FOR-PD Update

Dear Colleagues:

Greetings to all! The Spring 2005 semester is still going strong here at FOR-PD with many sections closing at the end of April and many more continuing throughout the Summer semester. We have been running 120 sections concurrently! We have all been very busy. Our entire state has been very active and proactive in trying to meet the reading endorsement needs of our educators. We are thankful and honored to be able to provide quality products and services to our preK-12 educators.

Our Summer 2005 Open Enrollment registration is still in session. As of today we have received 770 registrations through Open Enrollment. The closing date for Open Enrollment registration is May 2, 2005. Thank you for helping us spread the word to other educators who need to complete Competency 2. We are here to support Florida's educators in their professional development efforts.

Here is our proposed Summer 2005 and Fall 2005 Open Enrollment and Course Schedule:

Summer 2005
3/14/05	Open enrollment registration for Summer begins
5/2/05	Open enrollment registration for Summer ends
5/16/05	Summer classes begin
8/22/05	Summer classes end
Fall 2005
6/20/05	Open enrollment registration for Fall begins
8/15/05	Open enrollment registration for Fall ends
8/29/05	Fall classes begin
12/5/05	Fall classes end

Teachers wishing to register for either summer or fall courses will be able to do so from our registration page.

While working on this update and thinking about what we have been doing through our professional development efforts, I was reminded of the following Thomas Jefferson quote:

"I know no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion."

Our goal has been to equip and serve Florida’s preK-12 educators. We aim to inform educators and assist them in making informed decisions about reading, reading development, and reading instruction. We thank all of you who have helped us to do this valuable task. We have learned so much and we continue to learn as we work with partners, school districts, literacy and technology experts, educators, and facilitators.

In this update you will find information about our current numbers, sample activities, resources, and plans. We value your feedback and collaboration. Please feel free to contact me at vzygouri@mail.ucf.edu and/or (407) 207-7296.

Best wishes,

Vicky Zygouris-Coe, Ph.D.
FOR-PD Principle Investigator

Latest FOR-PD Numbers

• 8521 students
• 582 sections
• 65 participating districts
• 6 participating universities

FOR-PD and Reading Endorsement for ESOL (REESOL) Announced

Memo [PDF: 5 pages / 140k] from the Florida Department of Education.

On March 4, 2005 the Florida Department of Education announced the Reading Endorsement - ESOL Professional Development for teachers who have the 300-hour ESOL Endorsement training. "Increasing the number of teachers endorsed or certified in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) who may also be high qualified to teach reading will assist the state in fulfilling the Florida Department of Education's Strategic Imperative 1: Increase the supply of effective teachers." Last year the Department of Education completed a Reading/ESOL Endorsement Crosswalk to determine what additional hours of reading inservice were needed to complete the Reading Endorsement for teachers who have finished the 300-hours of ESOL inservice training. These teachers are eligible for 80 hours of credit towards the Reading Endorsement. The Florida Department of Education, in collaboration with Florida Literacy and Reading Excellence (FLaRE) has created a third path to the reading endorsement and have developed a Reading Endorsement Bundle (REESOL). The other two paths are completion of the district Reading Endorsement add-on plan or completion of fifteen hours with submission of transcripts directly to the Department of Education certification office. ALL three paths will result in the Reading Endorsement.

 

FOR-PD and Alternative Certification

The Florida Department of Education Bureau of Educator Certification has announced efforts to emphasize reading in every district's Alternative Certification Program. The Department of Education has suggested that districts use one of three options to satisfy this requirement.

1. Florida Online Reading Professional Development (FOR-PD) Program
2. Competency 2 course approved on the district's Add-On Reading Endorsement Program
3. A 3-semester hour college-level reading course that addresses "Foundations of Research-Based Reading Practices"

This requirement is effective for those NEW ACP participants enrolled on or after July 1, 2005. Those participants who are currently enrolled in an ACP program will not be required to add the reading component to their program plan.

 

FOR-PD Literacy e-Newsletter

Please read the April issue of the Literacy Newsletter. 

This issue focuses on helping our diverse learners. You will find much useful information on English Language Learners (ELLs). The newsletter is also loaded with comprehensive resources and support in literacy for preK-12 educators. Special thanks to Catherine Glass, our reading specialist, for developing this great literacy resource. We receive a lot of positive feedback from past graduates and current participants who enjoy our resources. You may reach Catherine at cc@orion.itrc.ucf.edu. 

