Description**:   Teachers face a tremendous challenge to meet the diverse needs of learners in classes that demand the presentation of a massive amount of course content. In particular, students whose reading and written expression skills are not up to grade level will struggle immensely in content area classes.  This workshop will introduce teachers to the foundations of the Strategic Instructional Model® (SIM®) and the Unit Organizer Routine, and will prepare them to implement these research-based interventions to help students acquire the critical components of the vast amount of content presented in the general education curriculum.  Teachers use the Unit Organizer Routine to plan units; introduce and maintain the big ideas in units; and show how units, critical information, and concepts are related.

Research Summary:  These routines have been successfully field tested in general education classrooms (primarily in middle and high school settings) characterized by significant academic diversity, including students judged to be at risk for academic school failure as well as students with learning disabilities.  In the research, a combination of instructional models involving general education and special education teachers, both individually and collaboratively, were successfully tested.  Research has demonstrated that consistent and explicit instruction and use of each routine is a key ingredient for instructional success.  The routines are designed for collaborative use between the teacher and students during group instruction to help a teacher provide instruction more sensitive to the learning needs of individuals in the group.

**This workshop can be taken separately or in conjunction with the Content Enhancement: Concept Mastery and Framing Routines Workshop scheduled for November 2, 2012.

Cost: $125 (includes parking pass, instructor’s manuals, packets of training materials, as well as supplemental handouts and PowerPoint presentations sent electronically following the workshop to augment instruction. Successful completion of  both workshops will provide 1 PLU for eligible participants.)

Instructor: Kathy Boyle-Gast, Communication Sciences & Special Education, SIM® Professional Developer

Location: River’s Crossing, 850 College Station Road, Athens, Georgia 30605

Click here to see the complete flyer for more information!

Click here to see all upcoming Strategic Instruction Model (SIM) Workshops!

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