SPECIAL PROJECTS

A new nontraditional professional development activity presented by the ESOL Project at TAMUK Written by LuAnne Ktiri, Workshop Coordinator (512) 593-2749

The Instructor Action Institute offers participants a chance to use what they know or have learned about teaching adults. Staff and trainers from the ESOL Project provide the initial input and support, and teachers plan a collaborative classroom project that will result in a product.

The first Instructor Action Institute was held in the spring of 1996 in Houston and attended by instructors from Houston Community College, Houston Read Commission, and Harris County Department of Education. The principles of Participatory Learning, IPQ's, and SCANS Skills were presented/reviewed.

Participants began to brainstorm on a project that their students could complete within approximately two months. Many ideas from SCANS materials seemed applicable such as a survey, time capsule, videotape enactment, poster, etc. Some instructors were concerned because the project sounded like too much work and they were not sure what they would get out of it. Others were excited about beginning. A few with overly ambitious plans scaled down. The instructors introduced the project to their students and provided the input, time line, materials, and support. The students then went to work dividing up jobs, gathering materials, and making decisions. Some of the results were:

• A low fat Mexican cookbook (Students designed the cover, learned about nutrition, and held taste tests.)
• Safety in the home posters (Topics, design, and slogans by the students.)
• Community Map (Students decided on important places to include map symbols and layout.)
• Pamphlet of community services - bilingual (Students gathered information in their neighbor hood, compiled it, distributed it, and did a follow-up.)

The projects were presented and shared at the last institute meeting. Instructors mentioned that they and their students became quite involved in these projects. Some benefits they noted included improved attendance and student self-esteem.

This fall the Instructor Action Institute is being offered at Southwest Texas Junior College-Uvalde, and Brownsville I.S.D. The preliminary project plans are just coming in and they look very promising.