Hi All,

This is an interesting conversation and although I agree with everything that has been said so far, I would like to suggest an even stronger reason to participate in professional development activities and why our jobs should depend on it.  I hate to use the "m" word, but shouldn't pd be a requirement that is mandated by all programs?

Funding for AE is often based on outcomes and the learners in our classes often have high stakes motivation for coming to class. They  want/need to learn to read/speak/write English, get a high school credential for economic reason such as get a better job, keep a job, further their education; enter a training program, etc.  

The world has become more complicated and our responsibility as Adult Educators is to assist the learners in acquiring the tools necessary to make sense out of it.  What is essential basic knowledge today has changed from what it was five or ten years ago and whether we like it or not, the bar has been raised out of necessity.  Adults now entering our programs often have college, or some post secondary, in mind.  This means that what we,as professionals, need to know and be able to do to get them there is more complicated.   Since we don't have more time or more money, we need to figure out how to work smarter with what we have. 

As professionals, how will we do this?  In my work in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, I have found it not just necessary, but extremely rewarding to improve my skills by attending pd workshops, reading books and articles on the latest research findings and proven methods in the field, and trying to keep up with  several LISTSERV discussions such as this one. Because I love what I do, I am very willing to share ideas with others as well as receive ideas from others. I don't see how anyone could not be interested in learning.  Isn't lifelong learning what our profession is all about?   I believe it is difficult to  survive and move forward with the needed changes in our practice without sharing, talking and learning from each other. I will even go out on a limb to say that, with the changes and the increased demands of our profession, we have a responsibility to learn how to do the best job we can for the learners in our program. They are investing precious time and, in order to respect this, we must make sure we are providing  the highest quality service available today.  After all, change is inevitable and we must all learn from each other to keep up with this change.  Donna Chambers
  
---- tcqmom at comcast.net wrote: 

> I think follow-up--in addition to being paid and fed--makes a difference.  Having teachers report or demonstrate a way they've actually utilized something they learned from professional development can help.  Especially if they know they're going to be asked to do it before the PD begins.  They may even be asked to make a commitment before they leave the PD and begin their planning then.  If the PD is divided into two parts, the first for the presentation and the second a month or so later for reporting, demonstration, follow-up, sharing, the participants can be more inclined to try it out.  If the PD leaders let them drop the ball, no questions asked, it becomes too easy to do. I know this to be true from both sides.

> Kathryn Quinn

> Frederick, Maryland

>  -------------- Original message ----------------------

> From: "Kim Bellerive" <KBellerive at greaterhomewood.org>

> > "So, my question is, how do we as professional developers get these

> > teachers to want to consider a

> > change? While ideally intrinsic interest is the best way to learn and

> > grow and change, are there some extrinsic things we can do as

> > professional developers to stimulate a need and interest?"

> > 

> > 

> > I face the same challenges, Kathy. Sometimes food can lure people in.

> > The promise of being fed holds a surprising amount of weight with many

> > of the teachers I work with. Then there are the others and I too wonder,

> > how do I motivate them? 

> > 

> > Sincerely,

> > 

> > Kim Bellerive

> > Assistant Director 

> > Adult Literacy and ESOL Program

> > Greater Homewood Community Corporation

> > 3501 N. Charles Street

> > Baltimore, MD 21218 

> > Phone 410-261-3518

> > Fax 410-261-3506

> > 

> > STRENGTHENING NEIGHBORHOODS IN NORTH CENTRAL BALTIMORE

> > www.greaterhomewood.org

> > 

> > 

> > -----Original Message-----

> > From: professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov

> > [mailto:professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of

> > professionaldevelopment-request at nifl.gov

> > Sent: Monday, November 12, 2007 12:00 PM

> > To: professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov

> > Subject: ProfessionalDevelopment Digest, Vol 26, Issue 14

> > 

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> > 

> > 

> > Today's Topics:

> > 

> >    1. [ProfessionalDevelopment 1711] PD Experiences that Change

> >       Practice (K Olson)

