Professional Development from Your Inbox: Making the Most of National Discussion Lists

1
Professional Development from Your Inbox Making
the Most of National Discussion Lists
Jackie Taylor, Moderator, Adult Literacy
Professional Development jataylor_at_utk.edu Marie
Cora, Moderator, Assessment marie_at_hotspurpartners.
com Daphne Greenberg, Moderator, Women and
Literacy ALCDGG_at_langate.gsu.edu
2
Introductions

• In small groups, take a minute to share your
• role in adult education
• Affiliation/state
• experience with the lists
• Never heard of the lists
• Subscribed to at least one list (in past)
• Currently subscribed to one list
• Subscribed to two or more

3
Expectations Goals

• Each person take a moment to jot down
• What you want from this session
• If you have lots of experience with the lists,
  what specifically you want to learn
• (2 minutes)
• Well hear from some volunteers among us.

4
Session Overview

• This session introduces
• The National Institute for Literacys Discussion
  Lists
• Emerging and key issues for each topic
• Upcoming discussion activities
• Strategies for getting the most from your
  subscription

5
The National Institute for Literacy

• is funded by Adult Education and Family Literacy
  Act (AEFLA) and No Child Left Behind (NCLB) to
  strengthen literacy across the lifespan
• supports programs and services designed to
  improve the quality of literacy programs
  nationwide
• mission (as it pertains to the Lists) is to
  develop a national dissemination and
  communication system in the field of literacy

6
Why Discussion Lists?

• Overarching purpose is to provide means for
• promoting two-way discussion of critical issues
  in the literacy field
• sharing resources
• asking questions of subject experts
• keeping abreast of current information

7
Discussion Lists

• Adult Literacy Professional Development
• Assessment
• Adult Education Content Standards
• Adult English Language Learners
• Family Literacy
• Focus on Basics
• Health Literacy
• Learning Disabilities
• Poverty, Race, Literacy Discussion
• Program Leadership Improvement
• Special Topics
• Technology Literacy
• Women Literacy
• Workplace Literacy

8
Key Issues for Professional Development

• Adult literacy professional development became a
  major issue in literacy in 1998, upon
  authorization of the Workforce Investment Act
  (WIA). Emphasis shifted from regulations focus
  to quality and accountability.
• Examples of Hot Topics
• PD that Leads to Change (approaches that are
  sustained, over time)
• Paid PD, Paid Plan Time Teacher Working
  Conditions
• Policies that Support Teachers
• Student-led PD for Teachers
• State PD Systems

• http//wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/Key_Issues_
  for_Professional_Development

9
Key Issues for Assessment

• The Assessment Discussion List was developed in
  response to the growing need for information
  exchange and professional development in order to
  meet federal and state accountability demands.
• Examples of Hot Topics
• Effective selection and use of assessments
• Building successful accountability programming
• Research and new assessment development
• Data reporting and NRS requirements

10
Key Issues for Women and Literacy

• More than 50 of enrollees in adult basic
  education classes are female (Development
  Associates, 1993). This listserv addresses issues
  that are unique to female learners.
• Examples of recent "hot topics"
• women and literacy in countries outside the
  United States (Afghanistan)
• domestic violence and its intersection with
  literacy
• health literacy as it pertains to women's issues
  (abortion)safety and female literacy learners
  (transgendered learners)

11
Using National Discussion Lists

• In small groups
• Select a recorder
• Brainstorm a list
• Reasons why you use the discussion lists
• What you find most useful about them
• (If you are not subscribed (but considering
  subscribing), then what are some reasons why you
  might use the discussion lists?)
• (3 minutes)
• Well hear from all groups.

12
Who Uses the Lists?

• In an evaluation of the Lists conducted in 2003
• Of subscribers
• 13 teachers/tutors
• 11 state administrators and managers
• 11 researchers
• 11 high school, college, and graduate students
• 37 program directors, managers, or coordinators
• Subscribers affiliation
• 52 ABE programs
• 17 federal or state government agencies
• 15 state literacy resource centers, and
• 15 national literacy organizations
• 72 have been professionally involved with adult
  education/literacy for over 5 years, 57 over 10
  years.

13
Reasons Why Subscribed

• Subscribers who completed the evaluation gave two
  major reasons for subscribing
• Keep informed of developments in research and in
  practice
• Strengthen subject knowledge and skills to
  improve instructional practice

14
What Subscribers Find Useful

• 75 of subscribers found
• the knowledge gained about adult learners and
  classroom resources most useful
• the lists as important or very important to
  improving their instructional practice

15
National Lists as PD

• Reasons subscribers said they use the lists for
  PD
• mainly as a means of acquiring validation for
  issues that we were experiencing in the
  classroom.
• staying connected with practitioners from
  diverse areas of the country
• primarily to see what others are doing in my
  field
• to share information and guidance on tons of
  issues
• to obtain information
• "I've found that leading edge researchers (ok,
  famous folks in an industry) participate on these
  forums, and you'll often get key input from
  leaders in the field."

http//wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/Listservs_a
nd_Learning
16
Limitations of Discussion Lists

• In small groups
• Select a recorder
• Brainstorm a list
• Barriers/limitations for you in using the
  discussion lists
• What you find most useful about them
• (If you are not subscribed (but considering
  subscribing), then what are some barriers to your
  accessing/using the discussion lists?)
• (3 minutes)
• Well hear from all groups.

17
Strategies for Getting Around Barriers

• Choose one key barrier...
• What are ideas for getting around that barrier?
• What are some supports you have or that might be
  put into place to get around the barrier?

18
Expectations and Goals

• Please revisit your notes from the beginning of
  the session.
• Did you obtain the answers to your questions?
• Did the session meet your expectations?
• Any remaining questions?

19
Thank You for Joining Us

• Jackie Taylor, Moderator, Adult Literacy
  Professional Development
• jataylor_at_utk.edu
• Marie Cora, Moderator, Assessment
• marie_at_hotspurpartners.com
• Daphne Greenberg, Moderator, Women and Literacy
• ALCDGG_at_langate.gsu.edu
• See you on the list!