NEWS FROM THE OFFICE OF SCHOOL ENGAGEMENT
IN THIS ISSUE:
Experience UGA field trip initiative launched Adapted from UGA press release by Shannon Wilder
The COE Office of School Engagement together with the UGA Office of Service Learning and the Clarke County School District (CCSD) have launched Experience UGA, a new partnership that aims to bring every Clarke County student to UGA’s campus for an annual field trip and the opportunity to experience learning on a college campus, explore college options and interact with UGA students. The partnership’s vision Clarke Middle School students is that children who start learn about composting on a kindergarten in a Clarke recent Experience UGA field trip to the UGArden and the State County school will have at Botanical Garden of Georgia. least 13 opportunities to Photo: Doug Bailey visit the UGA campus by the time they graduate from high school and ultimately will come to view a post-secondary degree as an attainable option for their future. While students in Clarke County schools typically have an opportunity to participate in at least one field trip to UGA during their K–12 years, there has not been funding available or a structured plan to reach all 13,000 students every year. The field trips started in October. ––continued on page 2 www.coe.uga.edu/ose
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Co-teaching Model Launched
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Archway STEM Initiative
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Profile: Jenn James
U.S. legislative staffers engage with PDSD, visit J. J. Harris Elementary Two U.S. Senate staff members and one U.S. House of Representatives staffer learned about the College of Education (COE) and Clarke County School District (CCSD) Professional Development School District (PDSD) partnership, including a visit to J. J. Harris Elementary Charter School, as part of the UGA Legislative Staff Retreat on August 20. U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson’s staffers Brett Layson Top of page: Georgia Senator and Barton Lowrey and U.S. Congressman Paul Broun’s Johnny Isakson’s staffers staffer Jessica Hayes were particularly interested in Brett Layson (left) and education issues, so they selected the opportunity to learn Barton Lowrey (right) were greeted warmly by J. J. Harris more about UGA’s College of Education programs as part Elementary Charter School of their retreat. Randall Nuckolls, UGA Legal Counsel, students on their visit to also participated. learn more about the PDSD COE Dean Craig Kennedy and CCSD Superintendent Phil partnership on August 20. Photo: Andrew Tucker Lanoue led an opening session called Developing Expert Practitioners Through Partnerships that introduced the PDSD partnership and its goals. COE Associate Dean for Outreach and Engagement Jack Parish, CCSD Deputy Superintendent Noris Price, COE Office of School Engagement Director Janna Dresden and eight COE faculty members shared information about the PDSD history, impact, and activities and programs in the schools. Dresden emphasized that collaboration among UGA students, UGA faculty, and CCSD teachers and administrators results in: connections between research and practice, improved teacher preparation, support for practicing teachers, and improved P–12 student learning. The PDSD partnership has continued to grow each year, with 10 schools (P–12) now actively participating, including 5 schools with Professors-inResidence. This fall, 20 COE classes are being taught on-site at schools with nearly 500 COE students taking classes or student teaching in schools. ––continued on page 3 FALL 2013
NEWS FROM THE OFFICE OF SCHOOL ENGAGEMENT
FALL 2013 VOLUME 5, ISSUE 1
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Recent Experience UGA environmental education field trip to the UGArden and the State Botanical Garden of Georgia. Left: Peggy Bailey, a Clarke Middle School life science teacher, teaches seventh graders Rachel Bothe and Alice Watson about composting. Below: Arianna Parks, a seventhgrader at Clarke Middle School, learns about beekeeping. Photo: Doug Bailey
Experience UGA initiative ––continued from front “We are very pleased to continue to find innovative ways for the Clarke County School District and the University of Georgia to offer unique learning opportunities for our students,” said Superintendent Philip D. Lanoue. “By the time a student graduates from our district, our goal is that they will have seen each college or school at UGA, which will undoubtedly help students prepare and plan for post-secondary success.” In its inaugural year, Experience UGA will offer seven field trips, all hosted by a variety of academic departments and public service units across campus that are providing teacher resources, faculty expertise, student volunteers and critical funding for bus transportation—one of the biggest financial barriers to getting students to campus. The President’s Venture Fund is providing substantial support to launch this partnership. “No factor is more important to an individual’s success in life than education, particularly higher education,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. “I believe that Experience UGA will change the lives of many of the Clarke County students who come to this campus.” Planning meetings between CCSD and the UGA Office of Service-Learning and the COE Office of School Engagement began last year. Nearly 5,000 Clarke County students are expected to participate in trips led by hundreds of UGA students from service-learning courses connected to the academic content of the field trip. Trips this year range in grade level from Pre-K to high school and cover a range of curricular topics, from art and music to biological sciences:
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
• The
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State Botanical Garden, a unit of Public Service and Outreach, will offer a trip for Pre-K students to learn about forest ecosystems.
