Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø PDS Partnership Spring Celebration
Nearly 200 people attended Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø’s PDS Partnership Spring Celebration to engage in lifelong learning and leadership opportunities.
04/30/2013 11:10 AM
On Thursday, April 18, 2013 more than 175 people attended the Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø Professional Development Schools Partnership Spring Celebration in Westlake Hall’s atrium and Owens Professional Development Center.
The event, funded by the William T. Kemper Foundation-Commerce Bank, Trustee and Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø’s College of Education and Health Sciences, featured 18 interactive poster sessions and 20 roundtable discussions about recent PDS projects and compelling educational topics. The event provided an opportunity for pre-professionals, practitioners and professors to engage in lifelong learning and leadership on behalf of P-12 students. In all, 19 practicing teachers and administrators, five Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø graduate students, two Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø nursing students, 24 Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø pre-service teachers, nine Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø novice teachers, five Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø student teachers and 16 Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø faculty members presented at the event.
Reflecting on the experience, 95 percent of participants reported that they learned something new about teaching and learning and 85 percent learned something they can use in their classrooms. Moreover, nearly 90 percent had an opportunity to network with other professionals, and nearly 70 percent would like to present at a future Spring Celebration.
Ashley Horton, an elementary education major currently completing her novice teaching, stated, “Not only was this a great opportunity to network with different professionals, it was also a time to share experiences and hear advice and opinions from beginning and experienced educators.” Adele Wheeler, a graduate of Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø’s STEM Education master’s program who co-presented a roundtable discussion at the event, commented, “The Spring Celebration was very well organized, informative, and fun. Thank you for an engaging opportunity to connect with others in education.”
The mission of the Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø PDS Partnership is to promote academic and professional development for P-12 students, pre-professionals, practitioners, and professors. For more information, visit the .