I would like to add the following thoughts:  We are in the process of
establishing a literacy program within the context of EFF at our worksite.
I think that learning would have a much deeper meaning...make a greater
impression...when adults learner can apply it within the context of their
work environment.
I am in total agreement w/certification.  As a personal example...I work
within the federal government.  Presenting credentials was replaced by
experience.  I do have a Master's degree and am currently working on a PhD
in post secondary and adult education. Yet, that highly respected degree
doesn't tell anyone that I meet the minimum standards to teach in my
specialty.  It only indicates that I have met the standards for my degree
and was successful im my training to THINK at that level.  The standards are
assumed.  In my case the decision of my employer to select me was based on
what I did in the past.  In my  work environment, adults who are having
difficulty with such barriers as spoken and written language, ESOL/LD mental
and physical disabilities would be sent to me and I would be expected to
provide them the services they need.  In these cases the services would be
substandard because (1) I don't have the training and (2) I don't have the
credentials needed to meet the yet to be identified standard(s).  (I hope I
have offended anyone...I am not trying to diminish anyone's work and
effort...
Berst Regards
SidnaAnn Holloway


On 2/21/06, Aaron Kohring <akohring at utk.edu> wrote:

>

> This message is posted on behalf of Katrina Hinson.  Any comments or

> feedback?

> Aaron

>

> **************************************************************

>

> >Date: Sun, 19 Feb 2006 16:34:09 -0800

> >From: Katrina Hinson <khinson at future-gate.com>

> >Subject: Re: [ProfessionalDevelopment] FW: teacher professional

> development

> >Sender: professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov

> >To: professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov, jataylor at utk.edu

> >Reply-to: The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List

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> >         <professionaldevelopment.nifl.gov>

> >

> >I'm a huge proponent of having trained teachers and professional

> >development and in light of one of Robin's coments below - I"m curious -

> >how many states actually have some kind of certification or training

> >that's required of ABE/Adult Educators beyond a Bachelors degree of some

> kind?

> >

> >What kind of training is out there for Adult Educators to become

> certified

> >and how/where would a state begin to even implement such a process?

> >

> >As an additional question - how many states actually have ABE Standards

> or

> >ESL standards in terms of what is taught as well as guidellines and

> >resources that lend itself to actually teaching the material?

> >

> >Regards

> >Katrina Hinson

> >

> > >>> jataylor at utk.edu 02/19/06 5:39 PM >>>

> >PD Colleagues:

> >This message was posted by Guest Participant Robin Schwarz to the Focus

> On

> >Basics Discussion List. It is part of an ongoing discussion of Struggling

> >ESOL

> >Learners. In light of our recent PD discussions, I thought you might find

> it

> >of interest.

> >

> >Comments, anyone? Jackie

> >

> > >===== Original Message From The Focus on Basics Discussion List

> ><focusonbasics at nifl.gov> =====

> >Hi --this is in response to the person from Oregon or Washington and to

> Janet

> >Isserlis on another list, both of whose topic was teacher professional

> >development and the fear of overloading teachers with information.

> >

> >This topic is near and dear to my heart. As I indicated in another

> posting

> >today, it is surprising to me that the field of ESL does not seem to

> prepare

> >teachers for the sort of really hard-core learning problems that several

> >readers and responders have mentioned.

> >

> >In another message on one of the NIFL lists the notion of profesisonal

> >development qualification standards for teachers in adult education was

> >mentioned.

> >

> >Frankly, what I often see is that it is too common that teachers in adult

> >education and adult ESOL education are woefully unqualified to do what

> they

> >do. Then learners suffer. My article in FOB indicated that in some of

> those

> >cases, teachers were simply not prepared to ask the right questions or to

> >consider the key issues in adult ESOL learners' situations that

> significantly

> >impact the learners' progress in their settings.