• The Georgia Museum of Art will continue to host a gallery trip for fifth-graders, while expanding to include music performances by the School of Music. • The
J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development, a unit of Public Service and Outreach, will work with sixth-grade students to develop leadership skills in their Outdoor Leadership Lab.
www.coe.uga.edu/ose
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Seventh-grade students will explore ecosystems, nutrition and food production at the State Botanical Garden and UGArden, UGA’s studentled community garden.
• The
Richard B. Russell Building Special Collections Libraries will host eighth-grade students studying Georgia history.
• The
Franklin College of Arts and Sciences and the Office of the Vice President for Research will host ninth-grade students on a tour of more than 20 biological sciences research facilities across UGA’s campus. The students will explore careers in science with UGA science students and participate in hands-on science activities.
• The Warnell
School of Forestry and Natural Resources will host 10th–12th-grade students studying environmental science, Advanced Placement environmental science and AP biology for hands-on experiences with white-tailed deer and various aquatic life.
The Experience UGA partnership plans to add additional grade-level trips each year as more curricular connections are made to UGA units and as funds to support trips are secured through private donations and grants.
Legislative Visit ––continued from front
The legislative staffers, joined by COE faculty and CCSD administrators, then visited J. J. Harris Charter Elementary School, the first PDS school, which opened in 2009. They were warmly welcomed and escorted to classrooms by J. J. Harris Elementary students.
Daigle (second from left) and COE school counseling students began a partnership with Rutland Academy this fall.
This fall, Jolie Daigle, COE associate professor and coordinator of the school counseling program, began serving as Professor-in-Residence (PIR) in a new professional partnership with Rutland Academy and Northeast Georgia RESA. The Rutland Academy partnership is an extension of the much larger Professional Development School District (PDSD) partnership between the College of Education and the Clarke County School District.
Rutland Academy is a therapeutic educational setting that serves K–12 students from Clarke County and 12 surrounding school districts. Daigle is working on the development, implementation, and assessment of a social skills curriculum and also a career development curriculum which is aligned with the requirements of the Georgia BRIDGE Act (2010). In fall 2013, 14 COE school counseling students are enrolled in a required servicelearning course offered at Rutland Academy and deliver social skills and career content to students at the academy through classroom guidance units and small group sessions. The graduate students report to the school site for a three-hour clinical block and the seminar portion of the class twice per week. Daigle is also involved in providing supervision for the COE students, professional development trainings, consultation with staff, and building relationships with post-secondary institutions and community agencies. The Rutland Academy partnership is a win-win for COE students, Rutland students, and Daigle. The partnership engages COE students in authentic learning, provides rich clinical experiences, and promotes a sense of connection and responsibility related to the context of schools. Rutland students and staff are being provided with clinical expertise, cutting-edge strategies that promote student development and success, and an integrated system for decision making, problem solving, and planning. As coordinator of the school counseling program, Daigle is staying attuned to the needs and challenges of schools and K–12 youth, promoting the counseling profession, situating counselors for prime professional experiences, and ensuring the next generation of school counselors are well prepared to work in schools. Daigle has been at UGA since 2005. Prior to 2005, Daigle worked as a professional school counselor with New Orleans Public Schools at the elementary and high school levels.
