The Price Laboratory School Teacher Institute has now become an established part of the Teacher Education Program at the University of Northern Iowa. Each October and February, over 400 teacher education students participate in each event, choosing from as many as 70 different sessions offered by PLS educators. Started in the fall of 2002, the PLS Teacher Institute has grown into an outstanding activity, highlighting the best practice of the PLS faculty, as well as other distinguished teacher educators. The Teacher Institutes are offered at no cost to participants and are designed to enrich the experience of UNI teacher education. The results of the Teacher Institutes have been very gratifying. Anonymous evaluation instruments completed by participants after attending sessions have provided outstanding comments about all aspects of the Institute.

Lee Weber, PLS Teacher Institute Chair, said, "Every year our faculty give many presentations at state, regional, national, and international conferences. Until now those resources often never reached our own teacher education students." Weber added that there is a second benefit for UNI teacher education students. "We hope, that in addition to gaining exposure to outstanding professional presentations, the UNI teacher education students will begin to see the value of continued professional development and attendance at professional conferences in the future after they begin their teaching careers."

Interim Director of PLS, Nadene Davidson, offered these comments regarding the Teacher Institute, "Price Laboratory School is very pleased to provide the Teacher Institutes. Last year PLS faculty made 119 state, national, and international professional presentations and held 53 offices or leadership positions in professional organizations. The Teacher Institute provides an opportunity for the teacher education students to see the scholarly projects and expertise of the PLS faculty beyond their classroom participation experiences. Teacher Education at UNI is a campus wide program. PLS faculty will be providing sessions that include teacher education students from the various Colleges at UNI. The faculty at PLS is excited to provide this valuable professional development day for our UNI students."

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