BRADLEY UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HEALTH SCIENCES

JOAN L. SATTLER , DEAN

SPRING 2014

BRADLEY PDS

PARTNERSHIP POST

On Friday, November 7th, the Illinois Association of Teacher Educators (IATE)

Fall Conference will be held in Bradley University’s

Westlake Hall!

PDS NEWS

Spring Celebration 2-3

Peoria Chiefs Baseball 4

KONu at Trewyn 5

Clinical Experiences at Bradley PDS Sites

6-7

Dietetic Interns in Springfield

7

NPR in Education 8

St. Mark Fine Arts Fair 9

edTPA is Coming! 10

Girl Scouts and STRETCH 11

Literacy Fiesta 12

Move It! 13

SAVE THE DATE! EARTH DAY SCIENCE

AT VALESKA HINTON

During spring 2014, eight pre-service teachers in Michelle Edgcomb Friday’s and Pat Franzen’s Science 301 course planned and implemented a four-day instructional unit for Valeska Hinton first grade students in Tami French’s and Lynn Robinson’s classes. The Earth Day unit targeted environ-mental education focused on observation and description skills. Two pre-

service teachers planned and led each day’s instruction. On Day 1, led by Jenna Gordon and Sara Esposito, first graders studied plant growth and devel-opment by observing the size, shape, and color of different seeds and making predictions about their growth. Students also observed sprouting plants’ roots, stems, and leaves before making their own chia pets! (continued on page 4)

Kaboom!

13 practicing teachers and administrators

4 community members

5 Bradley LEHC graduate students

3 Bradley nursing students

9 Bradley pre-service teachers

15 Bradley novice teachers

10 Bradley student teachers, and

26 Bradley faculty/staff members

presented at the 2014 Spring Celebration! Read more on pages 2 and 3.

May 6th was a great day for baseball! Read more on page 4.

Karen Henderson wins a door prize at the Spring Celebration.

On April 24th, I attended the Bradley PDS Spring Celebration and learned so much! Currently, I am a junior at Bradley in the education department. I am just getting ready to novice teach. I feel that through this experience I have not only learned but was able to collaborate with current teachers and

fellow students. Through this I feel that my experi-ence with novice teaching will be enhanced. When I arrived I was given a bingo game card to fill out for door prizes. Then I was on my way to the poster sessions, many of which were being hosted by my fellow classmates. Through these sessions I was able to gain knowledge about topics ranging from bully-ing to art projects currently being conducted at some Peoria Public Schools. I enjoyed the poster sessions because I was able to get information from many relevant sources. Next on my agenda were the roundtable discussions. There were numerous choices on topics. The first discussion I attended was

“Bullying: Facts and Strategies.” Here, we discussed various statistics about bullying, how we have been impacted by bullying, and ways to prevent bullying. My second roundtable discussion was about learning centers for young children. Here, we talked about various classroom set ups and benefits to certain layouts. It was great to have current teachers at our tables to discuss set ups that have and have not worked for them. The Spring Celebration helped me grow as not only a future teacher but as a human being. It gave me topics to think about that I might never have considered on my own. I will definitely be attending all future Bradley PDS

Partnership events!

SPRING CELEBRATION : A T IME FOR GROWTH BY SAMANTHA BURCH

PAGE 2 BRADLEY PDS

Miguel Alvarez and Steve Reczek present a poster about Bradley’s America Reads Tutoring Program.

Dr. Hwa Lee discusses her poster “Assistive Technology Service to Students with Disabilities: How are we Doing?”

Senior nursing student Jenny Lapke discusses her poster “Utilization of a Therapy Dog for Animal-Assisted Activities in a Grade School.”

Jessica Altshul, Elizabeth Rosenblatt, Kellie Evanish, Meghan Dennison, and Kayla Darby showcase sensory boards for students with autism.

