The University of Northern Iowa College of Education - Fall 2007 - (Page 9) Excellence in Teacher Education Price Laboratory School (PLS), a recipient of the First Amendment Project Schools Award in 2005, provides students, teachers, and UNI teacher education and counseling students an environment where students have a meaningful voice in shaping the life of their school. As one of 16 schools selected for this project of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), PLS joins this national reform initiative of K-12 public and private schools dedicated to the teaching and practice of the rights and responsibilities of freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of religion, freedom to petition, and freedom to assemble (www.firstamendmentschools.org). Four guiding principles shape First Amendment Schools (FAS): democratic freedom, rights and responsibilities, community engagement, and active citizenship. Molly McCloskey, national FAS coordinator, views PLS as a crucial anchor of this initiative because of its ability to impact hundreds of future teachers and its history as an innovative and student-centered school. UNI teacher education and school counseling students participate in many FAS activities during their field experiences at PLS. Here are two examples to demonstrate how the FAS guiding principles operate. PLS kindergarten students showed concern about not having trashcans on the playground. Their teachers and UNI teacher education students helped them write a petition that they took to other students and teachers to sign. Fifth grade boys developed a petition to have doors placed on the stalls in their bathroom and presented it to the PLS administrators. Again, UNI teacher education students working in those classrooms helped the students draft and present their petitions. As a result, PLS now has a trashcan on the playground and curtains on the boy’s UNI College of Education Price Laboratory School: First Amendment School by Clare Struck, PLS counselor/First Amendment Schools coordinator bathroom stalls. Being a First Amendment School involves helping students understand that with rights come responsibilities. At the monthly PLS Elementary Citizenship Assemblies, students teach each other about the rights and responsibilities that go with the freedoms of speech, press, religion, assembly, and petition. At one assembly, students and teachers enthusiastically played a Deal or No Deal game about the First Amendment freedoms. A PLS teacher and her teacher education students were game hosts. At the PLS middle school, reporters for the PLS Elementary Student Council school newspaper learned members handing out flag stickers to PLS how to be honest yet kindergarten students on respectful journalists. Many Constitution Day. UNI teacher education students assigned to to meet and be with their River the newspaper class helped these Hills buddies, and planned and led students plan and edit their articles. activities for when the students visited Some topics of articles later published each others’ schools. in the local Cedar Falls newspaper Today the need to understand were: Being a New Kid: Fab or and sustain democracy is essential Frightening? Why Do We Have to living peacefully and productively Homework? and Understanding in our diverse and complex society. Teens. Price Laboratory School recognizes First Amendment Schools give that students of all ages are moral students opportunities to actively beings and contributing citizens. translate civic education into With the support of the UNI College meaningful community engagement. of Education, the Iowa Department Price Laboratory School developed a Buddy Circles program where PLS 4th of Education, the Iowa Institute for Character Development, and the First graders were partnered with children Amendment Schools network, PLS is with physical and mental disabilities committed to this ongoing challenge from River Hills School. UNI School for students to exercise their freedom Counseling graduate students in responsible and meaningful ways. conducted pre-experience interviews with the PLS 4th graders, planned and (www.intime.uni.edu/citizenship) taught lessons to prepare 4th graders Fall 2007 9 http://www.uni.edu/coe/ http://www.pls.uni.edu/ http://www.firstamendmentschools.org http://www.intime.uni.edu/citizenship
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