> >    2. [ProfessionalDevelopment 1712] Re: PD Experiences that Change

> >       Practice (Janet Isserlis)

> > 

> > 

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

> > 

> > Message: 1

> > Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2007 11:08:42 -0500

> > From: "K Olson" <kolson2 at columbus.rr.com>

> > Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 1711] PD Experiences that Change

> > 	Practice

> > To: "'The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List'"

> > 	<professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov>

> > Message-ID: <005c01c82546$4ba8a0e0$ba725d18 at bessie>

> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

> > 

> > I agree with everything David has said (PD Experiences that Change

> > Practice). But I'd like to raise a related issue. Many teachers do not

> > have

> > this 'need' to learn more. They are happy giving out packets of

> > photocopied

> > math worksheets or teaching ESL through a rigid grammar approach.  They

> > are

> > not concerned with expanding their horizons. They look at their

> > successes

> > with their methods and see no reason to change. So, my question is, how

> > do

> > we as professional developers get these teachers to want to consider a

> > change? While ideally intrinsic interest is the best way to learn and

> > grow

> > and change, are there some extrinsic things we can do as professional

> > developers to stimulate a need and interest?

> > 

> >  

> > 

> > Kathy Olson

> > 

> > Training Specialist

> > 

> >  

> > 

> >   _____  

> > 

> > -------------- next part --------------

> > An HTML attachment was scrubbed...

> > URL:

> > http://www.nifl.gov/pipermail/professionaldevelopment/attachments/200711

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> > 

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

> > 

> > Message: 2

> > Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2007 11:41:21 -0500

> > From: Janet Isserlis <Janet_Isserlis at brown.edu>

> > Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 1712] Re: PD Experiences that Change

> > 	Practice

> > To: The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List

> > 	<professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov>

> > Message-ID: <C35DEC61.1CA7A%Janet_Isserlis at brown.edu>

> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

> > 

> > Kathy

> > 

> > What prompted you to consider change and growth?

> > 

> > It's difficult to suggest to people that they need to learn more,

> > because

> > until we know what we don't know, it's hard to know that we don't know

> > it.

> > 

> > It seems that helping people talk/think through what they do, where they

> > feel they're strong and then where they feel they might learn, might be

> > a

> > good way to start.

> > 

> > As well, bringing practitioners together to share their knowledge (as

> > opposed to the default position of bringing in An Expert) might help

> > shine a

> > light for some around other people's good ideas (e.g. their colleagues'

> > good

> > ideas), which may in turn prompt a different kind of curiosity and

> > interest

> > in learning.

> > 

> > Janet Isserlis

> > 

> > 

> > From: K Olson <kolson2 at columbus.rr.com>

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

> > <professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov>

> > Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2007 11:08:42 -0500

> > To: 'The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List'

> > <professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov>

> > Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 1711] PD Experiences that Change

> > Practice

> > 

> > I agree with everything David has said (PD Experiences that Change

> > Practice). But I?d like to raise a related issue. Many teachers do not

> > have

> > this ?need? to learn more. They are happy giving out packets of

> > photocopied

> > math worksheets or teaching ESL through a rigid grammar approach.  They

> > are

> > not concerned with expanding their horizons. They look at their

> > successes

> > with their methods and see no reason to change. So, my question is, how

> > do

> > we as professional developers get these teachers to want to consider a

> > change? While ideally intrinsic interest is the best way to learn and

> > grow

> > and change, are there some extrinsic things we can do as professional

> > developers to stimulate a need and interest?

> >  

> > Kathy Olson

> > Training Specialist

> >  

> > 

> > 

> > 

> > 

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

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> > Email delivered to janet_isserlis at brown.edu

> >  

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> > http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/Adult_Literacy_Professional_Devel

> > opme

> > nt

> > 

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> > 

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

> > 

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> > 

> > End of ProfessionalDevelopment Digest, Vol 26, Issue 14

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