 

FOR-PD's Reading Strategy of the Month

FOR-PD's Reading Strategy of the Month focuses on a reading and study strategy that will help all learners in the content area classroom. Textbooks are the main source of reading material in content area classrooms. Yet, many students struggle with reading and comprehension for two reasons. First, many of the textbooks used in schools today are written at a level above the grade level they are intended to be used in. Second, students generally lack strategies for tackling the textbook. One strategy that has proven effective for helping students strategically read a textbook is SQ4R-Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review, Reflect. This strategy gives students a process for previewing the text, developing questions, setting a purpose for reading, summarizing what is read, and reflecting on how this new information can be used. Check out the FOR-PD Reading Strategy of the Month to learn how to use the SQ4R strategy.

Last month we focused on fluency. Our reading strategy is titled Developing and Assessing Fluency. Fluency is the ability to read orally with speed, accuracy, and proper expression. At the secondary level, students who struggle with fluency typically fall behind their peers and struggle with the process of comprehension. One goal of reading instruction is to help students build fluency so that more emphasis can be placed on comprehension. One research-based method of improving fluency is through repeated readings. Students read selections of text aloud repeatedly until the desired fluency is achieved. Check out the FOR-PD Reading Strategy of the Month to learn how to use repeated readings and assess fluency.  

Take a look at our current reading strategy and the examples provided from elementary and secondary levels. Try this strategy in your classroom and then email us and tell us how it worked (forpd@mail.ucf.edu). Also, don't forget to share the strategy with your colleagues. Each month we feature an effective reading strategy, explain the rationale behind the strategy, give directions on how to use the strategy with students, ideas for adapting the strategy to different content areas, ideas for assessing the strategy, and, of course, a printable PDF version of the strategy. Check out our Reading Strategy Archive to see past Reading Strategies of the Month.

 

Facilitating with Felicity

Please also read our April Facilitator Newsletter. 

In our "Facilitating with Felicity" e-newsletter, we continue to address issues of professional development, facilitation, communication, and teacher participation. This month's issue is on creating and sustaining online learning communities. As we all know, an online community does not occur automatically in any online course. It is not an inherent characteristic of online learning. Online communities include administrative and user-tools. Online communities focus on integrating content and communication between facilitator-participant and participant-participant. This newsletter is a powerful vehicle for providing ongoing professional development and communication with all FOR-PD facilitators. Special thanks to Wendy Bedwell, our Facilitator Support Specialist, for this wonderful facilitator resource. Our facilitators enjoy the support and resources provided through this newsletter. You may reach Wendy at Wendy@orion.itrc.ucf.edu.

 

New Quality Assurance Specialist!

The FOR-PD Facilitator Leadership Board continues to assist FOR-PD facilitators. We are so excited to have this online study group with educators from across the state of Florida. We continue to learn about effective professional development from Systems for Change in Literacy Education: A Guide to Professional Development by Carol A. Lyons and Gay Su Pinnell. Our Facilitator Discussion Board has inundated by conversations on professional development and ways to apply those principles in our course and process of facilitation.

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome a familiar face to our team. Allison Jannotta, our staff member, is now our new Quality Assurance Specialist! She will send out quality assurance emails several times a semester to facilitators and participants. Since many courses adhere to different schedules depending on the start dates, the timeline will be as follows:

2 Participant Checks	3 Facilitator Checks
Weeks 2-3 Weeks 9-10	Weeks 2-3 Weeks 6-7 Weeks 11-12

During the participant checks, we will look for any non-starters and/or any lagging students and will attempt to contact these students. Ms. Jannotta will also be sending a report to participants about their specific section, informing them about their progress according to our records. During the facilitator checks, Ms. Jannotta will ensure that facilitators are doing what is required of a FOR-PD facilitator (posting welcome message, posting course schedule, actively participating in discussions, grading promptly, etc.). Finally, she will send an email describing what she found in each course along with some suggestions for improvement.

The purpose of these checks is to increase communication between facilitators and the FOR-PD office as well as to try to increase student motivation. We have found these quality assurance checks to be very productive.

