I've had a minor brainstorm here in Lee County, Florida, and I was
wondering if anyone on this list can share their experiences  (and the
wrinkles they have already ironed out)  before I bite off more than I
can chew.   

 

In the EAP Department, I am developing more than one online course for
the new local Edison State College (formerly a community college).  The
online courses will be parallel to the face-to-face versions already
offered to our adult students needing English for Academic Purposes
support.   Online course-development is going well, and I am enjoying
the process.   We hope to be able to offer one-two online EAP courses in
the Fall 2009 semester, and add another one-two courses next Spring.  

 

Coincidentally, I also do a lot of work for the Adult ESOL Education
Department of my local public school district.  A few colleagues and I
are the team of creators of teacher-trainings and other pre-service and
in-service workshops and professional development opportunities.   I
used to teach Adult ESOL for many, many years.   

 

At that place in my brain where my various work-worlds cross over and
overlap, it occurred to me that it would be awesome to be able to pilot
a small program where a few adult students from the topmost level of
Adult ESOL Ed  (the school district world, free ESOL classes)  were able
to attend one or another of the online EAP course offerings at the
college  (the college EAP world, the paying-tuition world).   

 

If we figure out how to make this work for the institution involved, I
can solve the issue of criteria for selection of adult
student-participants.  "Criteria" is not going to be a problem.  

 

What I would like to know:    Is there going to be any grant funding (or
funding of any kind) for new initiatives and new approaches to moving
students from free Adult ESOL to college work?   (We all know that
college work then moves students towards the work-force with more
skills).   Especially going from free adult ESOL into college EAP, and
also especially going from a face-to-face classroom into an online
environment.  

 

I don't think that the new state college should be expected to foot the
bill entirely for a pilot endeavor of this nature, incorporating extra
students into an online class, to see if they are ready to handle the
level and the academic work.   I cannot automatically assume that the
college is going to play along and allow students to audit the new
online course(s), either.  

 

What else I would like to know:   Has anyone out there attempted this
transition pathway or one like it?   Am I trying to make the students
make too many kinds of transitions at one and the same time
(face-to-face into online, and adult ESOL into college EAP)??   

 

Thanks, all

 

Mercedes Pichard

 

 

 

Mercedes Pichard, Ed.D.

School District of Lee County, Florida

239-481-2233 ext 3119 

 

 

 

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