What's New
UCF LITERACY SYMPOSIUM WAS A SUCCESS! 
It is my pleasure to share with you that the UCF College of Education 11th Literacy Symposium was a success! We had 753 educators attend from neighboring counties, from South, and North Florida. We had 43 presentations, two keynote addresses, and five exhibitors. Special thanks to all of participants, speakers, and attendees, for your support!
The keynote speakers’ presentations are posted on the Literacy Symposium website at: http://education.ucf.edu/litsymposium/news.cfm.
April 3, 2009 was a great educational day at UCF's College of Education!
Join us on again on April 2, 2010, to celebrate the 12th Annual UCF College of Education Literacy Symposium!
With much appreciation,
Vicky Zygouris-Coe, Ph.D.,
Literacy Symposium Organizer & Chair
Summer FOR-PD Course Updates
Dear Facilitators,
As you know, each semester we make updates to the FOR-PD course based on facilitator and participant feedback and current research. The updates for the summer 2009 semester are complete and include the following:
- New Lesson 1 Assignment
The discussion assignment has been modified requiring less personal information but more reflection on the participants' goals for achievement and learning from the FOR-PD course. This modification is being made to meet the guidlines of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and ensure protection of the participants' identities.
- New Lesson 1 Rubric
The rubric has been updated to include additional points for response to classmates.
- Corrected Course Content
Typographical errors made in grammar and spelling have been identified and corrected. - New Resources Throughout the Course
New resources in the form of classroom applications and additional resources have been added throughout the course on a variety of topics. - New Lesson 4 Content and Resources
A few brief additions were made to lesson 4 on oral language development, including both text and resources. - Lesson 4 Literacy Log Directions Revised
Directions have been updated to clarify include that each participant will need to have seven sets of words and include at least five words in each set. - Revisions in Quizzes 1-7
Some quiz items and feedback have been updated based on feedback from participants and facilitators - Updated Task Lists
The task list in each lesson has been updated to reflect updates in resources, content, course additions, etc.
- New Video Gallery
A video gallery was developed during the summer and fall 2008 semesters and is now inserted into each lesson on the lesson highlights page and also linked to the course menu. This gallery contains videos from teachers in various grade levels and content areas discussing how the information in that particular lesson applies to their area and how they have implemented the content learned.
Viewing a video from each lesson has been added to the task list of each lesson as part of the course requirements.
We believe that our teachers would greatly benefit from viewing and learning from colleagues about how they implemented research and effective reading instruction guidelines in their own classroom. The video gallery is a way of providing authentic and practical learning to guide future teachers in their instructional decisions.
- Facilitator Grading Information
While the facilitator grading schedule has not changed the following information regarding the facilitator grading schedule has been added to Lesson 1 and also to the Participant Expectations Document:
Every facilitator has his/her own preference when it comes to managing the grading process. They are required to post grades by 11:55 pm EST on Sunday of the following week after the lesson components are due. If a participant posts an assignment late, facilitators are not required to grade it immediately.
- Updated Lesson 5 Example Discussion Posting
The example discussion posting on the discussion board has been updated to remove the reference to a strategy no longer used in the FOR-PD course. -
Literacy Log Samples and Examples Description
The language on the links to the sample and example Literacy Logs on the Introduction pages has been updated as follows:
a. Blank (strategy name) Graphic Organizer
b. Example (strategy name) Literacy Log Entry - View this example of a completed literacy log assignment for this lesson.
c. View sample (strategy name) for elementary grades.
d. View sample (strategy name) for secondary grades.
- Outcome Measures Additions
Outcome Measures is an area that has been added to the Florida Reading Formula. To support this, content has been added to Lesson 13. This includes additional resources as well as an additional required reading: Assessment for Learning: Using General Outcome Measures. - FOR-PD Reading Strategy of the Month Additions
Links to various FOR-PD Reading Strategies of the Month have been added throughout the course as resources.
- Completion Certificates
Information for participants regarding how to obtain a Certificate of Completion has been added to Lesson 14, as well as being included in the Lesson Schedule, and Participant Expectations Document. - Directions for Printing Quizzes
Directions on how to print quizzes has been added to the Lesson 1 content.
- Updated FOR-PD Welcome Message
The Welcome Message from FOR-PD posted within the course has had some minor revisions.
- Required Readings in Lesson 11
Some of the required readings have been removed from Lesson 11 and replaced with Five Things Teachers Can Do to Improve Learning for ELLs in the New Year. This Bright Ideas article recommends five specific and measurable actions teachers can implement to assist ELL learning in the school year.
FOR-PD is happy to share that several of the Reading Strategy of the Month resources are listed as the first site in line when the strategy is searched on Google! Others appear on the first page.
This is encouraging as it shows that the resources the FOR-PD team works hard to provide are in demand!
NEW READING COURSE FOR COLLEGE SUCCESS 
The Florida Department of Education (DOE) has recently approved another .5 high school elective postsecondary readiness course titled Reading for College Success. This course is targeted at those students in the 12th grade whose placement scores have indicated they are not ‘college ready’ in reading.
You can read more in this publication from the DOE.
http://info.fldoe.org/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-5341/sb1908.pdf
This publication also contains valuable information about the newly developed Common Placement Testing and Remediation for High School Students web page intended to assist with the implementation of the expanded postsecondary readiness testing and high school “readiness” opportunities.
Contact Us
Contact us using any of the emails below or directly using our convenient feedback form.
FOR-PD Project
FOR-PD Help Desk
FOR-PD Facilitators
Dr. Vicky Zygouris-Coe (Principal Investigator)
Richard Scott (Registration)
Candace Whitehead (Facilitator Specialist)
Lourdes Smith (Reading Specialist)
Return to the
FOR-PD Homepage.
Last Updated:
April 15, 2009