PAGE 3 SPRING 2014

2014

Door Prize

Winners

Abi Halberstadt Alyce Shatto

Amber Bradley Ashley Horton Beth Liszewski

Bonnie Arsinow Bonnie Grierson Briana Minogue Carole Faklaris

Caroline Reardon Colby Tapling

Debbie Fischer Jenny MacGregor

Jessica Altshul Jessica Stanton Johnica Haynes

Joy Quezada Julie Moll

Karen Henderson Karen Hohimer

Katie Carson Kelli Finsley

Kora Johnson Liz Norris

Liza Decoteau Molly Drenckpohl

Noreen Dillon Rachel Medland

Raeleen Hart-Rhoads Rose Halpin Sam Kintop

Samantha Burch Sarah Van Doren

Susan Schafer Teresa Biddison

(Above) Susan Schafer and Carol Faklaris, with Dr. Noreen Dillon, present a poster on St. Mark’s Safe School Ambassador Anti-bullying Program.

(Below) Natashia Coan and Ashleigh Koch lead a roundtable discussion entitled “Best Practices in Teaching: Social Media Safety.”

Sam Kintop and Emily Roth lead a roundtable discussion entitled “Love and Support for Children and Teens who Need it Most.”

Sharon Reed, Shanica Davis, Ryan Reed, Crystal Radovanovic, and Joy Quezada display student artwork during “Arts Integration at Glen Oak and Harrison Community Learning Centers.”

It was a well-organized,

educational conference which was comparable to a prestigious international/

national confer-ence run by a

learned society! ~ Dr. Hwa Lee

It wa

s an

excellent o

pp

ortu

nity to

ga

in

idea

s for m

y futu

re classro

om

! ~Ash

ley H

orto

n, Stu

den

t Teach

er, Wh

ittier

I had a wonderful time! I learned a lot and enjoyed the hands-on experiences. ~ Brittany

Venner, Student Teacher, Whittier

PAGE 4 BRADLEY PDS

The mission of the Bradley PDS Partnership is to promote

academic and professional development for P-12 students,

pre-professionals, practitioners, and professors.

For nearly 300 students at four Bradley PDS sites, education was a hit this spring through the use of baseball. Learners from Trewyn K-8, St. Mark School, Roosevelt Magnet School, and Manual Academy engaged in learning activities that use America’s favorite pastime as a theme. Using materials provided by the Peoria Chiefs, students in grades three through eight experi-

enced lesson plans designed across grade levels and disciplines. The culminating activity was attendance at a Peoria Chiefs game on either May 6th or May 16th. While taking in the game and eating a classic meal of a hot dog, chips, and a soda, the students also experienced learning activities that use information that is generated each inning. Thanks to support from the Peoria Chiefs and the William T. Kemper Foundation-Commerce Bank, Trustee, learning scored a homerun for many students this spring!

LEARNING SCORES A HOMERUN AT TREWYN ,

ST. MARK, ROOSEVELT , AND MANUAL BY DR . BOB WOLFFE

Liann Walgenbach, student teacher in Martha Willi’s third grade class at St. Mark, sits with some of her students. Trewyn third graders (above) and St. Mark

seventh graders (below) enjoy the game.

Day 2, led by Trish Wojcik and Brittany Barron, focused on describing plant characteristics, especially herbs. Student

pairs engaged in an activity where the “plant expert” described a picture of an herb to the “plant detective” who had to identify the actual herb from a selection in the classroom before describing additional information about it, such as texture and scent. Next, Keva Coates and Lauren Lemanski read aloud an Earth Day book and students classified recyclable and non-recyclable materials they had brought from home before making crafts using their recyclable materials. On Day 3, led by Anna Taylor and Madelyn Brandt, first graders observed red earthworms’ burrow tracks by viewing “worm condos” and learned that earthworms help aerate soil, move water through the soil, and break down plant material. The class held worm races, and the Science 301 class provided the first grade classes with an indoor compost bin. On Day 4, an Earth Day Celebration was held. Inside, students enjoyed making (and eating) soil cup treats, newspaper hats, and bracelets with UV light sensitive beads. Outside, they participat-ed in a plant growth (dress up) relay, a scavenger hunt, and pollen tag (freeze tag.) Science 301 aims to engage pre-service teachers with actual students so they can gain hands on experience and ideas for their future teaching. Thank you to the first grade teachers and students at Valeska Hinton for being great Earth Day partners!

EARTH DAY SCIENCE (CONT.)

