FOR-PD Update

• 5873 students
• 295 sections
• 64 participating districts
• 5 participating universities

Register for FOR-PD Summer 2004

In an effort to accommodate the schedules and preferences of as many participants as we can, it is our plan at this time to offer BOTH our standard 14 week session of the FOR-PD course, AND two accelerated 7 week sessions of the FOR-PD course this summer.

PLEASE NOTE: Participants who opt to sign up for the accelerated sessions should be aware that the FOR-PD course offered during these accelerated sessions is the same FOR-PD course being offered during the standard 14 week session.

The 7 week sessions are NOT abbreviated or less intensive sessions. During the accelerated 7 week sessions, participants will be expected to complete two lessons per week as opposed to the customary one lesson per week expected in our standard 14 week sessions

Tentative scheduling for the summer sections at this time is:

Online registration for these summer sections will begin April 5, 2004 and run through April 30, 2004.

Participants who register for the course through our Open Enrollment process should check with their districts regarding the district's procedure for reporting inservice points. Most districts require participants to turn in a copy of their final grades or a certificate of completion (some also require an Individual Inservice Form) to process inservice points. Please help us by advising participants of the requirements in your district. We do not automatically issue a certificate of completion to every participant. If participants need or would like a certificate of completion, they can request that one be emailed, faxed, or mailed to them from their facilitator or our office.

UCF's Reading Certificate Program

The purpose of the graduate certificate is to provide classroom teachers with a concentrated emphasis on research-based strategies for teaching reading. The UCF approved program prepares classroom teachers that are interested in acquiring the reading endorsement through college credits instead of in-service points or the add-on approach recognized by school districts. The program will total 18 hours instead of the prescribed 15 hours for the endorsement because of the 6 hours required by the university for its reading practicum.

Application deadline for the program is April 15.

 

UCF College of Education 6th Annual Literacy Symposium

Come join us for a day of fun and learning on April 17, 2004 in the UCF College of Education Gymnasium from 8:30AM - 3PM. Our keynote speaker will be Sharon M. Draper, award winning author, educator, and recipient of the 2004 Coretta Scott King Honor Book Award for her novel, The Battle of Jericho.

Dr. Nancy Teger, Program Specialist, School Library Media Services with the Florida Department of Education, will be opening the symposium—she will be talking about ways school media specialists and other teachers can help students "get their hands on reading!"

This is a FREE professional day for all elementary and secondary educators, including library media educators, reading specialists, and administrators.

Symposium topics will include:

This event is sponsored by Florida Online Reading Professional Development (FOR-PD), and The Florida Literacy and Reading Excellence (FLaRE) Center. To register online go to http://www.itrc.ucf.edu/litsym/

 

Chat Transcripts

Our March FOR-PD Chat was a great success! We had 27 participants and facilitators from Lee, Seminole, Pinellas, Flagler, Duval, Palm Beach, Charlotte, Broward, and Orange counties. The guest expert, Dr. Donna Baumbach, chatted with teachers and media specialists from around the state on "How library/media centers contribute to student achievement," as discussed in her work "Making the Grade." As an added bonus Dr. Nancy Teger, Program Specialist, School Library Media Services with the Florida Department of Education, joined in as well!

Would you like to read the transcript for this chat online? You can find the transcripts for all FOR-PD chats on our website at: http://www.itrc.ucf.edu/publications/

Reading Strategy of the Month

This month's featured Reading Strategy is the Concept Definition Map. Vocabulary instruction must include elaboration of definitions, discussion, and writing. A logical place to begin vocabulary instruction is to teach students the qualities of a definition. For more information on using Concept Definition Maps in vocabulary instruction see this month’s reading strategy at: http://www.itrc.ucf.edu/strategies/archive.html

 

Our Newest Staff Member

We'd like to welcome Mr. Richard Scott to the FOR-PD team. Richard recently graduated from FSU with a degree in LIS- Library Information Studies. He will be responsible for closing sections, processing facilitator payments, and more.

 

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