The University of Northern Iowa College of Education - Fall 2007 - (Page 10) UNI College of Education Excellence in Teacher Education Moines Public Schools, both UNI students were supported by classroom teachers Linda Killam of Andrew Jackson Elementary and Shannon Groth of Moore Elementary. Smiens incorporated her study, African-American Heroes Through Faith Ringgold, into the literacy block with third graders at Jackson. She focused on character, illustration, and theme using Ringgold’s Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky, Dinner at Aunt Connie’s House, If a Bus Could Talk, and Tar Beach. Students reflected what they learned by creating their own paper quilt blocks reminiscent of Ringgold’s trademark quilt art. White’s Reading Conference presentation explained her understanding of the power of using a single Des Moines Public Schools teacher, Kelly author/illustrator across multiple content areas Burkett, shares student responses to Faith from reading and writing poetry to a social Ringgold’s art. studies unit on urban communities to vocabulary development with an ELL student. She student taught in a third grade class at Moore Elementary. Her cooperating teacher, Shannon Groth, further developed the presentation idea by incorporating If a Bus Could Talk into guided reading instruction during the literacy block. These teachers of varying experience levels developed numerous methods to find interesting and effective ways to incorporate the work of Faith Ringgold with elementary The UNI - Des Moines Regional Student Teaching students. In the process, they confirmed the importance of Center fosters the development from student teacher to collaboration in the student teacher/cooperating teacher practicing teacher through a number of activities, including relationship and of active involvement in a professional professional presentations. Kelly Burkett, B.A. ‘06, Mallory teaching conference. Smiens, B.A. 07, and Shannon White, B.A. ’07, took advantage of this opportunity by developing presentations for the 39th Annual Beginning Reading Conference last Revised from an article by Jacquelin Smith, April at NU High/Price Laboratory School. They shared Co-Coordinator teaching and learning activities they developed related to UNI – Des Moines Regional Student Teaching Center themes from books by author/illustrator Faith Ringgold, said Jacquelin Smith, student teaching supervisor. Burkett, who just completed her first semester of teaching at Perkins Academy in the Des Moines Public Schools, shared the mini-unit she taught to her fifth-graders. Smith Shannon White shares her use of “What Will explained, “Kelly emphasized the YOU do for Peace? Impact of 9/11 on New importance of extending picture books York City Youths,” a picture book with an introduction by Faith Ringgold into upper elementary grades to spark discussion on important social issues, critically analyze art in picture book format, and employ cultural poetry as models for writing.” Burkett shared the sophisticated comments her students made about the effects of Ringgold’s artistic techniques on the reader/viewer. Smiens’ and White’s presentations reflected the importance of working collaboratively with their cooperating teachers during their student teaching experience. During their placement in the Des UNI beginning teachers share instructional ideas at Reading Conference 10 Fall 2007 http://www.uni.edu/coe/
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.