National Institute for Literacy
 

[ProfessionalDevelopment 2674] Re: ProfessionalDevelopment Digest, Vol 38, Issue 14

Gilda Rubio-Festa Gilda.Rubio-festa at cpcc.edu
Thu Nov 20 09:22:50 EST 2008


Hello David,

To your point, we have an example of a community of practice using
Moodle. We're an instructor and a Adult ESL literacy associate dean. We
agreed that we needed to provide low cost, asynchronous online delivery
options for online teacher professional development (oTPD) to meet the
needs of our part-time faculty, so we did just that.

We put together a 20-hour training on Moodle that covered the
fundamentals of English language teaching and learning in adult ESL and
then piloted it as part of a research study. Our data showed that what
could be lack of investment, low technology skills for some older
participants , and time constraints were factors that impacted
retention, completion and levels of participation. The training was
offered at no cost.

Our findings lead us to consider whether or not the bigger issue is
incentivizing part-timers to invest in their professional growth. We're
going to run the course again in the spring and charge a fee this time.
We wonder if the very thing that poses a barrier (i.e. cost) is also
what might motivate the teacher who signs on to complete the training.
If they pay will they stay? We're going to continue to do research on
this. Free training may not be as valued. We believe that institutions
that provide a stipend or other financial incentive will get more
teachers to pursue and complete oTPD. One of our local community
college partners offered a small stipend to their faculty who completed
the course. Of this group we had 90% retention, as opposed to 40% for
everyone else.

Also, anecdotally, we opened up a Google groups for community of
practice with a leader for all of full-time and part-time faculty and
had only two out of about 50 instructors sign up. And that is coming
from an institution that requires and tracks PD hours for both pt and ft
staff.

We would like to know your thoughts. Has anyone looked at motivation?

Gilda Rubio and Rebeca Fernandez
Community Development
Central Piedmont Community College
Charlotte, NC
704-330-4684


-----Original Message-----
From: professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of
professionaldevelopment-request at nifl.gov
Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2008 7:58 AM
To: professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov
Subject: ProfessionalDevelopment Digest, Vol 38, Issue 14

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Today's Topics:

1. [ProfessionalDevelopment 2669] Re:
[ProfessionalDevelopment2639]Professional Development Challenge?
(David J. Rosen)
2. [ProfessionalDevelopment 2670] Re:
[ProfessionalDevelopment2639]Professional Development Challenge?
(Lobaccaro Gina (DOC))


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

Message: 1
Date: Tue, 18 Nov 2008 23:42:13 -0500
From: "David J. Rosen" <DJRosen at theworld.com>
Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 2669] Re:
[ProfessionalDevelopment2639]Professional Development Challenge?
To: "The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List"
<professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov>
Message-ID: <D7DE90FDF5344D1E97ED05033EED62BC at A1411>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Hello Martin,

There are a wide range of (free to very expensive) online tools for
onlien and blended model professional development communities of
practice. Among these are work group platforms such as Community Zero,
OfficeZilla and Google and Yahoo Groups, wikis (such as the Adult
Literacy Education Wiki), electronic discussion lists (such as this
one!) ,courseware platforms such as blackboard (costly) and Moodle
(free), and costly real-time web conferencing systems of various kinds
and practices.

I am especially interested in the free and low-cost asynchronous options
as I think they suit the fragmented, part-time nature of the
pracatitioners in our field, and allow them to participate as their
schedule allows.

Anyone have examples of communities of practice in our field that use
these online tools? Any examples of face-to-face communities of practice
in our field?

David J. Rosen
djrosen at theworld.com


----- Original Message -----
From: Martin Senger
To: The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List
Sent: Monday, November 17, 2008 2:24 PM
Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 2668]
Re:[ProfessionalDevelopment2639]Professional Development Challenge?


Pax et bonum David! (peace & goodness)



I am currently a co-facilitator of the NW PA Adult ESL Network. We
meet monthly, representing every agency that offers adult ESL in NW PA.
However, several of our members are hours away by car, and even in good
weather (something our area is NOT known for), it can be difficult to
attend meetings face-to-face. We have been looking for an alternative
for some time, and so I would be very interested in a national learning
community to explore other formats. I am also a co-chair for the ESL
Division of PAACE, the Pa. Association for Adult Continuing Education, a
statewide organization.



I firmly believe that there is a large and growing disconnect between
the new, younger, tech-savvy generation teachers and the previous
generation. I think the longer we wait to try to find new formats, the
harder it will become to integrate all the teachers into it.



Martin E. Senger

Adult ESL / Civics Teacher,

G.E.C.A.C. / The R. Banjamin Wiley Learning Center

Erie, Pa.

