Workforce - Workplace

Newly Funded Adult Education Special Project

This professional development project will provide opportunities for professional development for local adult education programs and their workforce development partners in adopting, adapting and implementing research-based models of workforce literacy. The project will also support workforce development efforts by assisting in the cross-training of adult education and workforce board personnel, TWC/TANF personnel, and business & industry representatives. Contact Luz E. Taboada at El Paso Community College; (915) 595-1144, Ext. 160; E-Mail BorderLT@aol.com

The ESL Professional Development Center at the University of Texas at San Antonio has placed sets of the game Payday-to-Payday in the Clearinghouse for teachers to use in their classrooms. What do these games have to do with Workforce Literacy? Game playing skills, such as being decisive, seeing patterns, improvising with incomplete information and changing strategies midstream are fundamental to learning (Franklin, 1998) and are essential to success in the workforce. Payday-to-Payday offers learners not only an opportunity to hone these skills, but also a chance to work with job descriptions, salaries, benefits, and budgeting. Scientific evidence supports the fact that "game playing primes the mind for other sorts of learning." (Franklin, 1998). So, play a game with your learners and increase their learning power. For more information on Payday-to-Payday, please contact The ESL Professional Development Center (210) 458-4678 or the Adult Literacy Clearinghouse 1-800-441-7323.

Reference: Franklin, D. (1998). Games for your brains. Reader's Digest.