Professional Development Experiences

Have you ever bought a book or CD, meaning to look at it “later” and put it to use, but “later” never came? To avoid such a common but unproductive situation, “professional development experiences” have been created for all of the products described on this web site. Basically, professional development experiences are workshops designed to help people implement the procedures outlined in a product in the most effective manner possible. All professional development experiences are led by instructors certified to teach others about Strategic Instruction and who have agreed to present a professional development experience about a particular item.

The materials displayed on this website comprise a set of research-validated instructional methods that were developed specifically to help at-risk students achieve academic success. Today, more than 1000 individuals living in the United States, Canada, India, Thailand, and Indonesia are certified Professional Development Specialists who can provide workshops on Strategic Instruction. This group of experts includes public and private school teachers, independent consultants, representatives of state departments of education, professionals who conduct in-service workshops for their own and neighboring school districts, and professors who teach preservice courses for future teachers. All have met the rigorous standards of educational development and excellence established and monitored by the Center for Research on Learning.

Next to the description of some of our products appears the phrase, “Professional development required.” This means that in order to purchase these products, you will need to provide the name of a certified SIM Professional Developer. This is because research has shown that the procedures outlined in this item are fairly complex, and without instruction, people do not achieve the kinds of results desired. If the phrase is not present, a professional development experience is still available for the product, just not required.

To locate the name of a SIM Professional Developer in your area, contact the CRL (785.864.0622) or Edge (785.749.1473). Just specify the name of the product (or series) you’re interested in, plus the city and state you live in, and we’ll give you the names of some professional development specialists near you who can get you up and running. All are incredibly nice people, committed to helping students and teachers, and they will do whatever they can to meet your needs.

Click here for more information about upcoming workshops for educators on a selection of programs associated with strategic instruction.