> >

> >Those of you who know me, know that I get pretty passionate on this

> topic. I

> >believe, as do my business partners, Laura Weisel and Al Toops, we are

> >supposed to be in business for the learners, not for the tutors and

> teachers

> >in our programs. In other words, it is not the needs and limitations of

> the

> >teachers or tutors that should drive decisions or policies about how our

> >programs run but rather the needs of our learners. I have advocated for

> years

> >that there need to be minimal qualifications for hiring teachers or

> tutors to

> >teach adult ESOL learners. I can write an entire book-- and someday

> will-- of

> >stories like those in the article where the learner was somehow blamed

> for no

> >progress when in truth the learner's teacher had no idea how to address

> the

> >learner's real needs.

> >

> >I agree strongly with Janet that it is essential that the nature of

> learning

> >challenges-- of all kinds, including language learning challenges-- be

> >constantly put out to teachers and required reading for them. Though I am

> >sure

> >no program is going to fire its tutors because I say so, I certainly hope

> you

> >will consider a far more stringent approach to requiring that those

> >already in

> >your employ inform themselves about adult learners and adult ESOL

> learning,

> >about the very most basic principles of language instruction, about the

> >culture of their learners. etc. Also, program administrators have

> everything

> >to gain by requiring more training for tutors and better experience and

> >qualifications for teachers. In the end, they will be more effective and

> >programs with have better outcomes. The NCSALL research project on

> learner

> >persistence (2005 --at NCSCALL.net) indicated that when tutors were

> better

> >trained, not only were learners happier and tended to persist longer, but

> >tutors also persisted because they did not feel so helpless in helping

> those

> >with significant learning needs.

> >

> >Somewhere recently I saw reference to the suggestion or proposal that

> adult

> >education teachers be subject to qualification much as K-12 teachers are.

> >This

> >can only be a good thing for our learners.

> >

> >And as for LD issues, I know for a well-documented fact that having a

> >tutor or

> >teacher who is well meant and kind but does not "get" LD and language

> >learning

> >challenges is actually worse for the learner than just sitting in a class

> and

> >trying to absorb something.

> >

> >Just as for learners, having high expectations for teachers and tutors is

> >critical to having an effective program.

> >

> >As a start for ESOL and learning challengs, programs might want to look

> at

> >the

> >handbook : Taking Action: A Handbook for Instructors of Adult ESOL

> Learners

> >with Learning Dissablities" produced and distrbuted by the Minnesota

> Learning

> >Disabilities Association (visit www.ldaminnesota.org to find it). This

> walks

> >teachers through the topic of LD and an approach to determining if other

> >problems might be at the root of learning difficulties.

> >

> >There is also a great handbook for tutors teaching reading to

> >English-speaking

> >adults called The Adult Reading Toolkit ( ART)

> >

> >Both of these are designed for tutors and teachers who have little prior

> >knowledge on the topic--and they are extremely user-friendly and

> beautifully

> >thought out. --And no, I don't have any financial interest in them......

> >

> >

> >Robin

> >

> >

> >

> >----------------------------------------------------

> >National Institute for Literacy

> >Focus on Basics mailing list

> >FocusOnBasics at nifl.gov

> >To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to

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> >

> >----------------------------------------------------

> >National Institute for Literacy

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> >----------------------------------------------------

> >National Institute for Literacy

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>

> Aaron Kohring

> Coordinator, LINCS Literacy & Learning Disabilities Special Collection

> (http://ldlink.coe.utk.edu/)

> Moderator, National Institute for Literacy's Content Standards Discussion

> List (http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/Contentstandards)

> Coordinator, Equipped for the Future Websites (http://eff.cls.utk.edu/)

>

> Center for Literacy Studies, University of Tennessee

> EFF Center for Training and Technical Assistance

> Phone:(865) 974-4109 main

>           (865) 974-4258 direct

> Fax:   (865) 974-3857

> e-mail: akohring at utk.edu

>

> ----------------------------------------------------

> National Institute for Literacy

> Adult Education Content Standards mailing list

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>




--
SidnaAnn Holloway
When one helps another
Both are strong
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