In March 2014, third through eighth grade students across Illinois took the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT), and in April 2014 high school juniors (and some seniors) completed the Prairie State Achievement Exam (PSAE). Almost 2,300 of these students are enrolled at one of Bradley’s eight PDS sites. To support students’ performance on these important state tests, the Bradley PDS Partnership provided each test-taking student with a red Bradley pencil.

PAGE 5 SPRING 2014

FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES

HONOR SOCIETY MEMBERS

COLLECT ITEMS FORTREWYN K-8 SCHOOL BY DR . KENDRA BRANDES

While temperatures early in the fall semester remained seasonably warm, predictions for an unusually cold and snowy winter sparked conversation among students in the Bradley chapter of Kappa Omicron Nu (KONu), a national honor society for Family and Consumer Sciences and other human service fields. The discussion brought to light the fact that “teaching supplies” often include basic items like dry socks, gloves, and other cold weather items. After discussing the idea with Trewyn K-8 Principal, Ms. Renee Andrews, a service project took shape as students planned to collect needed items to donate to teachers at Trewyn. Ms. Andrews discussed the fact that a wide range of items are needed throughout the school year and can include personal hygiene items like combs and toothbrushes as well as long sleeve t-shirts that can be worn under uniforms for warmth. The service project, organized by senior Rebecca Bucklin, began during the fall semester. Fellow KONu member Jessica Moehling assisted Rebecca by contacting members of Bradley’s Greek system for donations. Other KONu members manned tables in the student center to collect items from the student body. A small Christmas tree placed in the Family and Consumer Sciences office also served as a collection point and was decorated with donated mittens, gloves, socks, and hats. The collection process progressed well until November 17th when tornadoes destroyed homes and businesses in several area communities. The event changed the focus of donating across the central part of the state. Items coming in for the Kappa Omicron Nu project slowed while items for tornado victims grew beyond the community’s capacity to really use them. When a few of the donation centers stated that they simply could not accept any more clothing items, Rebecca took the initiative to redirect donations that had been collected here at the university. A large number of Bradley t-shirts had been donated to the tornado relief effort by both Bradley Admissions and the Bradley Alumni office. Rebecca was given permission to include these dona-tions in the items going to Trewyn K-8 School. Although the shirts are all adult sizes, the actual fit of the shirts runs from fairly small to XXL. The smaller shirts will fit students in the grade school range. Anyone familiar with the vastly different growth rates of junior high school students will know that some students will need the larger-sized shirts. In late January, two car loads of new socks, gloves, hats, shirts, and grooming items were delivered to Trewyn. This particular school was chosen because Family and Consumer Sciences students have been involved with other projects at the school. As one student stated, “I just love the students at Trewyn.”

Kappa Omicron Nu (KONu) member Rebecca Bucklin sorts Bradley T-shirts as part of the collection of items for Trewyn K-8 School.

BRADLEY

PAGE 6 BRADLEY PDS

2013-2014 CLINICAL EXPERIENCES AT BRADLEY PDS SITES

Fall 2013 Spring 2014

Family & Consumer Sciences 10 10

Nursing 4 4

Teacher Education 46 68

Psychology 6 7

Total 60 89

During 2013-2014, 149 Bradley undergraduate and graduate students completed clinical experiences at Bradley PDS sites!

During spring 2014, Glen Oak Community Learning Center hosted EIGHT Bradley novice teachers. Pictured above (L to R): Liz Norris, Nick Young, and Kim Garcia.

During spring 2014, St. Mark School hosted four senior level nursing interns. Allison McDonnell and Jacqueline Meyer presented a poster at the Spring Celebration entitled “Germs are Lurking where you Might not Imagine: Hand Hygiene and Germ Cultivation.”

Thank you to ALL Bradley students, faculty, and staff who participated in Manual APCs during the 2013-2014 academic year. Pictured here (L to R): Jen Wolfe, Amanda Rokaitis, Michelle Issen, Tasha Stancin, Claire Annes, Emily LaCost, Zak McArdle, Mike Underhill, and Katia Petsas.

I want to focus on those students who are not doing

so well and are often discouraged from achieving their

best. If I can make a change in these students who are

going through difficult times and are doing poorly in

school, then my job as a teacher has been done.