The visit culminated in conversation with principal Xernona Thomas; assistant principal Marcia Thomas; J.J. Harris Professor-inResidence Lew Allen, a faculty member in the COE Department of Educational Theory and Practice; and others. PDSD leaders are hopeful that increasing numbers of legislators will become familiar with the positive impact of PDS collaboration. FALL 2013
NEWS NEWS FROM FROM THE THE OFFICE OFFICE OF OF SCHOOL SCHOOL ENGAGEMENT ENGAGEMENT
COE School Counseling Program joins PDSD through partnership with Rutland Academy COE associate professor Jolie
The group observed two classrooms where teachers taught “model lessons” while COE students in the early childhood program circled the back of the classroom to observe. This technique, called Teaching Rounds, gives COE students the opportunity to observe particular teaching methods and then ask questions of the teacher afterwards. The staffers observed the COE students debriefing with the teachers, which “It is exciting to see demonstrated the benefit of firsthand the success of teacher education the partnership between in a reality-based the University of Georgia environment, College of Education similar to the and the Clarke County “teaching hospital” School District in model used for enhancing the learning medical students. experience of students.” Barton —Barton Lowrey, Lowrey, Field Field Representative for Representative for Senator Isakson Senator Isakson, was enthusiastic about his experience at the school. “It is exciting to see firsthand the success of the partnership between the University of Georgia College of Education and the Clarke County School District in enhancing the learning experience of students. It was great to see how actively engaged the students of J.J. Harris Elementary were in the classroom and to see UGA students gaining valuable, realworld experience that will better prepare them for their careers as effective teachers,” he said.
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PDSD LAUNCHES
In July, the Professional Development School District (PDSD) partnership launched a co-teaching model of student teaching for all schools that are now actively involved in the PDSD. The goal is that all teacher candidates (student teachers), mentor teachers, and COE teacher candidate supervisors (faculty and graduate students) will participate in professional learning on co-teaching and then utilize the co-teaching strategies throughout the student teaching semester. PDSD leaders, including Janna Dresden, Director of the COE Office of School Engagement and faculty in the Department of Educational Theory and Practice; AnnaMarie Conner, faculty in Department of Mathematics and Science Education; and Noris Price, CCSD Deputy Superintendent, were encouraged to expand co-teaching initiatives after learning of research conducted by faculty at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota that shows the co-teaching model of student teaching not only benefits teacher candidates and mentor teachers but results in higher K–12 student achievement. Co-teaching benefits include increased options for flexible grouping of students, enhanced collaboration skills for the teacher candidate and cooperating teacher, and professional support for both the cooperating teacher and the teacher candidate, among other benefits. “The co-teaching framework is energizing for both mentor teachers and teacher candidates and gives teacher candidates the opportunity to try out various approaches to classroom organization and instruction. This means that they will begin their first job with both more ‘tools’ and more confidence,” explained Dresden. Over the summer and early fall, 115 CCSD mentor teachers and 65 COE teacher candidates participated in the Co-Teaching Foundational Workshop. Fifteen COE supervisors, representing three COE departments (Educational Theory and Practice, Mathematics
The Foundational Workshop focuses on learning and practicing six co-teaching strategies. The goal is that each mentor teacher and teacher candidate pair will try out all six approaches during the semester. The strategies include:
1 One Teach-One Observe, where one teacher systematically
observes and collects data with a particular focus, while the other one teaches. The teacher candidate and mentor teacher should each spend equal time observing and being observed.
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One Teach-One Assist, where one teacher is primarily teaching while the other plays a supportive role, often moving around the room to help students.
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Parallel Teaching, where the class is divided in half and each teacher teaches the exact same lesson separately from the other; this results in a lower student to teacher ratio.
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Station Teaching, where different learning stations are set up, including some that teachers lead and others where students work independently; this is especially useful for complex content and for differentiating content by learning style.
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Alternative or Supplemental Teaching, where the students are divided into one large group and one small group, which can be helpful for differentiation.
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Team Teaching, where the lesson is team taught with no clear class leader; students benefit from two different teaching styles.
“Having my student teaching experience based around this concept of co-teaching has taught me how to teach alongside others in a meaningful way that is beneficial for both the students and teachers.”
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and Science Education, and Lifelong Education, Administration, and Policy), and 20 CCSD principals also participated in the workshop.
