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 f3QBN5f26506; Thu, 26 Apr 2001 07:23:05 -0400 (EDT) Date: Thu, 26 Apr 2001 07:23:05 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <20020425.081919.-73145.1.arconn@juno.com> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: Anne R Connors <arconn@juno.com> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-4EFF:1532] Re: a question for facilitators X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Mailer: Juno 5.0.27 Status: O Content-Length: 6128 Lines: 125 I was priviliged to see a video of Amy Normand's teacher training. she taught her teacher's EFF by using EFF. I think that is the only way that teachers will realize what is about. If Eff evolves into just "project based" learning, it will not be effective. I also find it hard to use in a 50 hour GED class. There is such a focus on GED that it is hard to use anything but the GED materials. One way it can be utilized is by having the student decide what to study and when (Plan)in a GED class. Working With Others can also be stressed in a short term GED class. Of course encouraging people to be on time, help with class rules, and do their work, also can be fitted into an EFF framwork. On Wed, 25 Apr 2001 12:39:32 -0400 (EDT) Amy Normand <an10@swt.edu> writes: > Mary, > > Two years ago I had these same concerns. With the funding from a > special PD grant, I offered a series of four workshops for master > teachers in my co-op and two other co-ops in our area. We had a > total of 20 participants the first time. We met every four weeks, > with assignments created by the teachers to be carried out in their > classrooms, practicing EFF in their classrooms during the month. We > gave them the experience of EFF in four stages, let them digest each > in an experiential way in their own classroom, and come back with > questions and concerns. When we came together, first we reviewed > the previous > workshop, then the experiences they had in implementing the > assignments, and then went on to the next stage of learning EFF. > We only lost five of the original group through the process. It > was a wonderful experience, and to my knowledge all of these > instructors are using EFF effectively in their classrooms today. > > Amy Normand > Project VITAL > Volunteers in Training for Adult Literacy > Center for Initiatives in Education > Southwest Texas State University > > Mary Siedow wrote: > > > For the past several months, whenever I've done an EFF teaching > and learning workshop, I've noticed something that worries me. > Participants are interested in everything that happens, they do > their best with the activities, but they don't seem to "get it" and > they certainly don't seem ready to implement EFF at the end of the > workshop. Have any other trainers had this experience? What > thoughts do you have about how we can address it? > > > > In the rest of this lengthy message, I've recounted what happens > in workshops, and proposed ideas of my own. I'd certainly like to > engage in a discussion with others about any aspects of the issue. > > > > What happens: > > Each time I've done the workshop I've worked with other EFF > trainers. We've worked through the sample learning activity from > Vermont Adult Learning and then moved to the planning activity based > on a scenario. > > > > Participants are impressed by the VAL example. I've heard people > say that they've used similar projects with their students and other > people note the accomplishment of the VAL teachers who sustained > learning through all of the activities described. These responses > tell me that participants are seeing EFF learning as substantial; > and that - whether they can articulate it or not at this point - > they recognize the purposeful, contextual, and constructive elements > of EFF learning activities. > > > > The scenario based planing activity is where the difficulty > starts. Participants struggle to figure out what to do with it. > They try to come up with great content ideas, they worry over > whether they're attending to each of the COPs for the standard > they've chosen. They ask lots of questions about the planning form, > and they have trouble connecting everything into purposeful, > contextual, and constructive learning. During the sharing time we > hear really interesting ideas along with ideas that sound like > "business as usual." Still, everyone tells us that they are ready > to go home and use EFF with their students. > > > > My concern: > > What I'm just not sure about is this last bit of the workshop. > Somehow, as I reflect back, I am faced with this nagging concern > that teachers really are not ready to go home and use EFF. We've > asked participants to make a large number of "stretches" in the > workshop, and their first efforts to construct learning activities > do not suggest to me that they've made all of them. > > > > My questions and thoughts: > > Time: I don't think that merely extending workshop time would > help. Participants have had about all they can handle in the hours > we have with them. > > > > Content: I can't imagine leaving out any of the content. People > need the overview of standards, role maps, common activities, > history - whether this is a first or later encounter with EFF. They > need a good example to guide them. They need a clear planning > activity to get them started. > > > > Expectations: Could it be that our expectations are off the mark? > Can we really assume that people are ready to implement EFF after > just a few hours? If not, what else should we do to assist them? > > > > So, I'm left with trying to build other scenarios that might work. > What might happen, for example, if we offered a two or three day > institute style workshop? I think it might be better than two > workshops separated in time (where the attrition rate would enter > into the mix). Could we get teachers to sign up? Could we get > program managers to buy in? > > > > I think we're at a critical place with EFF staff development. We > can't provide every program in the country with the kinds of support > offered to field development sites. Yet, unless we provide > necessary support we are likely to lose people who try it for awhile > and then move back to earlier practices. > > > > Mary > > > > Mary Dunn Siedow, Ed.D. > > Director, NC Literacy Resource Center > > 5025 Mail Service Center > > Raleigh, NC 27699-5025 > > 919-733-7051, ext 502 > > 800-553-9759 (NC only) > > http://www.state.nc.us/NCLRC/home > >
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