~ Miguel Alvarez, Secondary Education-History

CLINICAL EXPERIENCES

AT BRADLEY PDS S ITES

GOING STRONG !

WOW

One of the greatest mutual benefits of the Bradley PDS Partnership is the opportunity to provide authentic field experiences for Bradley pre-professionals (teachers, nurses, counselors, and dieticians) while also supporting student learning, health, and well-being. This page (and the articles on page 7) offers just a sampling of the clinical activities at Bradley PDS sites this spring!

PAGE 7 SPRING 2014

WHITTIER ENJOYS NATIONAL LAB DAY BY NATALIE SCHWEND

CO

NG

RA

TU

LA

TIO

NS

!

On April 27th, Dr. Peter Olson, Assistant Professor in Bradley’s

Department of Teacher Education and Site Coordinator for Glen Oak,

Harrison, Valeska Hinton, and Manual, received the 2014 Joan L.

Sattler Endowed Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching!

On April 30th, Bradley’s Dietetic Interns traveled to the State Capitol in Springfield to participate

in the Illinois Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Annual Advocacy Day meeting. Pictured here (L to R): Beth Seidl, Emma Rueth, Nick Bartz, Charity Brennan, Janie Charleston, Alyson Greiter, Janelle Medernach, Rachel Fargher, Annslee Merkel, and Sophie Pettipiece.

Bradley’s Dietetic Internship Program has continued their partnership with Harrison and Manual schools to encourage healthy eating patterns. Along with Kelli Roling, RD, the dietetic interns participated in pediatric obesity clinics at these schools throughout the fall and spring semesters. The dietetic interns also conducted several other nutritional programs for students at Harrison and Manual. Interns created and implemented nutri-tion lessons for Club 309 and CATCH, as well as nutrition education sessions

for pregnant teens and students in health classes. The dietetic interns had a great time and appre-ciate this ongoing partner-ship with Peoria schools. It is a great opportunity for interns to gain experience while promoting healthy lifestyles to students.

DIETETIC INTERNS AT

HARRISON AND MANUAL BY AMANDA NEWELL , MS, RD, LDN

Bradley University held its fifth annual National Lab Day on April 25th.

The event hosted approximately 75 fourth grade students from Whittier Primary School. The fourth graders divided into small groups guided by Bradley students and professors to different stations offering a number of engaging science activities, including Alka-Seltzer poppers, DNA extraction from strawberries, and even an explosive reaction created by Mentos and Diet Coke. Students also had the opportunity to try computer programming, study light emission in physics, and test the stability of boats. Michelle Edgcomb Friday, faculty member in the Department of Biology and event coordinator, explained, “We try to bring more hands-on acts of science to local grade school children. Local school districts can be limited both with time and equipment. Equipment is something we can give students experience with.” At the event’s conclusion, teachers were provid-ed with kits for recreating some of the experiments in their own classrooms. Those involved with the annual event strive to leave a lasting impression on young students through exposure to both college and science.

PAGE 8 BRADLEY PDS

My Experience at the

NPR in Education Conference By Daniel Heinze

Being at the NPR conference truly gave me an idea on what to expect as a first year teacher and the preparations I need to succeed. This experience was really good for me. I got to see firsthand new teachers who already went through the dreaded “first year” of teaching and came out on the other side. I got to ask questions and see the strategies I can use to present myself professionally when applying for a job in addition to when I am out in the field teaching. Through this conference I learned that I need to be honest to others and document everything that is going on in my classroom. I need to be strict with my students, more as a respect thing than being unkind. I need to be organized and keep in constant contact with parents, even if the parents don’t respond. I have to take opportunities when they are presented; you never know what could happen if you do something that you didn’t think you would be doing and it winds you up to a whole other level that you really enjoy! I cannot be picky when I apply for teaching positions. I need to make sure when I get inter-viewed I should send a thank you card that states when you will contact them, if for some reason they don’t contact you back, and keep to your word. Also, adding a personal note in your message, such as, “I enjoyed talking to you about..., will help the interviewer remember you more personally than just another applicant. Another part of the conference was about social media in your job search. For 15 minutes, we listened to principal Mandy Ellis who talked about how you can find jobs and how to present yourself professionally online. She gave us a few websites that can help you get to the right place when looking for a job, or having your portfolio presented on the web. She then gave us tips on what to do to put yourself over other applicants who are applying to a teaching job. The biggest thing I learned in the conference, that I honestly took to heart and have been applying in my lifestyle, is that I need to take a look at the big picture. This in fact showed me a different level of understanding myself. I constantly worry about every little thing and stress out more than I need to. But taking a step back and

