[NIFL-AALPD:1232] Distance staff development

From: Judith Diamond (JDiamond@irc-desplaines.org)
Date: Mon Mar 29 2004 - 11:55:15 EST


Return-Path: <nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov>
Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id i2TGtFm00651; Mon, 29 Mar 2004 11:55:15 -0500 (EST)
Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2004 11:55:15 -0500 (EST)
Message-Id: <EB46C655B701544688DBF624095AB95D10F69C@web1.thecenterweb.org>
Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov
Reply-To: nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov
Originator: nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov
Sender: nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov
Precedence: bulk
From: "Judith Diamond" <JDiamond@irc-desplaines.org>
To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov>
Subject: [NIFL-AALPD:1232] Distance staff development
X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
Content-Type: text/plain;
Status: O
Content-Length: 1674
Lines: 13

Commenting on staff development at a distance:

Illinois has three service centers, one for each geographic third of the state.  The centers deliver staff development and supportive services for all funded adult education programs including ESL and ABE/GED.

Many, many people come to on-site or regional workshops.  However, there are others who because of distance, time, or access difficulties cannot attend.

We tried one online workshop, The Brain, Memory, and Learning.  It was offered three times.  Each time, the workshop ran for six weeks.  We found that, though there was a fair amount of interest in signing up for the workshop, the participants' ability and interest in keeping up with the tasks waned after about the third week.  We are now in process of developing some shorter online trainings that would be combined with at least one on-site meeting.

More successfully, we have just completed a video and an accompanying text for ESL teachers called: A Framework Comes Alive: Experience an ESOL Classroom.  It is an exciting, fun video featuring a great ESOL teacher and his class along with a panel of experienced ESOL instructors commenting on various aspects of teaching.  The guide contains specific suggestions elaborating on the video and includes both activities for teachers to bring into the classroom and a Trainer's Guide for programs who want to use the video on-site.  We are very excited about this whole project.  It has received an enthusiastic welcome from teachers and programs.  We will be showing the video and demonstrating training possibilities at COABE this year.

Judith Diamond
Adult Learning Resource Center
Des Plaines, Illinois



This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Thu Dec 23 2004 - 09:45:44 EST