Response to Gina and all,
Great post, thank you for making the time to share. Best wishes in your
ambitious projects!
Pondering your question, I'm reminded of my initial and ongoing journey into
increasing technological proficiency and confidence.  A sense of community
and an internal acceptance that it is really, truly OK to make mistakes, to
ask "silly little questions" (and learn that they will be answered! and that
often others answering them appreciate your asking, because they learn
something from the Q & A process, too).  And I have had to learn (and
relearn) that sometimes you just need to step away -- and try again an hour
or a day later... and that's OK, too.
So, my answer (or at least part of it) would be that an atmosphere of Q & A
as a habit -- with the Qs coming from the learners vs. from you, the
facilitators -- and the As coming from everyone.  With this in mind -- in a
jail/prison setting, and the constraints that imposes -- might be a blog on
the intranet if you are able to get that going (great idea!), or a bulletin
board 'parking lot' where Qs can be posted by anyone -- and As too --
anonymously or otherwise.
Teaching screenshots (how to make and save one) and posting a few
screenshots with 'errors' and asking "What does this person need to do?
why?  what happens if?" etc.  -- beginning with the simplest steps that most
of the learners will know how to do if not to articulate -- and practicing
the articulation -- and some awareness at a core level that not everyone
thinks the same way, even if they get to the same answer (sort of like GED
math classes where different pathways to correct answers are illustrated --
with analysis of why they are each possible, each correct in their own way
-- 

This develops the 'self-directed' learner aspect that seems to be so
critical to online / technological / distance learning success.
I've had great success with multiple groups by having the learners create a
fictional classmate -- and using that fictional character's name "WW_D"?
(coining from the WWJD (What Would Jesus Do) to What would _____ do? jokes
-- and this helps deflect finger pointing to any real live person as the
'ignorant' one -- and this fictional character can 'process' all the ups and
downs -- give advice and be argued with -- etc.

And all of this might help improve transferable skills to apply to all
aspects of their lives -- in and out of their confinements.

Hope this makes some sense -- and triggers some idea you might use -- thank
you for the work you do,
holly
On Thu, Jul 3, 2008 at 11:50 PM, Lobaccaro Gina (DOC) <
Gina.Lobaccaro at state.de.us> wrote:


>  Hello Jackie and all,

>

> I am Gina Lobaccaro. I am the Media & Tech specialist for one of the

> prisons for the Delaware Dept of Education's Prison Education program.  I

> teach computer skills with the help of four very talented, technology-savvy

> inmate peer tutors.  I have recently returned to the University of

> Delaware with plans to complete (or make a concerted effort to complete) my

> doctorate in Educational Technology.

>

> Because my job also includes a great deal of data management – I have found

> myself, over the past years,  working less in the classroom and more in my

> office (across the hall) at the database the state uses to manage NRS

> information.  But, I am determined to find my way back to the classroom.  I

> am hoping to install a simple intranet onto my class computer network to

> improve communication between students/students and students/tutors and

> students/me.  Since most of many of my students are recent high school and

> GED graduates, it is my plan to schedule individual meetings with my

> students (they all have GED or HS diplomas) and begin to talk about their

> learning goals, their transition plans if/when they have a timely maxout

> date or their plans for surviving more positively if they have longer

> sentences, their talents and skills (to find out what they are good at and

> what they want to getter better at!), and other questions intended to begin

> a dialog ...

>

> Then I want to facilitate their interests in a way that will make learning

> technology skills more relevant for their needs.  I have recently been

> introduced to and purchased a program - Camtasia .. which is used to create

> screen recordings for instruction... can take a simple PowerPoint

> presentation and make it very dynamic (with video, audio, art, etc) and

> produce it into a Windows Media File and/or other assorted formats so that

> it can be saved onto a disk or put online (but my students do not have 'net

> access)- so that it can be viewed w/out PowerPoint.  I am hoping to learn

> Camtasia with my tutors and a small group of students and then we will teach

> my other students how to take media that I provide - that correlates with

> their interests, transition plans, etc - and create presentations that will

> be available for other students to view and learn from.

>

> My question..... have other adult educators used similar programs in the

> teaching of adults (ABE, GED, Tech teachers) -- giving students tools and

> information and media (print or media saved on my 8 gigabyte jump drive) and

> then asking/ requiring them to become an "expert" and present their

> expertise back to the other students... creating a rich media library ...

> saved to CD/DVDs in my case... relevant to the needs of their students (in

> my case incarcerated men at various levels of security and with various

> sentence lengths)? Can you offer me suggestions before I begin my plans. I

> do plan to clearly describe my plans - to my administrators and the relevant

> security staff before I move forward.... but it is "critical thinking" piece

> that I am asking for suggestions. How do I facilitate it? What are good

> questions to ask? How do I do this at a pace that is manageable so that I am

> still able to manage my database effectively?

> I look forward to this discussion.

>

> Gina Lobaccaro

>

>

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

>

> *From:* professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:

> professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov] *On Behalf Of *Taylor, Jackie

> *Sent:* Thursday, July 03, 2008 12:11 PM

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

> *Subject:* [ProfessionalDevelopment 2172] Introductions and Questions:

> StudentInvolvement and Critical Thinking

>

>

>

> Dear Colleagues,

>

> Wow – in the last two days approximately 40 individuals have subscribed to

> the PD List for the upcoming discussion of Student Involvement and Critical

> Thinking. Welcome to the list! J I'm happy you're here and I look forward

> to learning from your experiences.

>

>

>

> I'd like to open the floor for questions so that our guests can prepare.

> Please post an introduction and your questions about student involvement and

> critical thinking to the list. If you wish to raise your questions

> anonymously, feel free to email me direct: jataylor at utk.edu and I will

> share your questions without attribution.

>

>

>

> For background about the discussion and our guests, visit:

>

>

>

>

> http://www.nifl.gov/lincs/discussions/professionaldevelopment/08student.html

>

>

>

> Critical thinking and the intersection with student involvement is an area

> that we've not really articulated in-depth on this list. I'm excited about

> the opportunity to explore issues, strategies, and resources with you.

>

>

>

> Happy 4th!

>

>

>

> Best, Jackie

>

>

>

> Jackie Taylor, Adult Literacy Professional Development List Moderator,

> jataylor at utk.edu

>

>

>

>

>

> *Discussion Announcement*

>

>

>

>

> http://www.nifl.gov/lincs/discussions/professionaldevelopment/08student.html

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> **

>

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> List will host a guest discussion of *Student Involvement and Critical

> Thinking in Adult Literacy*. Join our guests Cynthia Peters, Editor of The

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>

>

>

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>




-- 
Holly (Dilatush)

holly at dilatush.com
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