ideas and to gain further insight on how to differentiate instruction for students with disabilities using a variety of reading and writing strategies geared around students’ skill and interest level. As we wrapped up the session, we gave tribute to the outstanding level of mentorship each CPS partner provided to UIC students.
Maryan Fine
UIC student, Jamie Karlinsky shared a literacy artifact from using literature circles while working with students in an inclusion class. Using literature circles as an instructional strategy is great way to differentiate the learning. This strategy allows students to work in small groups and read a variety of texts while taking true ownership in their own learning. The teacher serves as a facilitator while the learning is very student-driven. Literature circles also give students options of literacy activities. Jamie created an activity for characterization, setting, plot and theme. During this particular day, the focus of her literacy lesson plan was characterization. She explored students’ creativity by asking questions such as, “if the character was taking a trip, what would he or she take along?” Students thought about three different things the character would bring by researching the internet, finding pictures that complemented their ideas, and created a fold out from it. If students struggled with this task, Jamie would give them a prompt to assist. During the Field Advisory, the group discussed the length of literacy activities in literature circles and found that in order to be successful, it usually takes more than one class period.
Dave Rench shared an idea on how to teach students about choices of their daily schedule. In this activity, students took small, color-coordinated lamented squares of their daily activities. Some of the activities included math, lunch, music, Drop Everything and Read (DEAR), language arts, and break time. This lesson was intended to teach students how to organize and structure their day. Depending on each student’s skill level, Dave differentiated the learning by providing three options: 1) students selected from pictures, 2) students selected from a word list, and 3) students wrote out their daily tasks. This is a strategy where reading, writing, sequencing, positive behavior, and life skills are constantly being taught and reinforced. One suggestion was to use an object for task representation for students who struggled greatly with this strategy. Dave also shared that he changes workstations and activities each week.
The Field Advisory has been a way for special education teacher candidates to interact with “real” special education teachers who work in “real” classroom settings. The lessons learned in all the Field Advisories through sharing literacy artifacts have been invaluable. The CPS partners’ expertise and guidance have been vital to the training of UIC, STEP=UP students. To recognize each CPS partner and to commemorate their commitment and effort, a special award was distributed to remind them of the incredible impact that have had on future teachers.
Dr. Michelle Parker-Katz observes collaborative talk
Maryan Fine videotaped her lesson and shares with UIC students
Another incredible literacy artifact
Dave Rench
Gholdy Muhammad presents award to Alex Horn
