With the completion of the closing festivities and the end of the academic year, teachers had an opportunity to learn and grow together as professionals. During the week of June 6th-9th, the entire faculty engaged in comprehensive training with nationally acclaimed Kansas University Strategic Instruction Model (SIMS).
A perfect compliment to the Schools Attuned training the faculty received two years ago, the premise of SIMS is that instruction must be presented in sequential stages designed to promote mastery at each level. This structure should take into consideration the diverse learning characteristics of a variety of learners.
The Strategic Instruction Model offers just such a structure in its stages of strategy acquisition and generalization of the Learning Strategies Curriculum. Each stage is structured to lead learners to mastery, and the stages are linked to ensure application to real world tasks. This program, coupled with a neuro-developmental approach as outlined by Dr. Mel Levine, ensures that Purnell teachers are not just focused on what they teach, but how students learn.
Said Spanish teacher Brooke Malik of the training, "This course has offered Purnell faculty a new perception of the art of planning and teaching. Learning the Kansas University Strategic Instruction Model has given us the tools to more succinctly plan our classes while empowering students to understand how and why they are learning key curricular concepts. Most importantly, we are better equipped to help students understand how all of their learning is ultimately connected and never used in isolation."
