Stepping into 2003, the 6-year-old PDS program has seen another busy, yet accomplished semester, thanks to the hard work of the 24 student teachers and the support of the cooperating teachers, instructional resource teachers and teaching assistants with whom they work.

This fall, student teachers teaching at Lincoln Elementary School under the supervision of IRT Cookie Miller are Leanne Bongers in the fourth grade with Kari Petre, Pam Brandt in the fifth grade with Sandy Waity and Evan Wothington in the fifth grade with Adrienne Pressman.

Madeleine Para is currently completing her PreK-3 certification. She is teaching kindergarten at Midvale elementary school with Catherine Gronemus. Also at Midvale, Katrina Purdue is teaching first grade Language Arts with Sara Gramer. Both of the student teachers are supervised by Mary Klehr. Preschool student teachers Erin Jury and Duy Van Nguyen are teaching 3- and 4-year-olds with Brenda Maccoux and Dara Smida, respectively.

Student teachers are at Thoreau in several grade levels. At the fifth-grade level, student teachers Alison Auda and Missy Buer are working with their respective cooperating teachers, Heidi Nielsen and Amy Marty. Laura Inman is teaching the fourth grade with her cooperating teacher, Jone Kiefer, teaming with special education teacher Tina Fedora. First-grade student teachers Barbara Marshment, Sandy Musacchio and Sandy Skarda are involved in SAGE classrooms, in which the student-to-teacher ratio is 1 to 15. They are working with their cooperating teachers, Elizabeth Schwan, Kristina Auby and Julie Schultz. All the student teachers are supervised by IRT Nancy Booth.

Two student teachers are working with supervisor Mary Wright at Cherokee Middle School: Gretchen Plummer in the sixth grade with Deb Stamler and Emily Grube in the seventh grade with Mary Thilly. Both Gretchen and Emily are focusing in the areas of Language Arts and Social Studies.

In the Memorial-Jefferson PDS site, 11 student teachers are working toward their secondary certification under the guidance of PDS Coordinator Barbara Smith. They are: Christine Kleckner and Creed Hansen teaching English, Sarah Lam and Amanda Jones teaching Special Education, Andrea Peterson and Holly Reeser teaching Science, Chris Wilbur teaching Social Studies, Starra Priestaf teaching French, Judy Schulz teaching Spanish, Ryan Meisel teaching Band and Amy Washburn teaching Family Consumer Education.

In addition to the student teachers placed at the six PDS sites, 27 students are fulfilling math/science/social studies and literacy practicum requirements by working closely with teachers at all of the professional development schools. Five of these students are at Midvale, three at Lincoln, eight at Memorial, nine at Cherokee and two at Thoreau.

"It was very beneficial to observe the various classrooms at Lincoln. To see a variety of teachers and teaching styles "in action" was a great opportunity for us novice teachers." —John O. Taylor

"During this writing methods course, I have learned a lot about writing in different genre forms and how to implement these strategies within a classroom." —Erin Olson

"It was great to hear from teachers who have practical experience with the ideas and theories we were talking about. Having guest speakers each week helped me make connections between readings and the actual classroom." —Melanie Swandby

Two methods courses for the Literacy Practicum students are again being offered at the PDS sites this fall. One course, C&I 368: The Teaching of Reading, is designed for students who are obtaining early childhood-middle childhood certification, and is being taught by Jennifer Moe at Midvale Elementary School. The other, C&I 369: The Teaching of Language Arts: Preschool through Middle School, Grades PK-3, is being led by Amy Johnson at Lincoln Elementary School.

Both courses have similar requirements and orientation to literacy learning, instruction and assessment. However, the reading methods course focuses more on the theories, research and practices involved in reading instruction, while the language arts course focuses more on writing, listening, talking, viewing and visually representing.

In both classes, pre-service teachers regularly visit Lincoln and Midvale classrooms to observe practicing teachers and to investigate students' developing literacy. "I think the students enjoy the opportunity at Midvale," said Jennifer Moe. "And I like the whole setup, the observations, guest speakers paralleled with course readings."

"Having the class at Lincoln helps the students to apply theory and strategies they learned in class," said Amy Johnson who has taught C&I 369 twice. "By observing a variety of classes, the students can better understand how to incorporate the literacy standards in the classroom."

Teachers from Lincoln and Midvale regularly attend the two courses to share their experiences and expertise. They said that they remember how much they wished that someone would have given them advice when they were preparing to teach, so they were glad to share ideas with future teachers.

Many students said that they enjoyed having the class in a school setting. "It has been a great experience to observe literacy in action," said practicum student Katie Preston. "The guest speakers were very insightful and the classrooms were very inviting."

