Ask TCALL
Question: "I am a Director of an Adult Literacy Program. Do you have any creative suggestions for professional development? Please don't misunderstand me, workshops are great, they have their place, and we'll continue to sponsor these regularly. But some of our teachers are ready for something a little different! Suggestions? Ideas?"
Answer: Yes! The possibilities are infinite! Some general categories include:
Mentoring/Coaching/Partnering Programs - Identify master teachers. Assign a master teacher to each new (novice) teacher for the year. The master teacher can answer questions as they arise - that is, provide "just in time learning". Also, if logistics permit, the master teacher can model good instruction, and can observe novice classroom practices and provide feedback. Another tactic is to encourage teachers to become support partners. Teachers who have similar interests or needs - or teachers whose interests and needs are complimentary (e.g., language arts vs. numeracy) - can pair up. Then, through the year, the partners can systematically support and work together or can work together on an "as needed" basis. Or pair a master teacher with two less experienced teachers. The two can be support partners, while the master teacher can mentor both. Work with your teachers to provide some form of systematic contact. Perhaps they could meet before class or have a coffee or breakfast meeting once a month. If distance is an issue, e-mail could be an answer.
Study Teams/Problem Solving Study Circles - Sometimes groups of teachers have a particular interest or need for information. For instance, retention may be an issue or how to deal with students with learning differences (learning disabilities). Interested and committed teachers could form a group that gathers information, formulates and tests possible solutions, and then provides recommendations for implementation.
Curriculum Development Projects - There may be times when curricula needs to be developed. Perhaps some of the teachers in your program are doing a really great job integrating reading and writing. It could be a great help to the entire program if these teachers worked together to develop a reading writing curriculum that was available to all teachers in your program. The curriculum could be presented in a workshop format, or the developers of the curriculum could serve as mentors or coaches to others as they tried out the new ideas. Or a group of teachers - not necessarily experts - could work together to research, develop, try out and refine new ideas - about teaching numeracy, say, or "survival skills." A handbook or curriculum could be developed and made available to all teachers in your program. Another sort of curriculum development might involve planning for professional development. A team or "academy" of interested creative teachers and instructional leaders could meet throughout the year to research, plan for, and implement a system of professional development for the program.
Independent Learning Projects - The possibilities are endless here. I know one director who encouraged his teachers to spend their professional development hours figuring out the computers and software that had just arrived in the lab. Or teachers could decide on a topic which they independently investigate in a multitude of ways. For instance, consider again the topic of "learning disabilities," or, perhaps, "technology" . . . A teacher could take a graduate class; go to workshops; investigate resources on the "Web"; join on-line discussion groups; read books and journal articles; talk with experts; communicate with others who have successfully dealt with the problem. The teacher's findings could be shared with others in the program.
Question: These ideas sound great. Any suggestions about how to get started?
Answer: Yes.
Gather your information. For instance, talk with other directors who incorporate alternatives. Or contact Victoria Hoffman, Liaison for the Adult Education Professional Development and Curriculum (AEPDC) Consortium at (409) 845-6615. She and other members of the Consortium can work with you and your teachers to establish workable alternatives to supplement your workshops. ]
Brainstorm with your teachers about alternatives that will fit their needs and the needs of your program.
Establish a system of documenting the process. This could be as simple as having your teachers write a paragraph about what they propose to do, then writing a summary of what they did and what they learned. Or you could be a little more formal and use specially developed forms.
Proceed! And let us know your results.
Question: I hate to bring this up, but you know that our funding agency requires all teachers to participate in a designated number of hours of professional development each year. Will these alternatives "count?" What, exactly, is allowed?
Answer: I am assuming that your "funding agency" is TEA (Texas Education Agency). If so, they do allow - indeed, even encourage - creative alternatives. Actually, whether or not it "counts" has always been up to the discretion of the local adult education provider. But if it fills a professional development need, there is no reason why it shouldn't count - just be sure to document the work. If you have further questions about what is allowed, you should ask your funding agency contact for clarification.
A last encouraging thought: We know that adults learn best when knowledge is "generated" - not just "received," and when the knowledge that is generated is meaningful and addresses real life needs; the suggestions above reflect these understandings. Happily, our understanding of how adults learn, as well as the suggestions above, are consistent with the findings and recommendations of the State Board of Education Adult Education and Literacy Task Force. Indeed, in their report, "Adult literacy: A Texas Priority," they recommend providing a menu of flexible, individualized, learner-centered, professional development alternatives. So, talk with your teachers, brainstorm options, and be open to creative, meaningful alternatives for professional development.
This column was prepared by Victoria Hoffman, Professional Development Coordinator and AEPDC Consortium Liaison. If you have questions about professional development, call Victoria Hoffman at (979) 845-6615.
Are there other topics you would like to see addressed in this column? Do you have questions? Answers? Comments? If so, send your suggestions to one of the following addresses:
C/O "ASK TCALL"
MAIL: TCALL, Texas A&M, College Station, TX, 77843-4226
FAX: (979) 845-0952
SOUTHERN LITERACY COMMUNICATIONS CONSORTIUM INFORMATION SYSTEM
The Texas Literacy Resource Center and the Tennessee Literacy Resource Center have formed a partnership, called the Southern Literacy Communications Consortium (SLCC) to provide a regional technology hub for all State Literary Resource Centers (SLRC) in Region II which includes the following 14 states: TX, OK, AR, MS, LA, TN, KY, AL, GA, FL, NC, SC, VA, and WV. The SLCC will meet six primary goals.
- First, the development of a SLCC's Information System on the World Wide Web (WWW), linked to national and state organizations and resources, based upon standards utilized by the National Institute For Literacy's (LINCS) Literacy Information and Communication System (LINCS).
- Second, the development of the capacity of each SLRC to implement its own WWW site.
- Third, the development of the capacity for each SLRC to train local literacy providers in the use of the SLCC's Information System and WWW in general.
- The fourth goal is the promotion of LINCS and the SLCC's Information System to literacy, adult basic education and employment skills providers in member states.
- The fifth goal is the development of an on-line searchable database, housed on a Wide Area Information Server, of each SLRC's materials collection, in accordance with guidelines established by LINCS in "Starting Point."
- Finally, the sixth goal will be the evaluation of the use and effectiveness of the SLCC's Information System.
