Return-Path: <nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id f06Fpd927787; Sat, 6 Jan 2001 10:51:39 -0500 (EST) Date: Sat, 6 Jan 2001 10:51:39 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <4.2.2.20010106104511.00a38a20@postoffice.worldnet.att.net.> Errors-To: rgspacone@worldnet.att.net Reply-To: nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: Ellen Loebl <eloebl@readingprogram.org> (by way of "Ronna G. Spacone" <rgspacone@worldnet.att.net>) To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-4EFF:1333] Re: Drop-ins and Open Enrollment X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Pro Version 4.2.2 Status: O Content-Length: 4462 Lines: 40 I work for the Reading Program in Santa Clara County, CA. We have drop-in tutoring facilitated by volunteer tutors and by staff at various substance abuse facilities and a church (9 sites). The program complements our jail and community library projects because the learners have multiple sites where they can go for tutoring. It's very short-term. Sometimes clients drop out and we see them weeks, months, or years later. Sometimes we never see them again. Our aim is to provide learners with success immediately and to plant a seed so that as they move around they will be motivated to come back and find us. I use EFF in my class and so do the other staff members. It's more problematic with our volunteer tutors because of training issues and because of our mechanisms for getting feedback (which we are currently working on improving). Because of the short-term nature of the class I only do lessons that can be completed in one session because we don't always see people again or new people would come in right in the middle of an activity or project. We use the roles to talk about how people can use what we've learned and practiced in class when they leave. We use the skills to talk about what adults need and how to transfer learning. We are just beginning to use the standards so that learners can see everything that is involved in using a particular skill. We also use the roles for short-term goal setting, which is particularly important for someone who might not be around at the end of the month. To give one quick example: Last week a learner who returned to our program after a two-year absence had recently been released from jail to a recovery house. He was unhappy with the restrictions because he is working but has significant bills to pay and needed to contact his judge to try to get his living situation changed. The whole class worked that night to help him draft a letter to the judge, edit it, and calculate a budget with his earnings and expenses in his current situation to include in the letter. Everyone benefited that night, not just the learner who needed a letter for his judge because they all participated, even one man who couldn't write because he was able to give input orally. Drop-in tutoring is very valuable because we can reach many more learners, especially with our perennial tutor shortage. With the recovery population being somewhat unpredictable, we can be reasonably assured that with a group of learners someone will show up and the volunteer or staff member's time will not have been wasted. I highly recommend that you give it a try. Ellen Loebl The Reading Program Santa Clara County Library 40 N. Milpitas Blvd. Milpitas, CA 95035 (408) 293-2326 ext. 3070 (408) 287-9826 fax (408) 798-7629 pager eloebl@readingprogram.org www.readingprogram.org At 03:57 PM 1/5/01 -0500, you wrote: >I am a program assistant for a library literacy program. Our program provides one-on-one tutoring but there is a shortage of available volunteer tutors, and we have a large waiting list of students. We are investigating drop-in tutoring as a means to deal with the waiting >list. We serve adults who speak conversational English but it may not be their first language. We do not have a specific ESL program. We are investigating drop-in tutoring where a tutor would be available on a set schedule, perhaps two or three times a week, to assist any students on our waiting list until they could be matched with a tutor of their own. > >We realize that we may have difficulties finding a volunteer tutor who will feel comfortable with the drop-in situation, so we may need to hire a teacher. Some adult schools provide open entry/open exit classes, which is similar to the drop-in situation. I am curious how both situations work, and can the tutor/teacher use EFF effectively for goal setting, assessment, and student retention in those situations. > >I would like to hear from anyone who is using EFF with adult students and has open entry/ open exit classes. Or is anyone on this list doing drop-in tutoring? How are you incorporating EFF into the drop-in situation? What is the students' response to the drop-in environment? Lastly, do you have any resources for the practice and/or model that you are using and any other recommendations? > >Thank you for your time and response. > >Jennifer Tetzlaff >Solano County Library Literacy Program >Vallejo, California >(707) 553-5265 >jtetzlaf@snap.lib.ca.us
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