September 26, 2006 Partner Connection
Torrie shares a personal artifact.
The Fall 2006 Partner Connection was held on Sept 26, 2006. UIC and Chicago Public Schools special educators (STEP=UP partners) gathered for the first time to meet and begin to form relationships. UIC students and CPS teachers brought personal artifacts chosen to help them share something about themselves.
After these personal introductions, CPS Partners shared literacy artifacts from their classrooms. The room was buzzing with discussions, questions and opinions related to the artifacts. The artifacts were of different types – some partner teachers brought lesson plans that they had designed, some brought in books that they have used in their classrooms and some brought in models and examples of students’ work. The artifacts also reflected the remarkable diversity of students with whom STEP=UP partner teachers work, spanning a wide age range of ages and abilities, and the wide array of content taught.
One CPS partner brought an illustration that one of his students had created, which was a retell of the story of Romeo and Juliet. The partner then led UIC students in a discussion around using art and movies to encourage students’ understanding and appreciation of literature. Students have many talents and gifts, he argued, for us teachers to tap.
A few of the literacy artifacts in one group sparked a great discussion of differentiated instruction. Two partners in the group stressed how the importance of changing teaching and activities for all students to experience success. It can also be, they thought, an excellent way of including special education students in general education classrooms. One CPS partner lamented that most general education teachers think that special education class content is less significant and rich than the content of general education classes. However, he insisted that the approaches, methods, and materials used in special education, if applied to general education, would benefit all students.
Some other interesting and thought-provoking artifacts included:
One CPS Partner teacher shared how she used restaurant menus to develop different math skills and concepts across various age groups and understanding levels.
Another partner’s students construct visual timelines of their lives as a way to develop literacy, reading and writing skills. The teacher also learned a lot about her students in this activity, and will draw on this knowledge to help shape her lessons and better reach students on a more personal level.
One CPS partner brought in a kit of materials he'd borrowed from a museum on dinosaurs, and showed how he used that to develop children’s science content knowledge, understanding and literacy skills.
Another CPS partner brought stories that students had written based on photographs of a downtown Chicago trip all students had taken. She talked about how each student has very different needs and abilities, and discussed how this was reflected in their writing about the experience. Students discussed the ways in which a single activity can be modified so that students of all abilities can get something out of it and continue to grow and develop at their own paces.
Overall this session provided UIC and CPS partners a chance to get to know each other, and to begin building relationships that will continue over the current academic year.
UIC and CPS Partners begin to get to know each other.
Maria presents her literacy artifact to a group of UIC students.
STEP=UP students and Partner teachers listen to an introduction.