—Katie Farrington, COE Teacher Candidate, J. J. Harris Elementary www.coe.uga.edu/ose
STEM initiative encouraged by Archway Partnership
Lisa Pizarek, a second-grade teacher at Fowler Drive Elementary School, has been a mentor to COE teacher candidates for the past three years. She explained her excitement about the shift to the co-teaching model, saying, “I believe the co-teaching workshop has helped educators and teacher candidates realize that gone are the days in which one teacher lead teaches all day while the other assists. In order to make the most of every instructional moment, it is essential to collaboratively decide which co-teaching model will be the most effective and beneficial for student engagement. If the mentor teacher and teacher candidate are successfully co-teaching, the students benefit from having two educators actively engaged and providing insight into the lesson.” As a follow-up to the foundational training, the long-term professional learning plan is that all mentor teachers and teacher candidates will also have an additional opportunity to plan co-teaching strategies together during a two-hour co-teaching “pairs workshop” at school sites. This was piloted at J.J. Harris Elementary Charter School this fall where 32 teachers, teacher candidates and practicum students engaged in the pairs workshop, led by Lew Allen, Professor-in-Residence and COE faculty member in the Department of Educational Theory and Practice. The pairs workshop was also piloted at Barrow Elementary where 18 teachers and teacher candidates participated, led by Jenn James, Professor-in-Residence, and Denise Oen, both COE faculty members in the Department of Educational Theory and Practice. Katie Farrington, a teacher candidate at J. J. Harris Elementary this semester, commented, “Having my student teaching experience based around this concept of co-teaching has taught me how to teach alongside others in a meaningful way that is beneficial for both the students and teachers. I believe that I now have the capability to become a well-rounded teacher who understands how to work with both students and collaborating teachers because of this semester at J.J. Harris Elementary School.” For more information on the St. Cloud State University Academy for Co-teaching and Collaboration see: www.stcloudstate.edu/soe/coteaching
This summer, the Archway Benjamin Parker, a COE doctoral Partnership and College of Education student, is assisting the Hart continued their commitment to County School System with their STEM education focus as part of their community partners and the UGA Archway Partnership work brought Benjamin Parker aboard supported by the Office of School as a graduate assistant. Parker’s Engagement. background in education allows him to work with partner counties and address their specific educational goals. He is currently assisting Hart County with their STEM initiative at the elementary level as well as working with a team in DaltonWhitfield County on their ongoing early literacy initiative. Parker is Ph.D. student in the Department of Educational Theory and Practice at the University of Georgia. His focus is on educational access, equity, and community partnerships. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, a master’s degree in middle and secondary level instruction from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, as well as a level I teaching certificate from Delaware Valley College. In addition to his doctoral program, Parker is a member of the UGA Obesity Initiative and volunteers as a conversation partner in an adult ESL class in Clarke County. Prior to his work at UGA, he taught both seventh-grade and eighth-grade social studies at Grover Cleveland Public School located in Philadelphia, Pa. He also worked as a program technician for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Lancaster, Pa., implementing programs for the farming community of Lancaster County. Parker is excited to continue his work in Georgia and provide assistance to local communities with educational needs. FALL 2013
NEWS FROM THE OFFICE OF SCHOOL ENGAGEMENT
Last spring, Hilsman Middle School teacher Nick Hussein (left) and COE teacher candidate Rich Pavone (right) (now a teacher at Hilsman) used co-teaching strategies in their math classroom. Photo: Paul Efland
In an effort to engage students in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), school leaders in Hart County, Ga., have developed a plan of action. Partnering with the UGA Archway Partnership and Office of School Engagement, the Hart County School System is implementing a STEM initiative. Already a bring your own technology (BYOT) program has been piloted at the high school level, and now the elementary schools are ready to participate. Working with three designated STEM facilitators from the Hart County School System, the Archway partnership is providing workshops to help develop the teaching of STEM at the elementary level. An emphasis is being placed on student-created activities that will incorporate important concepts from the STEM fields using a crossdisciplinary approach.
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PROFESSOR-IN-RESIDENCE PROFILE
Jenn James at Barrow Elementary School This article is the fourth in a series of profiles of Professors-inResidence at Professional Development Schools.
