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 j3LIrdG02857; Thu, 21 Apr 2005 14:53:39 -0400 (EDT) Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2005 14:53:39 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <FBF6319FEF12FF43846FC12335964ECF115E7B@dell2k3.cyitc.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: "Lynn Pinder" <lpinder@cyitc.org> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-AALPD:2082] Re: learners' role in teacher training X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Type: text/plain; Status: O Content-Length: 7360 Lines: 202 One way of engaging learners in the PD process is through the use of panel discussions. This is a less intrusive way of engaging both learners and professionals in conversations about what works in adult ed/literacy. The panel should consist of learners who are prepared to talk about their experiences at adult ed/literacy organizations, their short-term and long-term educational goals, the challenges they faced trying to meet their educational goals, and what they need from adult education practitioners to help them meet achieve academic success. Afterwards, practitioners and program administrators are given the opportunity to ask the learners questions. The discussion should be moderated by a facilitator. If it is just one organization and its learners hosting the panel discussion, the organization should get someone outside of the agency to facilitate the discussion. The learners should have the opportunity to invite individuals who provide them support (i.e. family members, friends, teachers). The audience for the panel discussion would consist primarily of practitioners and program administrators, but would include guests of the learners. The panel discussions are a good way to trigger initial conversation between the two groups - learners and practitioners. This model worked really well in DC when a number of different learners participated from a number of different adult literacy organizations as part of a professional development session for Lifelong Learning Coaches. _________________________________________ Lynn Pinder Program Associate DC Children & Youth Investment Trust Corporation 1400 Sixteenth Street, NW Suite 500 Washington, DC 20036 (202) 347-4441 (202) 347-3256/fax www.cyitc.org -----Original Message----- From: nifl-aalpd@nifl.gov [mailto:nifl-aalpd@nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Katrina Hinson Sent: Thursday, April 21, 2005 2:17 PM To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: [NIFL-AALPD:2079] Re: learners' role in teacher training At the moment there are no adult learner/leaders on the committee and it probably wouldn't go over well if I suggested it. The two of us meet resistance even trying to implement PD or a PD plan on any ongoing basis. People have grown complacent over time and a lot of older instructors don't want to give up any of their time on the weekend; others just don't seem to care. Some say they want PD and then when push comes to shove, the actual implementation, something inevitably comes up to get in the way and it's allowed. The biggest challenge at the moment is getting the support for the PD plan and implementation in the long run - to recognize it's value and it's need. I think involving learners would be a good idea. I do that a lot in my classroom already so for me it seems natural..but for others, I'm not sure that's the case. Did I answer you question and do you have any suggestions? Katrina >>> jataylor@utk.edu 4/21/05 8:56:56 AM >>> Hi Katrina, Are there adult learners and/or learner leaders on your professional development committee? If not, is this something you might consider? Why or why not? I'm wondering what some of the successes and challenges are (or could be) in partnering with learners at this level of program involvement. Thanks so much, Jackie >===== Original Message From nifl-aalpd@nifl.gov ===== >What an awesome model. At my school, myself and another person are >chairing a committee to work on growing the professional development >offered in our Basic Skills program, on a local level. It's currently >very minimal within the dept itself and the only time we really get >professional development is when it's offered by the state. We're hoping >to change that over time but it's definitely an uphill battle. > >I love the model below and I definitely think I want to make sure we >incorporate something similar to this at somewhere in our training plan. > >Regards >Katrina Hinson >>> BlastGrant@aol.com 04/20/05 5:44 PM >>> >Here's a model we've used in New Mexico. > >We build many of our student workshops around a question or a theme. >For >example : What can a teacher learn from a student? What makes a good >ABE >teacher? What should every teacher know if they are going to teach >adult students? > >The key to a student workshop is group preparation. The students meet >together to talk through the theme together. They listen to each others' >ideas. >They speak their ideas out-loud to find the words to express their ideas >and >feelings. The meetings build a team for the students. They are >presenting to a >room full of teachers, and that is intimidating. Spending time together > >sharing ideas lets students meet the room full of teachers as a team. > >During the prep, the students find the main themes they want to talk >about. >Our trainer asks questions that they think the teachers might ask them >to >give them time to work out their answers. > >In the workshop, the students begin by speaking for a few minutes each. >Each >student has one main point they want to make to teachers. This opening >gets >ideas and themes into the room. Then we have a discussion between >students >and teachers for the rest of the workshop. We try to keep 75% of our >time for >Q&A and discussion. > >Discussion works to students' strengths. Answering teachers' questions >is >lot easier than figuring out what teachers want to hear and then >planning out a >full hour workshop. Students in BLAST prefer to hear teachers >questions and >then respond to questions from the heart. Even shy students who don't >think >they'll want to speak jump in once the conversation gets going. The >topics >are interesting and they realize they have something to say. > >One key agreement we make with students is that they do not have to >speak if >they don't want to. That gives them the permission to keep quiet if >they are >uncomfortable. We've never had a student be in a workshop and not >speak. But >that agreement has been a critical source of trust for students. We >also >emphasize that they can always answer a question with "I don't know," >and that >answer is sufficient. > >Facilitation is also critically important. Our facilitators begin by >setting >ground rules: Respect, each student is speaking from their experience, >not >proclaiming truth; Teachers can disagree and students are not always >right, >but we encourage them to listen to how students think, even if they >disagree. > >Facilitators rephrase questions from teachers if students don't >understand >(teachers can speak with jargon they don't realize is jargon, e.g. words >like >assessment, retention) . Facilitators also ask students to clarify if >their >point is not clear. Students speak in stories. They speak from their >experiences and the experiences of other adult students. We encourage >that. Its their >style. At the end of a story, we ask them what the story teaches us -- > >what's their main point, or the moral of the story. > >Finally, we write the main ideas from the student/teacher discussion on >a >wall chart. Dialogues are great, but they can end with so many ideas >that its >hard to know what you are taking home. So we write it all down. We have >found >its much more satisfying for teachers, especially concrete thinkers who >want >the brass tacks -- not just stories from students.
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