Hello Michael,

Thanks for your great post. I wholeheartedly agree with the direction you are suggesting.

Local PD adult ed learning communities and program-based professional development efforts can now use (usually free) web-based tools to quickly organize or structure their professional development to meet their learning community needs. This is one of the most promising and exciting ways in which to enhance adult ed professional development and, if organized well, one that can lead to program development too. It doesn't require new funding, but does require  passion, seriousness of purpose and, of course, its members' time.

National online learning communities are also an exciting concept. They can use tools such as OfficeZilla, Community Zero, Google Groups, wikis, and others, and content resources such as the NIFL discussion lists (and their archives), NIFL collections, the ALE Wiki, the NCSALL Web Site, and others. These tools make organizing these grioups easy.

I wonder if there is a group of subscribers to this discussion list who might like to form a small national learning community to explore something in depth, what some might call an online study circle. It would require that someone step forward to be a convenor, and that there were half a dozen or so people who cared deeply about learning about the topic. The National Issues Forum or the Study Circle Resource Center (if they still exist) have developed proven models for how to do this well face-to-face. Their models could be adapted easily to an online learning community. NCSALL developed face-to-face study circles on Persistence, and Health Literacy, perhaps on other topics. Perhaps these have been -- or could be -- adapted to an online PD study circle. If a group of subscribers to this list formed an online PD study cirlce, the content might be: Learning Communities, Program-based Professional Development, Online Professional Development, or something else they cared about learning.

I am part of an adult ed professional development learning community called the Second Life Adult Professional Development Explorers (SLAPDE) group. It's nearly 20 people from around the world who want to learn and think about how to use Second Life for adult learning Professional Development. It needs a leader and some focus, but now and then it gets fired up and we meet and explore things on Second Life. We have a wiki and a Google group. I would describe us as (a fledgling) online learning community. Let me know if you are interested in joining.

Anyone else have examples of online learning communities in adult ed? Or face-to-face learning communities? I, for one, would really like to learn about these if they exist. Maybe others would, too.

David J. Rosen
djrosen at theworld.com
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Michael Tate 
  To: The Adult Literacy Professional D evelopment Discussion List  to 
  Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2008 12:15 PM
  Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 2654] Re: [ProfessionalDevelopment2639]Professional Development Challenge?


  Jon and Colleagues:  I've been thinking that learning communities may be a solution to the PD problem.  I doubt that there will ever be sufficient funding for PD, and if there were, that the training would always be in sync with the needs of teachers.   My background in sustainable development leads me to the notion that PD needs to be guided by a local more knowledgeable teacher around an issue that all the teachers in the group are interested in and value enough that they will come without payment.  Technology allows for a learning community to be made up of members at a distance, and I think the special topics that are announced on this listserv are examples of "proto-learning communities".  

   

  Michael Tate

   

  From: professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Jon Engel
  Sent: Wednesday, November 12, 2008 10:57 AM
  To: 'The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List'
  Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 2645] Re: [Professional Development2639]Professional Development Challenge?

   

  From a local adult education program administrator in a state that does almost nothing to support the adult education enterprise, I would have to agree with Dan in regard to adequate resources.  PD becomes a difficult budget variable when dealing with a part time workforce.  Teachers need to be paid for their commitment to PD activities, but if they really get involved with PD, it becomes a cost that is unsupportable at this time-at least in Texas.

   

  Jon Engel

  Adult Education Director

  Community Action Inc.

  PO Box 748

  San Marcos, TX 78666

  Voice  (512)392-1161 ext. 334

  Fax  (512)396-4255

  Email  jengel at communityaction.com

  Web www.communityaction.com 


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

  From: professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Dan
  Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2008 9:57 PM
  To: 'The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List'
  Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 2639] Re: [Professional Development 2639]Professional Development Challenge?

   

  Adequate resources to  develop and deliver meaningful PD in a time of great uncertainty and limited budgets.  Resources include time, money, and staffing and  administrators  up and down the line that value true professional development as a means to improve services to students.  This goes along with the lack of trust in themselves and trust in their students on the part of many teachers and then to rely on teacher centered instruction and adherence to the mantra  that expectations in and of themselves is enough to motivate students to achieve.  

   

  Dan Wann 

  Two Leaves Consulting, LLC 

  Indianapolis, IN 

  From: professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Kathryn Land
  Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2008 8:29 PM
  To: professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov
  Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 2639] Professional Development Challenge?

   

  What do you feel is the biggest professional development challenge for adult educators in the next 5-10 years?

   

  I would be interested in any opinions or thoughts on the top issues we will face.

   

  Thanks,

  Kathryn 



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