Alternate Pathways to Become a SIM Professional Developer

What is the SIM PDer2 Pathway?

This two-part institute (offered to groups of 6 or more) will prepare professional developers to instruct teachers how to implement either SIM Learning Strategies or Content Enhancement Routines, work with school administrators to create a supportive environment for implementation, and to act as literacy leaders in their school, district, region, or state.

Who should participate?

This pathway to SIM certification is especially designed for individuals who are in positions to facilitate professional learning for teachers and likely do not have their own classroom. There is no prerequisite knowledge or skills related to implementing SIM. Examples of potential participants include:

• Professional Development Providers
• Instructional Coaches
• Lead Teachers
• Professional Development Coordinators
• Intervention Specialist
• Special Education Facilitators
• Education Consultants

Institute Details:

Part I: Implementing SIM with Students (First Year)

Part I will center around gaining experience implementing a set of SIM Learning Strategies (LS) or Content Enhancement Routines (CER). After the first overview session, participants will select a strand from SIM--either LS or CER—as their focus for the institute experience. The institute directors will provide initial PD on the set of LS or CER.
 
SIM CER Strand
1.     Unit Organizer with SMARTER
2.     Concept Mastery
3.     Question Exploration
4.     Optional: Framing
 
SIM LS Strand
1.     Fundamentals in Sentence Writing
2.     Self-Questioning or Inference
3.     Possible Selves
 
The cohort structure is designed to help participants determine how to implement without having their own classroom. The expectation will be to implement with 1 student (own child, neighbor’s child, etc.) or a small group of students, or to co-teach with a teacher-partner who has a classroom. The cohort will be meet monthly on Zoom. The monthly cohort sessions will provide an opportunity to deepen knowledge of SIM and to share about implementation experiences with each other. See schedule below. The goal will be to gain the implementation experience needed to be eligible for Part II.

Part II: Instructing Teachers in SIM (Second Year)

Part II will focus on how to instruct teachers in the selected strand of SIM, LS or CER.

The unifying framework for this portion of the institute is literacy leadership in all content areas and professional learning principles. During Part II, the cohort will join others who have been accepted through other pathways to the Content Literacy Leadership Institute for Prospective SIM Professional Developers. More details on this institute can be found here: https://sim.ku.edu/content-literacy-leadership-institute-clli. During Part II, each participant will begin to instruct teachers in their school, region, or state in SIM LS or CER of their choice with the support of their SIM Mentor.
 
Each participant will be assigned a SIM Mentor that plans, problem-solves, provides feedback and other support as needed throughout the two-part institute. Canvas will be used to provide asynchronous learning through video, articles, quizzes, and exercises.

This is a two year experience.  Part I will take place in Year 1, and Part II will take place the following year.
 
Concepts covered during the two-part institute include:
·      content literacy
·      strategic, explicit instruction
·      higher order thinking and reasoning
·      tiered instruction (placement, progress monitoring)
·      features of high-quality professional learning
·      infrastructure and systems to support implementation

Apprenticeship Period: 2 years

Provide PD to teachers with support of SIM Mentor

Prepare final portfolio for certification

Each participant will need to purchase their instructor’s manuals/guidebooks and student materials separately. 
 
What is great about SIM is not only do we provide the professional knowledge and skill set for teachers to use evidence-based practices, but we also provide the materials to carry out lessons! For Learning Strategies, the instructor’s manuals contain lesson plans according to a evidence-based instructional procedures, and the student materials provide practice opportunities. For Content Enhancement Routines, the instructor’s guidebooks support teachers to integrate the routines and accompanying graphic organizers into their course curriculum.

You can find instructor manuals in the KU CRL Online Store and student materials on the publisher website, Edge Enterprises, Inc.

Registration

This is a rolling registration, meaning that we need to reach a total of 6 people before we can hold the institute.  So, please feel free to fill out the registration information and we will contact you once we reach that number.  If you are a school district or organization registering multiple people, please send an email to simpd@ku.edu. Purchase orders are accepted.

Register HERE for the Institute

Institute Investment: $4,300/person     This cost includes the Part I and Part II.

• Part I is estimated at 20-25 contact hours of professional learning with institute directors and SIM mentor, plus 20 hours of self-paced and self-guided work in Canvas. Additional time investment is required to implement what is learned during the institute with students.
• Part II is estimated at 20-25 contact hours of professional learning with institute directors and SIM mentor, plus 15 hours of self-paced and self-guided work in Canvas. Additional time investment is required to implement what is learned during the institute with teachers.

Payment Options 

• Download form to pay by check or PO
• Visit our online store to pay by credit card.  The conference is listed in the Professional Learning Tab.
• Call 785-864-4780 with your credit card information between 9 AM and 4 PM CST.

Refund Policy: 
If you find you are not able to attend, notify KUCRL for a refund of your registration minus a $50 cancellation fee.  

For questions regarding registration, please contact simpd@ku.edu, 785-864-0626. For questions regarding payment, contact orderkucrl@ku.edu, 785-864-4780.

Want to become a professional developer, but don't have a group to work with?

If you're interested in becoming certified in the SIM Content Enhancement Routines (CER), you can begin them by signing up for the virtual professional development via our Canvas Courses.  You will need to do PD courses in 3 CERs and evidence of implementation to be eligible to apply to a future year's CLLI.  You can also work toward a Specialist Micro-credential in a single CER to be able to teach others how to use this specific Routine, just let your SIM Coach know that this is your intent during the course and they can help you to find a mentor for you to work on your Specialist credentials.

If you're interested in becoming certified in the SIM Learning Strategies (LS), you can begin them by signing up for the virtual professional development via our Canvas Courses.  You will need to do PD courses in 2 LSs and evidence of implementation to be eligible to apply to a future year's CLLI.  You can also work toward a Specialist Micro-credential in a single LS to be able to teach others how to use this specific Strategy, just let your SIM Coach know that this is your intent during the course and they can help you to find a mentor for you to work on your Specialist credentials.