FOR-PD Update

Latest FOR-PD Numbers

FOR-PD Plans for Revisions and Redesign

It seems impossible to imagine now that The Florida Online Reading Professional Development (FOR-PD) project is up and running with nearly 3000 Florida teachers currently enrolled, that the timeline for the project from start to launch was just six months and involved dozens of people from advisory boards to writers to district staff!!

We're very proud of the fact that we were able to get the course online and operational in such a short time; however, now that we've had a chance to catch our breath and pop our heads out of our offices, we see the need and opportunity for some revisions and improvements to the design and delivery of the course. Our current participants and facilitators, FLaRE Faculty Fellows, and others have provided excellent feedback. We are incorporating minor changes into each new section, and working on major revisions as well.

FOR-PD is working with the UCF's world-renowned Institute for Simulation and Training (IST) to refine and redesign the course. Although the course may look different beginning this summer and especially by fall, we promise our new and improved FOR-PD will still include the quality research-based content and wealth of resources you've so enthusiastically come to appreciate!

Our plans for revisions won't affect our offering of the FOR-PD course. We're still accepting registrations from districts for 2003 summer and fall sections, and are still planning to run sections on demand as we have been doing since we launched this past January. However, sections beginning in August 2003 will reflect the revisions and redesign we will be working on throughout the spring and summer.

Teachers Equipped with Research-Based Reading Strategies? Better Readers? But Wait! There's MORE!

Many facilitators and participants report that the FOR-PD course has piqued their interest in pursuing the new reading endorsement and reading certification. Many have also reported that they will be pursuing advanced degrees--especially if much of the coursework can be offered online! Participants are being referred to their local state universities for more information about degree programs and admission requirements.

Flagler County School Board Impressed with Opportunity FOR-PD Offers Educators

Libby Kuleski, FOR-PD facilitator from Flagler County, has recently reported on FOR-PD at a school board meeting, and at our request, she sent a report. Excerpts are included below:

Thanks for sharing, Libby!

FOR-PD Preview

Did you notice that one of Flagler’s school board members wanted to see more about the content of the course? There are several ways for people to do that. We have added a lesson-by-lesson description of the content to the FOR-PD web page:

http://www.itrc.ucf.edu/courseinfo/course_outline.html

We also have a special FOR-PD Preview Course in which we can “enroll” people to look at all the lessons and features. For this Preview Course, we will need to send a username and password and directions for accessing the course. If anyone you know needs access to the Preview Course, please contact Dr. Vicky Zygouris-Coe at vzygouri@mail.ucf.edu. Do NOT give them your username or password! This helps us keep a record of who has looked at the course.

FOR-PD Co-Sponsors Literacy Symposium

YOU’RE INVITED! to the 5th Annual Literacy Symposium on "Word Study" at the UCF College of Education, April 11, 2003. Come join us for a day of fun and learning! Donald Bear and Shane Templeton (authors of the best-selling book "Words Their Way") are the keynote speakers. This is a free professional day for all elementary and secondary teachers. The symposium will take place in the College of Education Gymnasium (UCF main campus) April 11, 2003 from 8AM - 4PM. Register Online at http://www.itrc.ucf.edu/litsym/

"Attached is the next group of teachers from Pinellas County who would like to take the (FOR-PD) ONLINE READING Professional Development Course. The course is getting rave reviews from those of our teachers who have been participating, and this group is anxious to participate."

"The phonics material being presented in the (Florida Online) Professional Development Reading Course really helps teachers understand that students may have learned to read in different ways, and the training gives the teacher greater insight into ways to help their students learn better using their different reading styles. As secondary teachers, we don't know what the students were taught in the elementary grades, and then we wonder why smart kids are having so much difficulty comprehending the grade level material. Now I know, it may be a result of the way they were taught to read! The (Florida) Online Professional Development Reading Course is very thorough and easy to comprehend, giving me information I never thought about before now, that will really help improve my students' learning, and the way I present the curriculum material to them."

FOR-PD Staff Changes

Ms. Georgina Long has been appointed Interim Director of the FOR-PD Project. The project is in good hands!

Do you have comments or news you'd like to share with us about the FOR-PD project or course? Please send them to us at forpd@mail.ucf.edu