About the Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List

Welcome to the Adult Literacy Professional Development discussion list, a service of the National Institute for Literacy in partnership with Jackie Taylor Consulting and the Association of Adult Literacy Professional Developers. This list is moderated by Jackie Taylor.

The purpose of this list is to provide an on-going professional development forum to build a network of professional developers to share information and communicate fresh ideas and promising practices; provide professional development for professional developers based on needs or interests; and contribute the voice of the field in shaping policy initiatives. This list features information and discussion about planning and implementing professional development to address issues such as new teacher preparation, needs assessment and evaluation, using technology and distance learning, and designing professional development to support local, state and national initiatives and program improvement efforts. The Professional Development list is open to everyone working or interested in adult literacy professional development.

Hot topics, key issues, resources, research, and professional wisdom shared on the Professional Development List are often times archived in the Professional Development section of the ALE Wiki. These Web pages are collaboratively developed by some Professional Development List subscribers. Anybody can add materials to these pages; it is quick and easy to do. Thus, the Professional Development List and the Professional Development section of the ALE Wiki go hand-in-hand: resources posted to the List help to grow the Wiki, and resources posted in the Wiki can serve as springboards for discussion on the Professional Development List. You do not have to contribute to the Wiki to subscribe to the List.

The adult education and literacy field uses the Institute’s lists as tools for professional development. View this Power point to learn of the many ways practitioners use the lists for their own professional growth and learning : Professional Development from Your Inbox: Making the Most of National Discussion Lists. Please visit this reflection tool to help record ideas and next steps.

Jackie Taylor can be reached at jataylor@utk.edu.