FDLRS / FIN Action Resource Center Registration System

Course Objective: Participants will understand and apply the instructional sequence of the SIM Word Mapping Strategy and learn the importance of high frequency fidelity and its impact on student learning.

Course Description: The content and instructional strategies presented in this professional learning event are aligned with Florida Best Standards and the Comprehensive Framework for Effective Instruction. This instructional program has been designed to help older students quickly learn how to predict the meaning of unknown words. Students identified as low achieving and students with disabilities often need such instruction because:

they have not learned the meaning of a large number of words,
they do not know how to identify parts of words that have meaning,
they do not know the meaning of word parts, and
they do not know how to use the meaning of word parts to predict the meaning of whole words.

These skills are critical when students are reading a text in school because they cannot take the time to look up the meaning of every word in a dictionary. These skills are also critical when students take standardized reading comprehension tests where they are required to identify the meaning of words among several choices and where they are required to read passages and answer questions about them. This program provides teachers with a functional and efficient way to teach these required skills and prepare students for the reading tasks they encounter in school and on tests.

Participants receive The Word Mapping Strategy manual. After professional learning by a certified SIM Professional Developer participants have permission to copy all the instructional and student materials needed to teach this strategy for their students only.

Implementation Activity: Submission of student pre- and post- data for at least one class of students to the FDLRS Impact Database is required prior to receiving 40 inservice credits. The link for the FDLRS Impact Database and directions for submitting data are supplied at the PD. This strategy typically takes at least 9 weeks to fully implement.

Follow-up Method: Email communication and coaching throughout the implementation period.

If you have any questions related to this course please contact: Melissa Mulock Melissa.mulock@FDLRSAction.org

Instructors

Melissa Mulock

Melissa Mulock began her teaching career in 1999 as a Learning Resource Specialist. Melissa leads professional learning opportunities and coaches educators throughout the state of Florida in the areas of Reading, the Strategic Instruction Model and Kagan Cooperative Learning. Prior to leaving the classroom, she spent 12 years teaching reading and learning strategies to middle and high school students.

Melissa earned her degree in Exceptional Student Education from the University of Central Florida. She has a passion for inclusion of students with unique needs, and credits quality content instruction using SIM Learning Strategies and Content Enhancement Routines paired with Kagan Cooperative Learning Structures as essential tools for making inclusion a success socially and academically for the benefit of all students. Melissa has experience in creating inclusion models and inclusive scheduling.

Melissa has earned the elite status of a certified Strategic Instruction Model Professional Developer for the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning since 2003 and as a National Board Certified Teacher in 2004. Melissa is a certified Kagan Cooperative Learning Associate Trainer and has a reading endorsement for the state of Florida. She has a strong desire for learning, mentoring, and leading others to build positive relationships and provide quality instruction.

Jane Hines

Jane graduated from Seton Hill College (now University) with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science /Public Administration. She earned her Masters Degree from the University of South Florida. She is also a nationally certified SIM Professional Developer for Content Enhancement. Jane worked as a middle school teacher and administrator in both the private and public sectors for over 25 years. While in the classroom, Jane was a mentor for new teachers and those seeking alternative certification. She was delighted to be selected as Teacher of the Year at her middle school in 2015. She has experience as a social studies, language arts, and reading teacher and as a co-teacher in History-Arts. As a social studies content expert, Jane has worked on several district and state writing teams to create instructional materials and summative assessments.

Jane's role at FDLRS is to provide professional learning, support, and coaching in The Strategic Instruction Model Content Enhancement, Universal Design for Learning, as well as math and reading instruction.

Points

Inservice Points: Points - 40

Location

Lake County Learning Resource Center Portable B

512 S. Palm Ave
Howey in the Hills, FL 34737
Portable B
Click here for directions