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Workshops for Instructors
The CMI-Outreach Project
conducts 3-day workshops for instructors whose work involves
preservice or inservice training of early interventionists.
Workshops provide instructors with basic information about
the case method of instruction (philosophy, principles,
proposed outcomes and advantages, efficacy data, and where
to locate appropriate teaching materials). More importantly,
the workshops provide intensive instruction in specific teaching
strategies associated with the use of CMI. This is accomplished
through didactic presentations, modeling, practice, and feedback
by experienced case method instructors. Participants are
guided in the development of a back home plan for incorporating
CMI into their ongoing training activities. Following the
3-day workshop, the project provides ongoing support to assist
instructors in carrying out their back home plan. A 1-day
follow-up session is held approximately six months after
the initial training to provide additional training and
support to participants. In addition to the direct training
of instructors, the project also encourages project-trained
instructors to teach other instructors in their home state
about CMI (train-the-trainer approach) and provides the necessary
supports to ensure that such efforts are successful.
Application and
Eligibility
The CMI-Outreach Project
provides training in states where there is an identified
interest in infusing the case method into the preservice
and inservice training of early interventionists. Representatives
in any state where such an interest exists may contact the
project directly to discuss the possibility of arranging
statewide training for university faculty and preservice
instructors.
State Requirements
In order to insure that
project training is coordinated with existing plans for
personnel preparation, a state advisory board is identified
and convened in each state where project training will
be conducted. Existing groups such as a state higher education
consortium or a personnel preparation subcommittee of the
state's ICC may serve as an advisory board, providing there
is adequate representation among the group's membership
or additional representatives are invited to discuss project training.
Membership should include representatives of both Part C
and Part B (e.g., administrators, university faculty, inservice
trainers, direct service providers). Family members and
representatives of institutions serving predominately minority
populations should also be included. The primary functions
of the state advisory board are as follows:
To insure training is coordinated and consistent
with the state's CSPD
To determine who should participate in project training
(i.e., recruitment and selection of workshop participants)
To provide guidance and support to instructors who have
participated in order that they may subsequently train
other instructors in the state to use CMI
To identify a primary contact person(s) who will work
with project staff to organize outreach training (i.e.,
identify specific dates and training site) and facilitate
correspondence with workshop participants.
If
requested, CMI-Outreach Project staff can arrange to attend
the initial meeting of the state advisory board in order
to present information about the project and answer questions
that members may have about training.
Selection of Individual
Participants
A maximum of 25-30 participants
may attend the 3-day workshop for instructors. Selection
of participants should be consistent with the CSPD for
both Part C and Part B (619). In addition, there should
be a blend of preservice and inservice instructors and adequate
representation of minority groups. Instructors may represent
any of the numerous professional disciplines that are involved
in early intervention (e.g., early childhood, early childhood
special education, speech-language pathology, occupational
therapy, physical therapy, social work, psychology, medicine,
nursing). Only those instructors who are actively involved
in early intervention personnel preparation should be selected
to take part in project-sponsored training. Instructors
will be made aware of the following terms of agreement for
participation. Each participating instructor must:
Be currently
involved in early intervention personnel preparation
Identify a partner(s) who is also actively involved
in teaching or training and who agrees to attend the
workshop
Participate in peer coaching with his or her partner
following training
Develop and implement plans for using CMI in his or
her own training activities following participation
in the workshop
Attend
a 6-month follow-up session
Assist
in planning and implementing one activity to teach other
instructors how to use CMI Participate in project evaluation
activities.
Trainers
P.J. McWilliam and Pat
Snyder conduct all workshops for participating states. Both
have extensive experiences in use of the case method of
instruction and, together, have provided training in CMI
to hundreds of instructors across the United States. In
addition, they have developed teaching materials for use in
CMI and have conducted research and evaluation studies documenting
the efficacy of CMI as a personnel preparation strategy for
early interventionists.
Funds
There are no costs charged
to states or individual instructors for the 3-day workshop
and the 6-month follow-up session. Grant funds are available
to cover the costs of trainers and to cover costs associated
with the rental of facilities where training is conducted
if this is necessary. In addition, some grant monies are
available to cover hotel expenses for instructors who
must travel to attend the training event. The number of states
for which costs will be covered by grant funds, however, is limited
in accordance to the project's contract with the granting
agency (U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special
Education Programs).
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