September 12, 2006 Chicago Public Schools Partners' Professional Development
Partner teachers consider ways to initiate
conversations with STEP=UP students.
On September 12, 2006, STEP=UP staff were delighted to welcome to UIC a group of 17 special education teachers for a Partner Professional Development workshop. As teachers in Chicago Public Schools, these teachers brought a wide range of experience, teaching grades as diverse as primary elementary through senior year high school. "Partners" work with UIC students throughout the UIC masters program. Of the 17, about 2/3 returned from last year and we ushered in the other newcomers.
During the workshop, STEP=UP staff members engaged partner teachers in lively small-group discussions about literacy and the teaching of literacy. Each teacher shared an artifact from his or her classroom, and talked about what that artifact allowed the teacher to demonstrate about literacy learning in the classroom. Together the groups considered different ways to present the artifacts in their conversations with STEP=UP students. They also considered how to go about selecting artifacts that reflect different views of what literacy can be. In STEP=UP, we view "literacy" as the actions of reading, writing, speaking and listening. In conversations with UIC students, we believe that partners can share authentic examples of literacy learning and teaching, and how they planned and problem-solved to support all students' learning.
In a larger group discussion, partner teachers shared their insights about literacy. They continued to expand their visions of what literacy instruction encompasses, including how images and different ways to use language are part of literacy. They then shifted their conversation to consider how this plays out in teacher preparation. Partners considered how they could articulate to UIC teacher candidates their reasoning and processes for teaching literacy. The focus of the discussion centered around finding ways for K-12 students to access literacy, and how partners can demonstrate through their artifacts and discussions varied strategies, skills and knowledge that UIC teacher candidates can learn in order to carry out good instruction in all curriculum areas.
Partner teachers prepare to present some of their
ideas about what literacy means.
Partner teachers consider ideas for selecting artifacts
that will provoke meaningful discussions.
Rosalinda's artifact is a personal timeline one
of her students created in her class.
Teachers share ideas about literacy instruction.
