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 j3LLHEG11011; Thu, 21 Apr 2005 17:17:14 -0400 (EDT) Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2005 17:17:14 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <426817A5.80802@comcast.net> 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: "David J. Rosen" <djrosen@comcast.net> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-AALPD:2085] Student roles in PD: Panel Discussions X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Status: O Content-Length: 4724 Lines: 96 NIFL-AALPD Colleagues, Thanks Lynn. Panel discussions are an excellent way to involve learners in professional development. In orientation-to-the-field sessions, my colleagues at the Adult Literacy Resource Institute in Boston have used panels which include both teachers and learners, from schools, CBOs, volunteer programs, and other kinds of programs. The panelists present their perspectives, from their experience, about what is expected in the field from practitioners, and what the work is like -- its joys and frustrations. We were often told that his has often been the best part of the orientation. My all-time favorite panel was one I helped put together for a statewide adult education conference in Massachusetts a few years ago. The session attendees were all practitioners, mostly teachers -- and lots of them. To our surprise, the session was standing room only. The panelists were all learners, carefully chosen. We had one meeting, a run-through a few days before the conference, in which we listened to what each person would say -- and together made suggestions on how to make it clearer. As Will pointed out earlier, preparation is very important -- for comfort and quality. The title of the session was "Adult Learner Roles in Addition to being a Student." One woman, an ESOL student from Peru, talked about her role as a Spanish teacher. She was teaching a basic Spanish class for adults when she learned about the ESOL class she later enrolled in -- she heard about it from one of her students -- a woman who, when she enrolled in the ESOL class became her teacher. I learned about this when I met her and asked, in a general sort of way, how did you hear about your ESOL program? She answered "From one of my students." I said, "From one of the students in the ESOL class?" She said "No, from one of my students, in the Spanish Class I am teaching." This conversation was eye-opening. Another panelist, a man from Haiti, was an External Diploma Student, preparing for his Adult Diploma. He told us that at his program, when ESOL students had asked if they could also study math, the teachers and administrators said that no one there knew how to teach math. He pointed out to the teachers that among them there was a man who was an experienced math teacher. He had taught math in elementary school and to adults in his country. The program had the wisdom to hire him immediately. He got his high school diploma, and has been the program's math teacher now for many years. Each panelist had a story like this, a role s/he had played as a program recruiter, counselor, adult literacy theater group actor -- all interesting roles, all in addition to being a student. This panel got the highest ratings at the conference that year. Over the years, teachers who were there told me it caused them to think differently about adult learners, as valuable resources to the program. David J. Rosen DJRosen@theworld.com Lynn Pinder wrote: 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
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