looking at the big picture helps me see things in a different perspective. This will help me go into my first year of teaching with a better understanding on how to handle everything that is handed to me. I will definitely be taking the new information I learned at the NPR in Education conference to my interview and also when I begin teaching. It will help me go into a job to take on the challenges that are presented to me.

BRADLEY PDS TEACHERS

PRESENT AT NPR IN

EDUCATION

On Wednesday, March 5, 2014 Bradley’s Smith Career Center hosted the second annual Networking, Professionalism, and Recruitment (NPR) in Education Conference. The conference featured a panel presenta-tion, roundtable discussions, and mock interviews. A teacher and a principal from Bradley PDS sites served as presenters during the event. Kimberly Boggess, eighth grade language arts teacher at Trewyn K-8 School, participated in a new teacher panel discussion and led a roundtable discussion, and Dr. Noreen Dillon led a roundtable discussion. Thank you to Ms. Boggess and Dr. Dillon for sharing their expertise!

Spring 2014 Bradley PDS Partnership Post Authors

The articles in this issue were written and/or edited by Molly Cluskey, Jana Hunzicker, Emily Lawrence, Peter Olson,

Annette Raver, Joan L. Sattler, and Bob Wolffe. Many thanks to our spring guest authors as well! Trewyn Girl Scouts having lunch with Bradley

senior nursing students. Learn more on page 11!

PAGE 9 SPRING 2014

ST. MARK FINE ARTS FAIR: EDIBLE SCULPTURES , CHIHULY

DISPLAY, ROBOTICS SCULPTURES , AND MORE! BY JUDY PLACKO

St. Mark fine art students had a wonderful opportunity this spring! From March 12th to 17th, students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade were able to showcase their best art work of the school year in the beautiful Prairie Center of the Arts Galleries on SW Washington Street in Peoria. Projects for show included visual art projects by individual students in addition to exemplary all-class and all-school projects. On opening night, musical and dramatic performance arts were also showcased, and snack ingredients were available to create edible sculptures for visitors to enjoy seeing and tasting! Students, families, and friends viewed exemplary individual and class projects including the five foot tall "SMS & Chihuly" piece created by St. Mark sixth graders and friends. Also featured were fourth grade Robotic Sculptures, created with the help of pre-service teachers in Karen Henderson's ETE 199: Art in the P-8 Schools class. Special thanks goes to Michelle Issen, Lauren Klomes, Annie Myren, Danielle Overbey, Amanda Rokaitis, and Ciarra Wallin for their time, support, and creativity! Bradley pre-service teachers worked with St. Mark fourth graders in design teams to create four "sculptures in the round" with repurposed materials and paint. When completed, the sculptures were attached with Velcro to a robotic vacuum unit to create sculptures ...on the move! The St. Mark art students appreciated the support of the Bradley PDS Partnership—and especially the help of Bradley’s ETE 199 class—with preparation for this first annual fine arts event. Bradley’s ETE 199 class felt the same. Karen Henderson reflected, “The Bradley students enjoyed their time at St. Mark

immensely, particu-larly being in a fine arts classroom. Many times, their field experiences are limited to core subjects. The St. Mark/ETE 199 partnership was a win/win activity for both schools!”