"Having class at Lincoln was awesome because we got to sit in on many different classrooms to see how [the teachers] set up their classrooms and use literacy in many different ways," Andy Millor, another practicum student, added. "The teachers were so friendly, offering to let us walk around and answer any questions we may have."

To begin the discussion, IRT Cookie Miller posed two questions: "What are the components of teaching that have to do with management? And what have you learned so far in classrooms about this?"

On Friday, November 22, 2002, a group of student teachers and practicum students gathered in a classroom at Midvale Elementary School with their two supervisors—Mary Klehr and Cookie Miller—and Professor Ken Zeichner, Associate Dean of the UW-Madison School of Education. The topic of this Midvale-Lincoln PDS weekly seminar was "Classroom Management".

To begin the discussion, IRT Cookie Miller posed two questions: "What are the components of teaching that have to do with management? And what have you learned so far in classrooms
about this?"

"Classroom management includes planning and managing time, space, materials and activities using knowledge of individual and group needs," one student teacher answers.

"It also means to work with students to create a classroom environment that is respectful of others," another student teacher added. New student teachers bring problems they encountered in class to the discussion so that others and the supervisors can make suggestions.

The student teachers also got a chance to talk to Professor Zeichner and the two supervisors about their progress in constructing their e-portfolios. Meanwhile, practicum students discussed how to get everything done in a timely way and the importance of lesson plans.

The on-site seminars have become a tradition of the PDS program. They not only provide an opportunity for the student teachers, practicum students and supervisors to share experiences and brainstorm ideas, but also strengthen the partnership between schools and the university.

Besides Lincoln and Midvale, other PDS sites such as Cherokee, Thoreau and Memorial also hold seminars regularly. Topics range from classroom management to technology application, from cultural connection to legal responsibilities and contract issues, from urban communities to racial problems. By attending the seminars, students get a precious opportunity to share and analyze their experiences and exchange ideas.

Barbara Smith, PDS coordinator at Memorial High School, said, "One of the most important benefits of holding the seminars is to build a sense of community among students of different subjects and disciplines."

On a beautiful Thursday morning at Midvale Elementary School, 10 first-grade students are passionately designing their favorite "houses around the world". Student teacher Katrina Purdue, together with cooperating teacher Sara Gramer, walk around and talk to the students to make sure that every child enjoys his/her work.

"Although this is a language arts class, we do integrated themes once or twice in a week," said Katrina. "What we are doing today is a unit called 'houses around the world'. It is designed to connect social studies with language arts."

Obviously, the project arouses the students' interest. They write and draw, stopping from time to time to look at their world map. It is incredible to see the kids' imagination and creativity. A variety of places in the world are chosen: Norway, Alaska, Florida, Vietnam, Haiti, Mexico...

"Ahren, why did you choose Alaska?" asks Katrina.

"Because I like to go fishing. I think it will be even more fun to go ice fishing there, " answers Ahren pointing to the world map.

"Do you know what their weather is like?" asks Katrina.

"Cold. There is snow, wind and storms," answers Ahren confidently.

"Then what do you build with to make your house safe?"

"I use bricks, logs, fabric and cement. I also put a chimney there to keep myself warm," said Ahren.

Later, every student has a chance to present his or her work to the whole class.

"I built an adobe house in Mexico with sticks so that fresh air can come in," one girl shows her project proudly.

Together, Katrina and her students go through every piece of work, stopping frequently to identify familiar words, helping each other define new ones. "It is incredible to see the progress the kids are making in reading and writing day by day," remarks Katrina. "They are so imaginative and willing to learn. They have a lot of energy."

Katrina Purdue is one of the 24 student teachers currently teaching in MadisonÕs PDS schools this semester. Prepared to work specifically in environments with diverse student populations, Katrina, like other student teachers in the PDS program, is exploring creative and culturally sensitive ways to meet her students' unique needs, as well as challenge them academically.

"We did a jazz unit earlier this semester, talking about different jazz musicians such as Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. We also learned some sign language together so that throughout the music, the kids can learn to appreciate different cultures," said Katrina.

Like Katrina, other PDS student teachers also developed multiple ways to enhance their students' academic skills within their classroom walls.

At Thoreau this fall, student teachers Alison Auda and Melissa Buer at the 5th-grade level worked with their respective cooperating teachers, Heidi Nielsen and Amy Marty, to create a newspaper unit in which the students produced their own classroom newspaper.

Fourth-grade student teacher Laura Inman and her cooperating teacher, Jone Kiefer, have used various instructional strategies when working with a full inclusion model classroom, teaming with special education teacher Tina Fedora.

Thanks to an additional $31,000 grant to the School of Education from Hewlett-Packard, Cherokee Middle School students have had the use of 12 more laptops, along with five more wireless access points, since last fall. That brings the total number of wireless computers at the school under MobiLAN ONE to 45.