ESL Co-Director,

Pa. Assoc. for Adult Continuing Education (PAACE)

-----Original Message-----
From: professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of David J.
Rosen
Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2008 7:56 PM
To: The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List
Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 2658]
Re:[ProfessionalDevelopment2639]Professional Development Challenge?



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 abo

ut 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


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

----------------------------------------------------
National Institute for Literacy
Adult Literacy Professional Development mailing list
professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov

To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to
http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/professionaldevelopment

Professional Development section of the Adult Literacy Education
Wiki

http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/Adult_Literacy_Professional_Devel
opment



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


----------------------------------------------------
National Institute for Literacy
Adult Literacy Professional Development mailing list
professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov

To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to
http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/professionaldevelopment

Professional Development section of the Adult Literacy Education Wiki

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opment
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Message: 2
Date: Wed, 19 Nov 2008 08:20:40 -0500
From: "Lobaccaro Gina (DOC)" <Gina.Lobaccaro at state.de.us>
Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 2670] Re:
[ProfessionalDevelopment2639]Professional Development Challenge?
To: 'The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List'
<professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov>
Message-ID:

<94997DF78EF247499E4E503926AE48D505AAE562BC at DTIE2K7CLS03.state.de.us>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

David & Others

David, I had lost your original post - so I was glad to find Martin's
post this morning.

I have been extremely interested in professional learning communities
and study circles as technology enhanced alternatives for PD, and I have
wanted to find ways to introduce the concept to my adult education and
correctional education colleagues in Delaware. I have also wanted to
discuss (with my advisor) using a related topic for my doctoral research
and writing. I am about to complete the 9th course (of 14) toward my
EdD in Educational Technology at the University of Delaware, so I am
getting close to the time when I must choose a topic for my Executive
Position Papers.

Please consider me as also interested in being a part of this learning
community... and keep me informed as you go about the planning of the
group. Let me help?

I am hoping to go to COABE this year. I always hope to go to COABE. :)

Gina

"Greatness is not in where we stand, but in what direction we are
moving. We must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it -
but sail we must and not drift nor lie at anchor."

Sussex Correctional Institution
Prison Education Department
PO Box 500
Georgetown, DE 19947
Office (302) 856-5282 x 6204
Fax (302) 856-5642
gina.lobaccaro at state.de.us



________________________________
From: professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Martin
Senger
Sent: Monday, November 17, 2008 2:24 PM
To: The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List
Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 2668] Re:
[ProfessionalDevelopment2639]Professional Development Challenge?

Pax et bonum David! (peace & goodness)

I am currently a co-facilitator of the NW PA Adult ESL Network. We meet
monthly, representing every agency that offers adult ESL in NW PA.
However, several of our members are hours away by car, and even in good
weather (something our area is NOT known for), it can be difficult to
attend meetings face-to-face. We have been looking for an alternative
for some time, and so I would be very interested in a national learning
community to explore other formats. I am also a co-chair for the ESL
Division of PAACE, the Pa. Association for Adult Continuing Education, a
statewide organization.

I firmly believe that there is a large and growing disconnect between
the new, younger, tech-savvy generation teachers and the previous
generation. I think the longer we wait to try to find new formats, the
harder it will become to integrate all the teachers into it.

Martin E. Senger
Adult ESL / Civics Teacher,
G.E.C.A.C. / The R. Banjamin Wiley Learning Center
Erie, Pa.
ESL Co-Director,
Pa. Assoc. for Adult Continuing Education (PAACE)
-----Original Message-----
From: professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of David J.
Rosen
Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2008 7:56 PM
To: The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List
Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 2658]
Re:[ProfessionalDevelopment2639]Professional Development Challenge?

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<mailto:djrosen at theworld.com>
----- Original Message -----
From: Michael Tate<mailto:mtate at sbctc.edu>
To: The Adult Literacy Professional D evelopment Discussion
List<mailto:professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov> 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<mailto:jengel at communityaction.com>
Web www.communityaction.com<http://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
________________________________
----------------------------------------------------
National Institute for Literacy
Adult Literacy Professional Development mailing list
professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov

To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to
http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/professionaldevelopment

Professional Development section of the Adult Literacy Education Wiki
http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/Adult_Literacy_Professional_Devel
opment
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----------------------------------------------------
National Institute for Literacy
Adult Literacy Professional Development mailing list
professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov

To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to
http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/professionaldevelopment

Professional Development section of the Adult Literacy Education Wiki
http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/Adult_Literacy_Professional_Devel
opment

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