“My two favorite things about being a Professor-in-Residence are learning with and from kids and engaging in collaborative work with teachers,” said Jenn James, the new Professor-in-Residence (PIR) at Barrow Elementary School and associate professor in the COE Department of Educational Theory and Practice. “I love the idea of the PIR; as a faculty member, it’s exciting to play a part in the day-to-day business of schools,” she added. James has had an active relationship with Barrow since she came to UGA in 2010, with increasing levels of involvement each year. In many ways, she served as PIR before she gained the official title this fall. She began her involvement as a parent of children who attended the school and worked with four teachers supporting enrichment clusters. In 2010–11 she taught undergraduates on-site at the school, and the “My two favorite things following year she taught a freshmen about being a ProfessorOdyssey class. Last year she taught in-Residence are learning her elementary social studies with and from kids and methods class, a second freshman engaging in collaborative Odyssey course, and a servicework with teachers.” learning course called “Hunger in Our Schools” for undergraduates and graduate students. In addition, she conducted research with teachers in the school and offered professional learning for teachers.
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
“The PDS work has grown out of the needs of the school. The teachers, staff, and principal, Ellen Sabatini, have been actively involved in collaboratively designing the UGA classes I have taught on-site, and many of them have participated in those classes,” she explained.
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This year the PDS components at Barrow have expanded extensively, including more on-site classes, professional learning, and research. Currently, 50 COE students take their social studies methods class at the school, twice the number from last year. James supervises the graduate students who teach the courses, and they all work collaboratively with the teachers to ensure that the COE students can support the Barrow students’ learning in meaningful ways. This fall the COE students pre-assessed the second-grade and fourth-grade students and are now designing learning centers that help Barrow students learn social studies concepts. James has noticed the COE students are greatly benefiting by experiencing a class on-site at a school early in their preparation www.coe.uga.edu/ose
Jenn James, associate professor in the Department of Educational Theory and Practice, is the new Professor-in-Residence at Barrow Elementary School. Photo: Paul Efland
program. “The COE students at Barrow become a part of the school community. It starts to feel like ‘home’—where they work with others to learn and co-design experiences with teachers. They have a sustained school experience and feel comfortable at the school. Another benefit is getting to see university folks and school district folks partnering in authentic ways—we all have the same goals and respect each other,” she explained. Barrow students also benefit from the COE students participating in their classrooms. “The Barrow students love to have the UGA students in the room and have developed close relationships with them. The teachers attest to the children connecting to college students and trying things they haven’t before—their confidence grows,” James explained. This year James is also engaged in on-going professional learning with teachers focused on integrating content across subjects, especially integrating English/Language Arts, social studies and science. Teachers also consider how to meet students’ physical, emotional and social needs when collaboratively planning across subject areas. “Having Jenn as a Professor-in-Residence at Barrow has been a great experience. She is always available for feedback on integrating lessons across the curriculum, providing resources, or offering ideas and advice on effective instructional strategies,” said second-grade teacher Carrie Yawn. “Through the PDS, the Barrow teachers have opportunities to play an active role in teacher education. They connect with others, and we grow together. Not only might they have a student teacher, but many teachers are also co-constructing UGA classes, giving feedback on COE student work, presenting at the national PDS conference, and engaging in research,” James explained. James’ research on building elementary students’ 21st-century skills has been integrated into her PDS work at Barrow. Two teachers in particular, Rita Foretich and Glennda Shealey, have participated on the research team with James over the past two years. The Spencer Foundation-
“Through the PDS, the Barrow teachers have opportunities to play an active role in teacher education.”
This year, an added focus is building interpersonal skills through “talk time,” where children learn skills such as active listening, collaboration and empathy building through ongoing dialogue about authentic community problems. The research team meets two hours every week to assess what students are learning through their experiences. They have developed a curriculum for “talk time” and “heart time,” as well as a number of assessment tools for capturing civic competencies at different points and within differing contexts. Ideas sparked by the research have spread across the school. This year, the entire fourth-grade has incorporated “heart time” into its curriculum. A proposal has been submitted to expand the research to three classrooms (kindergarten, second and fourth-grades) over the course of four years. In addition to on-site classes, professional learning, and research, James also supervises three student teachers. Nine student teachers are placed at Barrow this fall, all of whom participated in the co-teaching training offered through the PDSD last summer. In September, James deepened the new co-teaching model of student teaching by co-leading a “Pairs Workshop” with COE clinical assistant professor Denise Oen for all nine student teachers and their mentor teachers to continue to strengthen the co-teaching model. Oen also supervises student teachers, and COE assistant professor Jaime Diamond further strengthens the PDS by teaching an elementary math methods class at Barrow. Prior to coming to UGA, James was a professor at Kent State University where she was very involved in their Professional Development School partnership, so when she came to UGA, she was eager to get involved in the PDS partnership with Clarke County School District.