Bi-Monthly Facilitator Discussion Topics

The latest are discussion topics with our FOR-PD facilitators:

The topic for April 18 - May 1 is summer motivation! We are beginning our summer classes on May 16, 2005 and, as you know, summer is a time for folks to slow down. Here’s a sample of our discussion focus:

Let's come up with some ideas on how to motivate the group of participants who sign up for the summer classes! I look forward to hearing your ideas. Post them to the Bi-Monthly Facilitator Topic "Summer Motivation" in the "For Facilitator Only" discussion area.

The topic for May 2 - May 15 is professional development ideas. We have done some chats and created a book club. Here is a sample of our discussion focus:

We have also done a professional development activity on coaching. What ideas do you have? Do you have a book you would like to discuss for the next book club? Do you have some chat ideas? Are there other topics you would like to explore? Other ideas you have for professional development activities? Let us know in the next bi-monthly discussion. Post your thoughts to the Bi-Monthly Facilitator Topic "Professional Development Ideas" in the "For Facilitator Only" discussion area during the next bi-monthly topic.

 

FOR-PD Online Chats

Participant Wrap-up Chat
WHEN: Tuesday, April 26, 2005
TIME: 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM EST
CHAT ROOM: General Chat for All Courses
WHO: Participants from the Spring
TOPIC: Course Wrap-Up
REQUIRED RESOURCES: Please make sure that you have viewed the chat protocol.

Facilitator Wrap-up Chat
WHEN: Wednesday, April 27, 2005
TIME: 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM EST
CHAT ROOM: Facilitator Only Course Chat Area, Room 1
WHO: Facilitators Only
TOPIC: Course Wrap-Up
REQUIRED RESOURCES: Please make sure that you have viewed the chat protocol.

This is a chat to debrief the semester. What worked well? What didn't? What was helpful from the FOR-PD office? What could have been done that would have been more helpful? This is your chance to share with us your comments about the spring semester, so come join us! We look forward to hearing from you!

 

FOR-PD New Help Desk Hours

Help Desk hours are:
Monday through Friday 9:30 A.M. - 4:30 P.M. &  6:00 P.M. - 10:00 P.M.  EST
Saturday 10:00 A.M.- 3:00 P.M. EST

866-863-READ: Technical Support Help Desk - Toll Free, Florida Calls Only
407-249-4702: Technical Support Help Desk - Non-Florida Calls Only  

Technical support is also available through AOL Instant Messenger, screen name "forpdhelp", and through email at helpdesk@orion.itrc.ucf.edu.

 

FOR-PD Notable Quotables

Read what recent participants are saying about the FOR-PD experience.  

REGARDING COMMUNITY BUILDING IN FOR-PD: "For community building, FOR-PD is incredible. There is substantial support in so many areas.  In technology, we have our own gurus who keep the site running effectively and efficiently and are always available for participant and facilitator problems. They respond to concerns and problems so professionally and so promptly.  There are so many resources for facilitators including the model discussion postings, the discussion area, the chat sessions, the syllabus, and the calendar.  The cohesiveness of the facilitator group is strengthened through emails and mutual support. Finally, I think the way we respect and value our participants and always try to be supportive and helpful only makes our foundation stronger. I think they appreciate the personal phone calls, the personal responses to postings, the user-friendly aspects of the course and its format.  We have an excellent learning community which is enhanced by a tireless staff in Orlando!" Nancy Tondreault - Spring 2005 

"I've given my geography students copies of the ABC Brainstorming sheet and we are taking a 'world tour.'  I directed them to visit www.mrdowling.com and find one interesting or amazing fact about any country in the world for each box on the sheet.  Mike Dowling is a 6th grade social studies teacher at Roosevelt Middle School in Palm Beach County, and he has created the most incredible website.  You really must visit it to see what he has done.  I'm going to have my Intensive Reading students (who are 6th graders) do the same assignment, because they have asked me to help them with their geography, science, and Language Arts.  We agreed that I'd focus all of our work together 4th quarter to support what they are doing in their other classes, so that they can improve all their grades, not just in my class." Barbara Blakeslee - Spring 2005 

"But, I have to tell you (honestly) that this is probably the best graduate course I have ever taken.  There hasn't been a lesson so far that I haven't found something absolutely splendid to share with my department.  They're all so 'jealous.'  :-0  Thank you again for all that you are doing." Fran Vogt, Spring 2005 

Please share with us your opinion of the course. Email us at: forpd@mail.ucf.edu.