“edTPA allowed me to think about how to direct my planning, instruction, and assessment toward the specific class of students and types of learners, rather than just creating a lesson for a subject as I had been doing in the past. It allowed me to dissect the lesson and my teaching and evaluate whether I was successful in reaching out to the different types of learners in the class.” ~ Ellen Herkert, Elementary Education

“When I first started edTPA it was very overwhelming. However, once I read through the handbook it didn’t seem as scary. The idea of creating 3 to 5 lesson plans for my class was interesting, and I really enjoyed doing it. I think that having these skills will be beneficial to me as a future teacher.” ~Courtney Duerinck, Elementary Education

“The edTPA requirements were intense and there were times I questioned parts of the program. However, the benefits were made apparent through opportunities to reflect. Using video, student work samples, and other artifacts to analyze my teaching ability was very valuable. Many of the issues addressed by edTPA are crucial to being an effective classroom teacher.” ~ Daniel Young, Secondary Education-History

“The hardest part was doing the commentary because you had to look at your lessons in greater depth and determine a goal. I think there should be a good amount of time or a weekend class dedicated to edTPA because it is a lot to take in.” ~Ashley Roth, Elementary Education

“There are a lot of benefits in actively reflecting on the three tasks of the edTPA, especially reviewing videos of the lessons. It's amazing how many things we don't notice during lessons--things I wouldn't have noticed had I not been required to videotape my lessons. The edTPA may seem like a lot of work, and it certainly was a lot of work when I put it off until late in the semester. I cannot stress enough how beneficial it is to start early on it. Once I started doing it, it made sense. Now that I'm doing it again, I've noticed that I'm more aware of the fundamental pedagogy the edTPA is looking for in its commentary. “ ~ Sam Kintop, Early Childhood/Elementary Education

WHAT DO BRADLEY

PRESERVICE TEACHERS THINK???

BRADLEY PDS COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT AT

2014 NATIONAL PDS CONFERENCE

PAGE 10 BRADLEY PDS

In late March, Bradley professors Dr. Peter Olson and Dr. Jana Hunzicker traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada, to give a presentation at the annual conference of the National Association for Professional Development Schools (NAPDS). The presentation was titled Implementing the New Teacher Performance Assessment, edTPA, in PDS Schools. Dr. Hunzicker started the presentation by giving an overview of the Bradley PDS Partnership. Then, Dr. Olson moved the discussion to the edTPA, describing its three key components of planning, instruction, and assessment. Next, he described Bradley’s history with the implementa-tion of the edTPA, which began as a pilot project with three student teachers at Whittier Primary School in spring 2013. Finally, Drs. Olson and Hunzicker elaborated on the current status of Bradley’s edTPA implementation, which involves over 50 Bradley novice teachers at many PDS and non-PDS schools. The presentation was enhanced by insights from several audience members who are implementing the edTPA at their universities and PDS schools. One guest from a state that is now in the high-stakes implementa-tion phase described how some student teachers have failed to earn a minimum passing score with their first edTPA portfolio and needed to create a new set of lessons, videos, and reflection commentary in order to become licensed. Other audience members described some of their experiences, such as allowing candidates to use the same PDS school for novice and student teaching placements. Overall, the presenters and audience acknowledged that they took away many excellent ideas from the event.

edTPA

PAGE 11 SPRING 2014

On March 26th, six Bradley senior nursing students delivered a presentation on positive self-

esteem and positive peer interaction for 80 Girl Scouts in second grade through eighth grade at Trewyn K-8 School. After the Girl Scouts were led in a period of self-reflection regarding body perception, the presenters led a discussion about the meaning of self-esteem versus body image. This led to a “warm fuzzy” activity to promote positive interactions between the girls. Each girl was given a bracelet with pieces of yarn to pull off and tie to another bracelet. While tying on the yarn, the girls complimented each other, practicing how to positively interact with their peers. By teaching the Girl Scouts how to positively interact and sincerely compliment each other, the Bradley nursing students hoped to promote positive self-esteem and healthy social relationships. Throughout the presentation, the Trewyn Girl Scouts actively participated and appeared to enjoy the presentation. The nursing students felt the presentation was positively received and look forward to future presentations at Trewyn!

