I like all your strategies for writing a more accurate description - and 
we've used many of them.
In particular, your phrasing "...who are comfortable using a computer and 
competent with basic word processing, but who have little or no experience 
using a spreadsheet" is almost word for word what we've used.

Our experience, however, is that folks attend anyway.  We can only assume 
one of the following:
  - they don't know what "competent with basic word processing" is. They 
can type a letter and print it, but they always save to the default 
location, and use the spacebar instead of tabs or indents (for example).
  - They think of themselves as comfortable using a computer - but they've 
only ever worked on one computer, set up exactly their way, and are lost if 
the one at the training doesn't exactly match what they are used to.
- are desperate to learn anything about computers and this the only thing 
they could find, fit in their schedule, or that was recommended to them
  - Someone told them they *had to come*
  - What they wanted couldn't be found, so they came to this instead

Lastly, we've found that a lot of folks don't read past the title of the 
session to see the description (and check boxes that said "I read this" 
without reading either).  Some folks have indicated that if the description 
is too long - they won't attend, or simply stop reading after the first 
paragraph (like in a newspaper).

No matter how hard we try on the front end, we will almost *always* end up 
with a challenging mix of folks in a workshop.

What are specific strategies that you-all have found are helpful in coping 
with these "mixes?"

For computer classes, we do always try to build in some sort of 
"pre-assessment" task or question to get an idea of how comfortable people 
are with basic keyboarding and mouse tasks, and plan on at least one 
"helper" per 10 attendees (in addition to the facilitator).
Some other strategies we've used are:
~ Have them rate themselves, on paper, as to how many years experience they 
have  (or how "expert" they feel) with computers and then "line up" 
according to comfort level/experience and then the facilitator works to 
pair more experienced folks with less experience folks in class.
~ For face to face sessions on using the internet, have participants go on 
a short web-quest (even just "open Internet Explorer and go to the web site 
on your handout" can tell us a LOT about a user's skill and comfort level)
~ For sessions not based on the internet, simply having them insert a 
floppy or CD and open a file will tell us a lot - asking them to save a 
file can be especially informative.
~ For online courses,  we request they register using our online 
form.  Anyone who faxes or US mails us their registration is tagged as 
someone who will need extra support. As are those who have to call us to 
ask how to fill in or submit an online form. Those that register using 
someone else's e-mail address (like their supervisor or their husband) are 
likewise "tagged."
~ If we have concern that a particular topic or group will have 
difficulties, recruit teacher experts to attend sessions as extra helpers.
~ If we have enough helpers, and only or two people are *really* 
struggling, one helper simply hangs out with the "challenged" person(s) and 
the other helper works with the rest of the room.
~ Helpers quickly identify left-handers or those with visual impairments 
and make adjustments to the computer they are working on.
~ If using laptops in your presentation, ALWAYS have a mouse for every 
laptop.  Touchpads are a real challenge for almost everyone.  Some will 
also have trouble with the more condensed keyboard.
~ For those who have trouble using a mouse, helpers show them how to use 
keyboard shortcuts and arrow keys to move around on the computer. For those 
with trouble keyboarding, show them how o use the mouse to do as much as 
possible.
~ Avoid session tasks that require folks to do a lot of keyboarding - 
unless that is what you are teaching.  Have a file with pre-prepared data 
for them to work with in spreadsheets, word processing or databases.  They 
can create a couple of records, and then move on with the other skills for 
the session.

Whew!  any other ideas for tech sessions? Ideas for non-tech sessions (like 
ESOL content?)

Duren



> >===== Original Message From David Rosen <djrosen at comcast.net> =====

>Duren and others,

>

>One important piece that _is_ in our control as professional

>developers is to be sure that the course, workshop, presentation,

>study group or other PD offering is very carefully and clearly

>described.  A good description might include:

>

>1) intended participants' knowledge and experience (An "Excel Basics"

>workshop might describe the intended participants as those "who are

>comfortable using a computer and competent with basic word

>processing, but who have little or no experience using a spreadsheet")

>2) what the PD offering is (and isn't) intended to do (e.g. "Enable

>participants to organize a set of numerical data in a basic

>spreadsheet, but not to use formulas other than those which involve

>addition or multiplication")

>3) how the offering will be conducted: in a lab, a discussion group,

>as a presentation with opportunities to practice, as an online

>course, etc.

