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! :-) 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
 
Beginning July 7 - 14, 2008 the Adult Literacy Professional Development List will host a guest discussion of Student Involvement and Critical Thinking in Adult Literacy. Join our guests Cynthia Peters, Editor of The Change Agent, and Marty Finsterbusch, Executive Director of VALUE, to share issues, strategies, and resources for instruction and staff development. 
 
This discussion is the first in a mini-series of guest discussions this summer and fall on Literacy for Social Change. Join us now to plan instruction and staff development for fall. 
 
 
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