BRADLEY SENIOR NURSING STUDENTS PRESENT

TO TREWYN GIRL SCOUTS BY DR . KELLY SCHWEND

Students Ready to Make Change. Drs. Twila Lukowiak and Celia Johnson began brainstorming this project in October 2013, with a vision of creating a program run by Bradley education students that would make a positive difference in the lives of K-12 students. A call was sent to recruit very passionate, innovative, education students who would plan and perform produc-tions focused on promoting kindness to combat bullying. Fifteen extraordinary BU teacher candidates committed to the project and planned presentations for elementary and middle school students. Three groups of five Bradley students were formed and work was constructed for a K-2 level, 3-5 level, and middle school level.

Every Friday, STRETCH meets to discuss information, prepare presentations, and relay information and ideas off of one another. We strive to create presentations that are interesting, relatable, and impacting within a 45-minute time frame. The yearning to make a difference in the school systems about a topic that has been otherwise swept under the rug is evident in each of the members of this team. If we can create a lasting positive impression on just one student, all of our work will be worth it. During spring 2014, STRETCH performed presentations at three Bradley PDS Sites: Glen Oak Community Learning Center, St. Mark School, and Whittier Primary School. As our passion in life is to teach and guide young individuals, we are determined to make a lasting impact on as many students as we can. We are ready to step up and stand out. We are students ready to make change!

STEP UP. STAND OUT.

STRETCH BY KALLY K IBITLEWSKI

Bradley Students Ready to Make Change

On April 23rd, a Literacy Fiesta was celebrated at St. Mark School. Dr. Noreen Dillon, Ms. Pat Nedza, and the St. Mark teachers were kind and gracious hosts for this most important learning event! The Literacy Fiesta was a wonderful success as it combined learning activities which included big/picture books and stations created

by pre-service teachers in Dr. Helja Antola Crowe’s and Dr. Sherrie Pardieck’s ETE 260: Children’s Literature classes. St. Mark’s pre-kindergarten through fifth grade students visited the different learning stations and participated in the literacy activities as pre-service teachers taught their lessons. The stations included stories and activities from well known authors and illustrators and reading big/picture books. Other activities included learning dancing to Spanish musical numbers. The children also received books and snacks which included popcorn, salsa, and chips. The pre-service teachers enjoyed their field trip to St. Mark School and they look forward to more learning opportunities in the future. Following the event, Annie Orlov commented, “We were given the opportuni-ty to research and present information about an author of our choice and provide engaging activities for students. I enjoyed the experience at St. Mark School as well as developing and assessing my lesson plan, communication, time management, and leadership skills.” The Fiesta was an outstanding event that displayed creative and quality literacy activities that pre-service teachers created for their future instructional practices. They taught their exemplary learning projects to children who were eager to come to participate in the literacy activities.

PAGE 12 BRADLEY PDS

Hallie Nissen and Katie Zielinski set up their learning station for the April 23rd Literacy Fiesta at St. Mark School.

LITERACY FIESTA HOSTED BY ST. MARK BY DR . SHERRIE PARDIECK

Manual Academic Progress Conferences (APCs) are held four times each year so that members of the community can engage in one-on-one conversations with Manual eighth through twelfth grade students about their grades, their goals, and their lives. During the 2013-2014 academic year, 39 Bradley students and 7 Bradley faculty/staff members participated in Manual APCs. Trish Wojcik, an

LBS1/Elementary Education major, said of the experience, “Meeting one-on-one with the Manual students gave me insight into their world. All these students are struggling with different obstacles—a difficult home life, family problems, self-image issues, or just plain old high school drama—all of which affect their academics in some way. These conferences give students the chance to see someone from the community who has overcome or under-stands these obstacles. Conversing with them, I gave them encouragement to continue to work hard and try to succeed in school. I hope they recognize that we are all advocates for them and that we want to see them do great things!”

PAGE 13 SPRING 2014

YOU’VE GOT TO MOVE IT! BENEFITS OF 5+ MINUTES

OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY DURING THE SCHOOL DAY BY DR . BRENDA PRATT

In Healthy People 2020, the promotion of increased physical activity in elementary school-aged children is a priority for the improvement of health for all American children.1 Daily physical activity of 60 or more minutes is encouraged to accrue multiple health benefits for all children.1-Additionally, researchers are beginning to explore the associations between physical activity during school and various components of academic performance.4 As few as five minutes of physical activity during the school day can have positive benefits to cognitive skills (aptitude, attention, memory), attitude (mood), academic behavior (on-task behavior and concentration), and academic achievement (test scores). Below are some ideas to incorporate physical activity during the school day.

