[Simtrainer-l] Need some ideas

[Keith B. Lenz]

Hi, I just ran out of gas on I70, so I have a few minutes to wait and ponder an answer for your inquiry. 


First, all of the previous suggestions have been great. My thoughts shared here are based on working with teachers who seem overwhelmed by creating courses comprised of suites of strategies. 

With these suggestions in mind, it is important to understand that for years, each teacher was left alone to string together a set of "best bet" SIM interventions to address diverse student needs. This took a lot of work and often it was hard to create a coherent organization of complimentary interventions. It is hard to offer a group of kids a "course" and still be responsive to individual needs. CRL researchers have long known that this has caused many challenges for teachers.

However, as a result of these challenges, two SIM programs were carefully planned to integrate SIM interventions and then they were evaluated. One was Fusion Reading and the other one was Extreme Reading. Both programs integrate a variety of SIM components into an integrated suite of interventions. This makes the decision making and flow easier. Since I am more familiar with both the content and the implementation issues involved with Extreme Reading, I will use that program as an example of how using one of these programs (and supplementing them) might help you, but my choice in using Extreme as my example should not deter you from considering using and supplementing Fusion Reading. 

You may be familiar with Extreme. It incorporates social skills, text analysis strategies, progress monitoring, and motivation components. Course and unit organizers and other CE devices are used to organize the interventions into a course. As the year progresses, writing strategies and other SIM interventions can supplement the core program as the course can be easily extended to become a two-year initiative. 

Third, the new GIST software now makes it so much easier to integrate a variety of SIM interventions into a coherent and integrated course. The GIST design package can be used to ensure coherence so that all the resources required to teach/use each SIM intervention  can be included in that GIST course. Everything is in one place. 

With all the resources now in Extreme combined with all the course design features of GIST 2.0, you can really develop a unique and organized course of strategic interventions in a manner that has not been possible in the past. 

I can talk to you more about this if you are interested. Take care. Keith

Keith Lenz
Bklenz at me.com
408/896-5454





Sent from: Keith B. Lenz
bklenz at me.com
Mobile: 408-896-5454

> On Aug 1, 2016, at 12:02 PM, Christine Bouck via Simtrainer-l <simtrainer-l at lists.ku.edu> wrote:
> 
> Dear Colleagues,
> 
> After 10 years in higher education, I am moving back into the classroom. Starting next week I will be teaching high school again. One of my classes is what's called "curriculum assistance" and the other four will be co-teaching math and English. I could use your help. The CA class is for students with more severe learning differences. It's set up so we can work on IEP goals and (the best part) learning strategies to help the students be more successful in their classes. The principal seemed very impressed with the SIM strategies at my interview, and I am excited to be implementing them. 
> 
> Here is where I need some help. I have free rein in this class to teach whatever I feel is best for my students. It's been a long time since I've been in the classroom, and I only had a few strategies to choose from. Now that I have most of the manuals and know so much more, I'm feeling overwhelmed. Does anyone have any suggestions for how you go about determining which strategies to teach first? I've always taught the strategy to everyone at once but I was thinking about trying to do some differentiation if possible. If anyone has suggestions for that I would love to hear them. Basically, if you have any advice, I'll take it. I'm thinking that once I get back into the classroom I'll be fine but the planning stages are giving me fits. I would appreciate any suggestions you have. Thanks!
> 
> Christine
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