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 j08HGkF02277; Sat, 8 Jan 2005 12:16:47 -0500 (EST) Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2005 12:16:47 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <BAY22-F3675BDB672E07B44BB2396CF950@phx.gbl> 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: "Eileen Eckert" <eileeneckert@hotmail.com> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-AALPD:1877] Re: Research agenda about PD? X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Status: O Content-Length: 5051 Lines: 125 Hello all, Well my silence didn't last long, but I can't resist this one. One comment on the research agenda below (I've left those messages intact) is that as long as the relationship between teacher learning and student learning is always assumed and implicit, it will also never be examined--"learning" is mentioned once in that whole set of research questions. How about getting nominations of effective programs (I know this is ambiguous but it's not the main point, so please don't get stuck on that concept) and looking at how teachers, staff, and administrators learn and develop in such programs? From research that I did as part of a graduate course on teacher professional development in 2001, I'd expect that teachers learn much more from self-directed study, discussions with colleagues, and feedback and experiences with students than they do from "professional development." Maybe funding should be redirected to make it easier to create the conditions in which teachers do learn. Another comment is please, please, please anticipate the usual simplifications and overgeneralizations of research findings and don't saddle the field with another set of "bests" to be contorted into another set of mandates. For example, the "best" adult education preparation program for teachers gets turned into requirements for adult ed teacher preparation regardless of how poorly it meets the needs of anyone other than the subset of teachers it was designed for. Final comment, though it's probably useless to say this: students, teachers, and programs need whatever money would fund this research agenda, and it would be more useful if it were spent directly on programming than on some of the institutes and organizations that always seem to have access to funding no matter how much programming for learners is being cut. I think NCSALL and World Ed do good work, but if funding is either/or--either research or programming--I say scrap the research agenda because teachers learn with or without it, but they need the funding to serve any adult who wishes to pursue basic skills study in formal classes or tutoring. Eileen From: David Rosen <djrosen@comcast.net> Reply-To: nifl-aalpd@nifl.gov To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-AALPD:1874] Re: Research agenda about PD? Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2005 22:52:47 -0500 (EST) NIFL-AALPD Colleagues, Cris Smith wrote: " If we were to develop a research agenda about professional development in our field, what questions would you remove or add to this list? [below] " I especially like C1, C2, C6, C7 and C9. I think we need to focus on just a few questions. Boiling it down to only three, C1, C7 and C6 would be my priorities. I would add as a dimension of C1: Are program/staff development models more effective than just staff development models? I would add language to the beginning of any of these which began "Under what circumstances, and with what kinds of teachers and programs.." or "Given [full-time teachers or] [volunteer tutors] or [part-time teachers] at a [novice] or [somewhat experienced] level, working with [ABE] or [ASE] or [ESOL/ESL] students at the [beginning] or [intermediate] or [advanced] level..." I would be interested to hear what others think. David J. Rosen djrosen@comcast.net Cris wrote: In early December, there was a 3-day researcher and practitioner symposium in Sacramento, California, co-sponsored by NCSALL, CALPRO, California Department of Ed, called “Supporting Student Success: What the Research Tells Us.” During the first day, participants generated research questions they would like to see answered. Many of the questions generated related to professional development. I’ve posted them below. If we were to develop a research agenda about professional development in our field, what questions would you remove or add to this list? Best…Cris Professional Development (15) C1. What are most effective models for professional development? (x3) C2. How does professional development actually improve student learning gains? (x3) C4. Is there a common progression of experience that adult education teachers go through on their way to becoming capable adult education teachers? C5. How to improve instruction? C6. Best mentoring model to support teachers? C7. How [do] teachers change? C8. How successful are adult educators or CTE teachers who come directly from industry, without teacher education training? Where can I find professional development for them? C9. Are there effective models for motivating teachers to participate in professional development? C10. [Is there a] description of an effective model of professional development to support open entry open exit programs that offer self-paced competency based programs and for ABE and diploma adults? C11. What is the best preparation for adult educators? Cristine Smith Deputy Director, NCSALL World Education 44 Farnsworth Street Boston, MA 02210 csmith@worlded.org (617) 482-9485
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