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 f3QIlff17365; Thu, 26 Apr 2001 14:47:41 -0400 (EDT) Date: Thu, 26 Apr 2001 14:47:41 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <sae832ce.031@128.128.109.250> 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: "Barbara Vrany" <BBVRANY@k12.carr.org> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-4EFF:1537] Re: a question for facilitators X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII X-Mailer: Novell GroupWise 5.5.3 Status: O Content-Length: 8181 Lines: 155 Hi Jb! You have taken the words right out of my mouth. I have a great supervisor who has given us numerous opportunities to be trained, and I still am not sold on EFF. I have been an adult ed. teacher for 10 years, and to me this is just another system that educators feel obligated to create in their attempt to do the job better and to reach everyone. Doing the job better is always a worthy goal, and change can be good, but inventing a whole system that proclaims to be a cure all is a waste of time and money. I hope someone listens to you. Believe me, you are not the only one who is not in love with EFF. Barb >>> ginet_b@hotmail.com 04/25/01 06:18PM >>> I'd like to respond to this issue from the perspective of a workshop participant. I go to workshops ( many by now), seem to understand the concept, think it's wonderful, then come back to my school and can't make it work. I think there needs to be some truth telling here, especially in regards to this subject, and if it turns out I'm the only one confused, then so be it. In the following rather long post, I've elaborated on my experiences. The major factor which makes implementing EFF difficult for me is that like most of us I have received EFF instruction in bits and pieces. I believe I am a relatively intelligent person, but I must see the whole picture before I can really "know" something. I am not seeing the whole EFF picture. It seems as if all of you live and breathe EFF, know the theory behind every development, are familiar with the history, understand how EFF corresponds to the learning standards. Consider the instructors (most of whom are part-time with second jobs) who have not participated in this process. Does anyone really understand the EFF framework, how the standards mesh with the purposes, the common activities, the generative skills and the knowledge domains? Frankly I can't get beyond those charts and wheels. The quest to learn EFF has left me feeling rather stupid. Likewise, reading the dialogue on this list has made me wonder if I should even be an adult ed instructor. I have been a successful college instructor for years and have no problem with a college class where the subject is simply taught. I can't understand why this system doesn't work for adult ed. I am no longer sure what I'm supposed to be doing as an adult ed instructor. I have faithfully read the postings on this list, but the dialogue has been so abstract and theoretical that I've come to the conclusion that EFF is more an intellectual exercise than anything to do with what is best for students. I've down-loaded hundreds of forms trying to come up with a system, but I have found implementing systems with which to use the forms to be close to impossible. Much of what I've heard on this list and in workshops has to do with classes and project-based learning, which doesn't work in our open learning center where we work with learners individually. Most of our learners want their GED asap and then they're off to college. No one has ever been able to tell me how EFF fits with GED preparation. Our learners are not interested in role maps nor setting goals other than working on skills for each GED test until they can pass it. Truth be known, they resent it when we "impose" on them anything that does not further their progress toward the GED. Most students already have goals (usually college or a job), and we are simply facilitating their learning so they can achieve those goals without any EFF complications. Thank you for staying with this overly long letter to the end. I'm not sure whether my particular problem is universal or whether I stand alone in my confusion. I hope my frankness has been helpful. Jb Maine >From: "Mary Siedow" <mdsiedow@so.ncccs.cc.nc.us> >Reply-To: nifl-4eff@nifl.gov >To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov> >Subject: [NIFL-4EFF:1512] a question for facilitators >Date: Tue, 24 Apr 2001 09:22:26 -0400 (EDT) > > > >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 > > > > _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com
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