Julien's Journal September 2016 (Volume 41, Number 9) | Page 33

EducationReview

SEPTEMBER 2016

a LIFE
of LITERACY
by Becca Dargatz
photos courtesy of the Clarke Education Dept.

Lauren Akre, Clarke Reading PDS
Student, teaches a student about text
structure.
All photos contributed by the
Education Department at Clarke
University.

I

n 1999, Clarke University created a Professional Development School (PDS) model
for its elementary education program. Since the beginning of the PDS partnerships, they have continued to expand and grow with the same goal in mind: to promote literacy in the community. Clarke instructors and students know firsthand
the importance of teaching literacy – it is an essential skill for a successful life.
The PDS program partners with schools by putting Clarke’s college professors and
college students, who are working on their education degrees, into some of the
local elementary and middle schools. In the schools, the college students learn firsthand
and apply that knowledge when working with the K-8 students under the supervision of
the classroom teachers and the Clarke instructors.
Julien’s Journal  ❖ 31