“At Kent State, I remember thinking the PDS is what teacher education is—it’s not sitting in a college classroom. It is teacher education at a whole new level. Now, the fact that I can work with Barrow teachers, collaborating in an effort to enhance teacher education, that adds a whole other layer,” she said. Reflecting on the PDSD partnership as a whole, James said, “I think the greatest strength of the CCSD and UGA partnership is its flexibility. The work has to look different at every school.” One example of Barrow’s uniqueness is that it is a state model technology school, and the newly renovated building has integrated technology into all aspects of the learning environment. Not surprisingly, PDS collaboration related to instructional technology has emerged as a result. T. J. Kopcha, COE assistant professor in Learning, Design, and Technology and Barrow Professor on Special Assignment (POSA), together with COE doctoral student Carol Buller McGee collaborate with the Barrow media specialist Andy Plemmons to provide on-going professional learning to teachers on integrating instructional technology into their classrooms. Through this growing partnership, led by James and others, Barrow is a shining example of collaboration that benefits everyone involved!
Top: Jenn James (left) and Barrow Elementary School teacher Glennda Shealey (right) problem solve with a group of students during Heart Time. Above: Jenn James listens as two Barrow Elementary students work on writing a piece of music during Heart Time. “The beat is the most important part,” one of them said. Photos: Paul Efland FALL 2013
NEWS FROM THE OFFICE OF SCHOOL ENGAGEMENT
funded research focuses on three dimensions of students’ civic learning: cognitive (creative thinking, meta-cognition, reasoning, and critical thinking), interpersonal (perspective taking, symbiotic relationship building, and collaboration), and intrapersonal (self-esteem, self-knowledge, and efficacy). Last year the research team focused on building intrapersonal skills and self-esteem through “heart time” where students engaged in pursuing a personal passion for one hour each week.
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Contact Us: Office of School Engagement
Our Purpose: The Office of School Engagement (OSE) at the University of Georgia serves as a bridge between the worlds of theory and practice in P–16 public education to improve the educational experiences of students and the professional lives of educators.
Dr. Janna Dresden, Director 629F Aderhold Hall Phone: 706-542-8491 Email: jdresden@uga.edu OSE Newsletter Writer and Editor: Erica Gilbertson Email: ericag@uga.edu
www.coe.uga.edu/ose
Professional Development Schools Workshop
2014
Forming Sustainable School District & University Partnerships Are you interested in learning more about the potential benefits of strong school-university partnerships? Or are you interested in forming or strengthening a Professional Development School (PDS) partnership between your school district and your local college or university? The University of Georgia, College of Education and the Clarke County School District formed a partnership in 2009, which has grown to include 10 active Professional Development School sites. College of Education courses are taught at the local schools, and university faculty work with school-based teachers and administrators on a variety of initiatives.
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
In this two-day workshop, faculty and administrators from the University of Georgia College of Education and Clarke County School District will lead participant teams through Professional Development School (PDS) visits (pre-K through 12th grade) and working sessions on how to build sustainable partnerships, create a model that serves both institutions, and maximize the benefits of PDSs for all stakeholders. Participant teams are encouraged to include both school district members (principals, teachers, administrators) and university teacher educators.
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New this year: time for networking with other PDS partnerships across Georgia. We’ll share successes and innovations from PDS work around Georgia.
PRESENTED BY: Please share with your colleagues ~ we hope you will join us! www.coe.uga.edu/ose
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February 12–13, 2014 Day 1: 10:00am–8:00pm Day 2: 8:00am–4:00pm UGA Hotel and Conference Center, Athens, GA COST: $200 on or before December 20, 2013. After December 20, 2013: $225 Day 2 Registration Fee (for 2013 participants only): $80 (Includes lunch) REGISTER BY: January 21, 2014 For more information about the workshop, contact Erica Gilbertson, Project Manager, University of Georgia College of Education, Office of School Engagement, ericag@uga.edu