Hello:
As the professional developer, if you will, it is my responsibility to provide excellent learning experiences for our instructors.  We all know that PD is just another "meeting" and easily forgotten if no change is made.  What I've started doing is asking instructors to make a change and then "reflect" on that change over the semester.  They have some guiding questions:  What did you change?  Why did you change it?  "What was the experience like?  How did the students react?  How did the students feel?  I also ask the instructors to collect their own feedback from the students.  Then we will have have a one-on-one meeting, or even a group meeting, if the instructors like to discuss what went great and what didn't go so great.  Since this is the first semester I've implemented this, I haven't any feedback to share, but I will.  One thing I have been stressing with instructors is that our students become reflective learners.  Most have to be taught that.  When they become reflective learners, they begin to see connections and possibilities.
 
On another note, I actually attended a workshop that changed me!  I attended Barbara Given's Teaching to the Brain's Natural Learning System in Williamsburg in October.  It caused me to rethink my winter professional development and totally revamp it.  It caused me to work more closely with our instructors on reflection--not only the students, but the instructor's.  Barbara's workshop was multi-sensory and made so much sense.  I wish every workshop I attended could be so helpful.  I actually had something to take back to my program and use. 
 
Cindy
 
"If you believe in good things, you can  make them happen."


>>> <professionaldevelopment-request at nifl.gov> 11/12/2007 1:18 PM >>>


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Today's Topics:

   1. [ProfessionalDevelopment 1713] Re: PD Experiences that Change
      Practice (David J. Rosen)
   2. [ProfessionalDevelopment 1714] Re: ProfessionalDevelopment
      Digest,    Vol 26, Issue 14 (Kim Bellerive)
   3. [ProfessionalDevelopment 1715] Re: PD Experiences that Change
      Practice (Molly Elkins)
   4. [ProfessionalDevelopment 1716] Re: ProfessionalDevelopment
      Digest,    Vol 26, Issue 14 (tcqmom at comcast.net)
   5. [ProfessionalDevelopment 1717] Re: PD Experiences that    Change
      Practice (Emma Bourassa)
   6. [ProfessionalDevelopment 1718] Re: ProfessionalDevelopment
      Digest , Vol 26, Issue 14 (Sandman-Hurley, Kelli)


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2007 12:05:39 -0500
From: "David J. Rosen" <djrosen at comcast.net>
Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 1713] Re: PD Experiences that Change
    Practice
To: The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List
    <professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov>
Message-ID: <023A5D76-C5C7-4B35-A14B-E824A808DEA0 at comcast.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=WINDOWS-1252; delsp=yes;
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Kathy, and others,

Several years ago I asked adult education teachers in the Boston  
area,  "If you could have any kind of professional development you  
wanted, what would it be?"  A large number of those who responded  
said they wanted to see what other adult education teachers were  
doing in their classrooms, even the classroom next door. Most adult  
education (and perhaps other) teachers are isolated. They don't have  
much time to talk with other teachers about practice, even teachers  
who work in the same center or school. They almost never can see what  
another teacher is doing in her class.

So, one thing that might help teachers consider change is seeing what  
other teachers do, how they might be solving similar problems using  
different approaches or methods.

Because this is so difficult to arrange, to get a substitute while  
one teacher visits another's class,  I am interested in working with  
classroom teachers and tutors who would like to video record each  
other's practice and put these videos in an online library for others  
to use.  To see what this might look like, go to http://mlots.org .  
If this is a project you are interested in, let me know.

David J. Rosen
djrosen at comcast.net



On Nov 12, 2007, at 11:08 AM, K Olson wrote:


> 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

>

>

>

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

> National Institute for Literacy

> Adult Literacy Professional Development mailing list

> professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov

>

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

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

> Adult_Literacy_Professional_Development








------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2007 12:22:01 -0500
From: "Kim Bellerive" <KBellerive at greaterhomewood.org>
Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 1714] Re: ProfessionalDevelopment
    Digest,    Vol 26, Issue 14
To: <professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov>
Message-ID:
    <A194D5548F99754AA12B9823C790853DCA9A6A at MAIN.greaterhomewood.local>
Content-Type: text/plain;    charset="us-ascii"

"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-----
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[mailto:professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of
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Sent: Monday, November 12, 2007 12:00 PM
To: professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov
Subject: ProfessionalDevelopment Digest, Vol 26, Issue 14

Send ProfessionalDevelopment mailing list submissions to
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When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
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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>
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