<div class="MsoNormal">Hello- leaders and participants. Thank you for the
opportunity to discuss professional
development.<span style=""> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">You have asked about our experience with professional
development.<span style=""> </span>As the founder and leader of
an educational community based organization <font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">in the metropolitan Boston area </font>establishing two adult education
programs I had the opportunity to read standards in the field, research with
employers, take seminars on language, education and business and espouse a
philosophy of education with colleagues and new hires.<span style=""> </span>Throughout our years of direct service the
staff and I ongoingly clarified that philosophy with an ongoing articulation of
our practices in the educational and training experiences with multicultural
adults.<span style=""> </span>In other words, professional
development has been the means by which we became more effective in our
teaching, mentoring and coaching.<span style=""> </span>The
outcomes verified the value of professional development over the years:<span style=""> </span>high rates of employment by the learners who
entered the program at an intermediate ESOL level.<span style=""> </span>They participated in an integrated ESOL,
basic skills, computer skills 7/8 or 9 months program with daily job search for
3 months or until hired- 100% of 14 cohorts were hired<font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> in training-related entry level office jobs</font>.<span style=""> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">What is professional development? The staff members of
an organization, division or department engaged in adult/young adult education
"build" a learning organization for continuously developing a
mission of learning while teaching, mentoring and coaching.<span style=""> </span>The members of the learning organization
commit to daily, weekly and monthly personal and group reflection and to
practicing a personal and team 'learning discipline.' Together through
readings, DVD's, guest speakers, journaling and discussions, instructors create
distinctions about teaching, mentoring and coaching. These distinctions
broaden their perspectives and suggest new ways to shape their behavior and
actions in training/classroom and experiential learning sessions. With
these distinctions they cultivate and share best practices. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">An example of a distinction is “What is an instructor’s
responsibility for the learner’s mastery of skills?” Responsibility for success
with learning skills can be broadened to incorporate assisting with life
issues/crises/hardships that might obstruct completion of lessons and mastery
of skills. How then will this be implemented, tested and developed into a best
practice?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">The staff members also seek out resources outside their
learning organization to evaluate their current practices, challenge their
systems thinking and introduce improvements in their program and practices for
successfully educating learners. <br>
<br>
What are the quality standards for professional development? The staff members
of a learning organization design and implement their pd program (prep a book
for new hires.)</div>
<ol style="margin-top: 0in;" start="1" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Employee
Orientation </li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Program
mission, statement of philosophy and standards for practices.</li></ol>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> </font>a.. <span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span>Job
descriptions and teacher assessment system.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="">
</span><span style=""> </span>b.. <span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span>Probationary
standards for teaching and performance measures.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="">
</span><span style=""> </span>c.. <span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span>Day
long workshops identifying staff relationships and responsibilities, the <span style=""> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span>learning organization’s requirements, the
training program’s schedule, the <span style=""> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span>program’s
system of recruitment, assessments and accountability.</div>
<ol style="margin-top: 0in;" start="4" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Learning
organization practices. The members of the learning organization review their
philosophy when new hires receive an orientation and ask questions about the
program.<span style=""> </span>The senior staff set up a
system of mentoring new hires who are on probation.<span style=""> </span>The staff members meet weekly to review their
discipline and their practices.<font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> When an instructor considers a relationship with a learner perplexing and/or difficult, s/he counts on immediate coaching from senior and veteran instructors to repair it and recommit to the learner..<br>
</font></li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">All the c</font>ontinually
examines professional standards in the city, state, nation,
international field (SCANS, EFF) among employers/grantors. The <font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">members of the </font>learning
organization explore whether their practices,
lessons and program meet these standards. The staff members evaluate
the
programs against these standards annually.<span style="">
</span>They review and when needed, revise lessons to meet these
standards. <br>
</li></ol>
<font face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif" size="1"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Margaret van Duyne <br>
Executive Director<br>
One WITH One, Inc.<br>
978 443 8884</span></font><div class="AOLPromoFooter">
<hr style="margin-top:10px;" />
Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free <a href="http://o.aolcdn.com/cdn.webmail.aol.com/mailtour/aol/en-us/index.htm?ncid=AOLAOF00020000000970" target="_blank">AOL Mail</a>!<br/>
</div>