Manual Rounds was established at Manual Academy in 2009. In fall 2013, the Rounds format was changed so that small groups of new teachers, along with one of four Bradley professors, could visit experienced teachers’ classrooms together and then meet to discuss their observations. A survey administered this spring indicates that the revised model was well-received by both new and experienced teachers. Eighty-three percent of the new teachers who participated reported that they self-reflected about the their teaching and 70% said they tried something new in their classroom following each

Rounds session. Of all participants surveyed (new teachers, experienced teachers, and professors/mentors), 74% felt that Rounds helped them grow professionally, and the same percentage recommended that Manual Rounds continue next year. Suggestions for improving Rounds included providing feedback for the teachers being observed and ensuring that substitutes are available.

Manual

Rounds

Survey

Results

1. Healthy People 2020. Washington, DC: Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2010.

2. Strong WB, Malina RM, Blimkie CJ, et al. Evidence based physical activity for school-age youth. J Pediatr. 2005;146:732-737. 3. 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans: Office of Disease Prevention & Health Promotion, U.S. Department of Health and Human

Services; 2008. 4. The association between school based physical activity, including physical education, and academic performance. Atlanta, GA: Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2010.

Cup Dance

Cup Stacking

Hand Games

Recess

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmFe7SV4LIo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bh36JJxewa0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-Xcw3T-vQs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMuZ0_-Y7n4

http://www.playworks.org/playbook/games

Exercise

1. Support and improve student learning and achievement.

2. Prepare professionals in education and health sciences.

3. Provide lifelong learning experiences and leadership opportunities.

4. Promote best practices in teaching, learning, and leadership through professional development and action research.

5. Support the health and well-being of students, their families, and the professionals who work with them.

We’re on the web! Visit the Bradley PDS Partnership webpage at:

http://www.bradley.edu/academic/colleges/ehs/centers/kemper/

BRADLEY PDS PARTNERSHIP

2012-2014 GOALS

The Bradley PDS Partnership is funded by the William T. Kemper Foundation - Commerce Bank, Trustee and Bradley

University’s College of Education and Health Sciences.

2013-2014 PDS Site Coordinators

Dr. Peter Olson polson@fsmail.bradley.edu

(Glen Oak, Harrison, Valeska Hinton, Whittier)

Dr. Bob Wolffe rjwolffe@fsmail.bradley.edu

(Manual, Roosevelt, St. Mark’s , Trewyn)

Contact Us

Bradley PDS Partnership 1501 W. Bradley Avenue

Westlake Hall 202A Peoria, IL 61625 309-677-3329

Dr. Jana Hunzicker William T. Kemper Fellow

jhunzicker@fsmail.bradley.edu

Sally Miller Administrative Assistant

samiller2@fsmail.bradley.edu

During spring 2014, Bradley pre-service teachers in Dr. Peter Olson’s ETE 235: Methods for Teaching English Language Learners (ELL) class went to Glen Oak and St. Mark schools to teach English language development lessons for students who are learning English as a second language. Below are some of the Bradley students’ reflections about the experience:

"It was a fun experience and it was great to see how far these students had come in learning English. They taught me so well." -May Borges

“After completing our lesson on the rain forest, we were astounded by how well the children were able to recall the information that was previ-ously given to them.” -Jamie Purl, Brittany Stec, Carolyn Dirienzo, Sara White, and Justin Widd

"It was fun, and l liked how they were excited to do the activity with us." -Jayme Howard

"This experience made me realize how difficult it must be to learn a different language." -Marcy Lee

“We are thankful for the opportunities given to Bradley University students by area schools to be able to work with both students and teachers from various backgrounds to enhance our educational and pre-service experiences.” -Andrea Barr, Ali Field and Colby Tapling

Dr. Olson thanks Rosa Lopez at Glen Oak and Antoinette Scheirer at St. Mark for welcoming his pre-service teachers into their classrooms!

ELL AT GLEN OAK AND ST. MARK BY DR . PETER OLSON