According to Margaret Stern, a School of Education project assistant, the additional laptops will be used across all subjects, including Spanish and bilingual education. This will give students access to a wider range of Internet resources, such as Web sites that help students understand different cultures. The original Hewlett-Packard "wireless classroom" was used specifically to enhance science and math education.

"The goals of the grant are to enhance learning opportunities for K-12 students, to give student teachers and practicum students more training and experience with technology and to study the impact of technology on student performance and teacher practice," said Margaret. "The grant is also designed to bring the benefits of technology tools to low-income, ethnically diverse students."

The generous grant offered by Hewlett-Packard offers students and teachers the very latest technology at their fingertips. At a PDS seminar in November, Margaret Stern and student teacher Melissa Kurth gave a demonstration on Discourse software using the HP mobile laptop station to about 18 pre-service teachers at Cherokee.

"The Discourse program allows the teacher to have communication with every student in class," Melissa explained to the pre-service teachers. "The student can comment on current events, gives answers to math, and the teacher may have access to the students' computer and give feedback right away. Therefore more active participation is guaranteed."

The Professional Development Schools Partnership announced a variety of spring semester courses for teachers at Midvale, Lincoln, Thoreau and Cherokee schools.

At Lincoln School, a five-session course on Supervision of Student Teachers will be held Thursdays, from 4 to 6 p.m., starting January 16. This will help teachers meet the certification requirement for working with student teachers.

On Tuesdays, starting February 4, courses in conversational Spanish will be offered to help staff communicate with Spanish- speaking families. Three choices will be offered:

• Beginning Conversational Spanish
  for 1 PAC/10 DPI hours at Thoreau
  
• Beginning Conversational Spanish
  for 2 PAC/10 DPI hours at Midvale
  
• Intermediate Conversational Spanish
  for 1 PAC/10 DPI hours at Cherokee

Each PDS site will also be organizing a study group focused on culturally responsive teaching. Watch for upcoming flyers about each course in January.

At the end of the fall semester, 11 student teachers at Cherokee, Thoreau, Midvale and Lincoln schools presented their electronic teaching portfolios to their supervisors, cooperating teachers, and classmates.

The 11 student teachers presented artifacts to show their progress toward their personal teaching goals. They specifically illustrated the main themes of educational philosophy, community building, classroom management, teaching and learning standards. The student teachers also shared creative teaching ideas with each other.

Emily Grube, an elementary education student teacher at Cherokee, demonstrated the Glaciers Unit she developed for her fourth-grade class with a detailed description of how she applied pictures, video clips, typographic maps, etc., to make her teaching more attractive in class.

Sandra Lynn Skarda, a first-grade student teacher at Thoreau said, "My philosophy of teaching is that it is important to get to know the students, their interests, their families and backgrounds. So, every week, I eat lunch in groups with the children to get to know them better through discussions about their lives outside of school."

As a central element in the development of pre-service teachers, the portfolio provides students with a golden opportunity to reflect on what they have accomplished and to share with each other their growth and learning. Electronic portfolios make the assembling of a professional portfolio easier since it is possible to create links that allow a single item to describe one's accomplishments in a variety of contexts. However, the challenges of learning a new software tool while comprehending the best use of the portfolio opportunity can be difficult.

According to Supervisors Nancy Booth and Mary Wright, many students started to prepare the portfolios earlier this semester. "They were very thoughtful in gathering evidence that demonstrated their growth over time as teachers and were much clearer about their expectations," said the supervisors. Many students indicated that they learned a lot through the process of developing the electronic portfolios, and it also improved their ability to use portfolios as teaching tools with their future students.

The student teachers' hard work was applauded by the supervisors and UW staff. "I think the portfolios are very reflective and professional," commented Jackie Hass, Portfolio Consultant of the Educational Placement & Career Services. "The PDS program has been doing the electronic teaching portfolio presentations for at least 5 semesters. Each semester, we learn more about how to make the presentations more educative," said Ken Zeichner, Associate Dean of the School of Education. "I am very pleased to see that the presentations this semester are very focused, structured and substantive."

On a warm day this past August, I found myself strolling State Street and Bascom Hill, recalling fond memories of UW-Madison. Then as I drove to the west side to meet a friend, I went past Thoreau Elementary School and Cherokee Middle School, remembering all the amazing teachers and students I worked along side of during my semesters of student teaching in the PDS community. It was on this trip to Madison that I reconnected with Dr. Ken Zeichner to talk about my experiences as a recent graduate.

As I reflect on my short career as a teacher, three and a half years working in New York City's PS 126, I am reminded of how my experiences in Madison prepared me for the kind of work I do each day with my second grade students and families.