>4) the presenter's name and experience

>5) what is required of the participants (e.g. "Given a set of data,

>produce a functional spreadsheet with accurate labels and correct

>formulae.")

>6) if credit or CEUs are available (or not).

>7) referral to other related offerings, if available, which may be

>for more (or less) experienced participants

>

>In addition, if the PD offering requires registration, the

>registration form could be designed so that it requires a signature

>after a sentence that says "I have read the description of this

>(course, workshop, etc.) and believe that it is intended for someone

>with my level of experience."

>

>In the evaluation of the offering you could ask participants to say

>whether it was at the right level and, if not, to review the

>description and indicate how the description could be improved.

>

>I wonder if others have suggestions or additions to what should be

>included in a good PD offering description.

>

>David J. Rosen

>djrosen at comcast.net

>

>

>

>On Nov 4, 2005, at 11:31 AM, Duren Thompson wrote:

>

> > OK - I'm going to play devil's advocate here. What about the

> > following 2 scenarios:

> >

> > 1) We offer what is clearly labeled a course in "Excel Basics" or

> > an "Introduction to the Adult Learner" - describing the target as

> > "those new to the topic."  And yet even with that we have a broad

> > range of "skill levels" - one person who is competent in using a

> > computer, but has never used Excel sitting next to someone who

> > still has difficulty using a mouse - or whose keyboarding skills

> > are extremely low.  Or we have a participant with 20 years

> > education experience, sitting next to one who came to AE fresh out

> > of college, or one who has worked several years in Adult corporate

> > training but has no formal Education training?

> >

> > 2) Funding is provided for only one "workshop/course/training"

> > during this time frame or in this area of the state.  We have a

> > clear request from our statewide needs assessment for help with the

> > topic of "multi-level instruction."  How do we present this

> > material such that the new folks aren't overwhelmed, but the more

> > experienced AE folks feel challenged/get what they need?

> >

> > [Please note I am truly playing Devil's advocate here - I know what

> > *we* did to solve these issues, but would like to see if there are

> > other ideas out there that we haven't tried or thought of]

> >

> > Duren Thompson

> > Tennessee State leadership Team

> > Center for Literacy Studies

> >

> > At 02:46 PM 11/3/2005 -0600, Chris Francisco wrote:

> >> Jeff and All,

> >>

> >> I completely agree with your statements.  Good on you!

> >>

> >> peace and love,

> >>

> >> Chris

> >>

> >>

> >>> This question gets at the heart of "practice what you preach" in

> >>> adult education (at least in my opinion):  the art of

> >>> facilitating multi-level classrooms, integrating the strategy of

> >>> peer tutoring, review and reinforce of learning, building on

> >>> learners' prior knowledge.  These ideas that we suggest be a

> >>> fundamental part of the learning environment for our adult

> >>> learners in basic skills programs should be the same ideas that

> >>> we build our PD around:   build on participants' prior knowledge,

> >>> network and share ideas, engage more experienced participants to

> >>> extend dialogue, or challenge the more experienced participants

> >>> to extend or reinforce what they know (or think they know).  I

> >>> think it's important to know your audience ALWAYS - and never

> >>> plan an event so tightly that it isn't flexible enough to adjust

> >>> to the varied experience of your audience.

> >>>

> >>> Jeff Fantine

> >>> Director, Literacy Center

> >>> College of Education

> >>> Ohio University

> >>> 338 McCracken Hall

> >>> Athens, OH  45701

> >>> 800-753-1519

> >>> fax:  740-593-2834

> >>>

> >>>

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

> >>> Adult Literacy Professional Development mailing list

> >>> ProfessionalDevelopment at dev.nifl.gov

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

> >>> http://dev.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/professionaldevelopment

> >>

> >>

> >>

> >>

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

> >> Adult Literacy Professional Development mailing list

> >> ProfessionalDevelopment at dev.nifl.gov

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

> >> http://dev.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/professionaldevelopment

> >

> >

> >

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

> > Adult Literacy Professional Development mailing list

> > ProfessionalDevelopment at dev.nifl.gov

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

> > http://dev.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/professionaldevelopment

>

>

>

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

>Adult Literacy Professional Development mailing list

>ProfessionalDevelopment at dev.nifl.gov

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

>http://dev.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/professionaldevelopment