(September 21, 2006) Elementary Education majors recently took the opportunity to visit the PDS Showcase to gain first-hand information on Professional Development School (PDS) sites.
The PDS program offers senior education students at Illinois State University a year-long experience in a public school that replaces the 16-week student-teaching semester. Interns are able to experience an entire year of school, from classroom setup through end of the year activities. During the first semester of the senior year, the intern completes his or her professional coursework and clinical experiences at the PDS site. During the second semester, the Illinois state student assumes responsibility for planning and instruction as a student teacher.
The annual PDS Showcase provided an opportunity for sophomore and junior teacher candidates to visit representatives from the six PDS sites in the state and collect information vital to make an informed decision in determining where to do their extended student teaching experience. Representatives from Chicago's Little Village, Elgin Unit #46, Normal Unit #5, Pekin District #108, Springfield District #186, and Wheeling District #21 had displays available and brochures to share. Prospective students were able to speak with site coordinators, instructors and current interns, ask questions, and at times, get answers to questions they did not even know to ask.
Savannah Sherrill, senior elementary education major from Wauconda, IL, is an intern at the Pekin PDS. She chose the Pekin site because she wanted to remain on campus her senior year. She commutes 45 minutes to a school district that is totally removed from the university to be part of that professional staff, while still "getting the good parts of being on campus." In describing her experience so far this semester, she says, "She feels supported and nurtured." She is working in a second grade classroom this semester. She shared that during the second week of school, she was the "Student of the Week," which gave her the opportunity to tell her students about her life and interests. The children then were assigned to write a story about what they learned and draw a picture of her. Reading those stories and seeing her portraits made Savannah really feel a part of the classroom.
According to Bruce Johnson, program coordinator for ISU's PDS program, choosing a PDS site is one of the biggest decisions that teacher candidates make in their college career and it has a huge effect on their professional career. Johnson explains, "What we are trying to do here is provide them (the students) with a one year experience that will make them the best first-year teacher they can possibly be and provide the foundation to make them life-long learners and the professional educators that we want them to be to represent Illinois State University. And above all, become that educator for the students in the classroom because in the end, that's what is it all about."
Elementary Education majors seeking a fall 2007-2008 PDS site placement may apply Monday-Friday, September 25-29, 2006 online at the College of Education Web site. If you are interested in more information about the PDS program, please .
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