Professional Development

GIST can be a powerful addition to a teacher’s toolbox when they feel confident in their ability to use it. Successful outcomes depend on the SIM Professional Developer’s abillity to weave GIST and Content Enhancement Routines into cohesive learning activities.

Implementing GIST in Professional Development

• GIST Spotlight: This workshop helps teachers who are already familiar with one or more Content Enhancement Routines. Teachers learn how to use GIST to create new organizers, as well as organize and refine existing devices, using GIST and the Content Enhancement Library. This workshop varies in time from an hour and a half to a full day and will give teachers required knowledge to use GIST with the routines they know.
• Content Enhancement Workshop with GIST Introduction: This workshop combines instruction in a new Content Enhancement Routine with instruction in using GIST. Plan for half a day for introducing the routine, using pencil and paper to develop their first organizers. Follow this with a half day introduction to GIST, during which teachers will learn the software’s features and transfer their work from paper to computer.
• Content Enhancement Workshop and GIST Quick Introduction: This workshop is designed for half-day situations. Focus is on learning the routine, followed by 45 minutes for a brief introduction to GIST’s core features–particularly, those features useful for the Content Enhancement routine learned earlier in the day. This approach works best when working with teachers who are independent learners.