PS 126 is located in lower Manhattan, near Chinatown. It serves nearly 550 students in grades Pre-K to 8. Many of my students have recently immigrated to the country from China, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. It is true that teaching in this urban school is different from the schools I attended in Marinette, Wisconsin, but teaching and learning with the faculty at 126 has been an exciting experience.

My final student teaching experience with Nan Youngerman (now at Madison's Spring Harbor MS) still stays with me as I make decisions in my classroom each day. And the PDS partnership was an excellent example in the kind of collegiality that is needed in order to make real reform in schools. I can recall Friday afternoon seminars where my fellow student teachers and I would discuss and grapple with the same issues that my colleagues and I at PS 126 discuss now. Learning how to be a reflective practitioner among other reflective practitioners changed the way I thought about the profession.

Today I still think of myself as a reflective teacher-researcher. Just as I did as an undergraduate at UW, I have conducted action research projects. As a funded MetLife fellow with the Teachers Network Policy Institute (www.teachersnetwork.org), I conduct and publish a research study each year, and disseminate it to local state and federal policy makers.

It is invigorating to be part of such a fine group of New York City teachers who care about making greater social changes because of what we know from our classroom experiences. Being a part of social change and school reform is really at the heart of my experiences. I have always believed that my job as a teacher included advocacy for children's rights. Children do not have a vote in political decisions. As adults, we do vote and we need to advocate for children's issues. My work with action research in PS 126 helps me do this advocacy work. I encourage others who want to do similar work to investigate urban districts and work with some unforgettable children and families.
— Sara Picard

Dear Student Teachers,
Congratulations, you are graduating! Your lead weeks are nearly complete and the final good-byes to your students are just around the corner. This is an exciting time, and even a bit scary. After four or more years of late nights writing lesson plans, the real world is awaiting your arrival.

Luckily, you are well-prepared for what lies ahead. Mentored by dedicated, master teachers, you developed many skills that will serve you well in the field of education. During my student teaching experience I learned how to be a professional, how to be proactive, how to be flexible, and how to teach my students and even myself. I also learned to laugh at mistakes and frustrations, probably the most valuable lesson I took away from the experience. Even a year after graduation, I still think of walking the halls of Lincoln School, where I completed my student teaching. I remember it as a warm and welcoming home, a place where I could find staff members to laugh with and learn from. The students' arrival to the classroom each morning made me smile and helped me appreciate my place in the teaching profession. I remember my experience fondly, and hope you will remember yours similarly.

After leaving UW, I found myself in a foreign world where schedules from EASI weren't available to tell me where to go every hour. I was confused by the transition, to say the least. My only clarity was in understanding that I needed to find a job. While on the job hunt, I began to reflect on my past experiences in the field of education and where I fit best. At that point, my sense of self was open to change and I realized that my future was completely in my control. After doing some soul-searching, I remembered that the education field stretches far beyond schools. As a result, museum education became my path of choice.

My work in the field of education now includes daily encounters with sharks, eels, and dolphins, as well as elementary school teachers and students. Museums and Public Schools (MAPS) is collaboration between Chicago's museums and the Chicago Public Schools. Within this program, Shedd works intensively with the Art Institute of Chicago to design, implement, and extend an integrated fourth-grade curriculum on the concepts of adaptation and migration. More specifically, I facilitate the visit of teachers and students to Shedd, and also meet with the teachers and principals involved to support their needs in the schools. From assessing lessons to teaching about the Amazon River, my favorite part of the MAPS program is that it keeps me connected to the classroom.

In addition to the MAPS program, I also facilitate Teacher Services at Shedd. While working with dynamic and dedicated staff members, I have become involved with numerous projects that aim to support teachers in schools across the state of Illinois. Although I miss the classroom at times, I truly enjoy working in museum education. My position offers me the opportunity to learn and to teach. Beginning at Lincoln-Midvale and continuing at Shedd, I have been fortunate to work within environments dedicated to education...It just doesn't get much better than that! And now it is your turn to prepare for your career in the field of education. Recognize that you have many skills to ensure your success. Understand that we all still have a lot to learn. And always remember to laugh. Best of luck, Jess Wood

Cherokee School
http://www.madison.k12.wi.us/203.htm

The Cherokee cyberzine:
http://www.madison.k12.wi.us/cherokee/cyberzine/cyberzine.html

Madison Memorial
http://www.madison.k12.wi.us/jmm

Midvale-Lincoln Pair
http://www.madison.k12.wi.us/midlinc/edindex.htm

Thoreau School
http://www.madison.k12.wi.us/023.htm

Madison Metropolitan School District
http://www.madison.k12.wi.us/

Madison Teachers Incorporated (MTI)
http://www.madisonteachers.org

PK16 Project
http://labweb.education.wisc.edu/pk16

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