Five-Minute Feedback

From LiteracyTentWiki

Subject:[ProfessionalDevelopment] Five-minute feedback
From: jataylor jataylor at utk.edu
Date: Thu Feb 2 08:34:12 EST 2006

Hi all,
Cassie and I appreciate the ongoing discussions, as well as everyone's willingness to carve out time to discuss these many issues relevant to professional development work. Face-to-face meetings so often easily place (and win!) competing bids for our time.

In addition to the ongoing discussions, what stands out to you from the PD system descriptions thus far?

Check out the Systems Matrix
http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/PD_Systems_Matrix (or topic threads http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/State_PD_Discussion_Summary)

Please take a couple of minutes and share:
What interesting themes or issues seem to surface across systems? What questions seem unanswered? What stands out to you and why? (Don't forget to *adjust* the subject line when posting these observations to the list. :)

Thanks! Jackie

Jackie Taylor, Adult Literacy Professional Development List Moderator,
jataylor at utk.edu
National Institute for Literacy http://www.nifl.gov/
Association of Adult Literacy Professional Developers http://www.aalpd.org/

Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment] Five-minute feedback
From: Gabb, Sally S. sgabb at bristol.mass.edu
Date: Thu Feb 2 10:04:41 EST 2006

Hi Jackie, Cassie, Eric, David and all - I have finally had a chance to review the responses on the ALE wiki - this has been a gift to dialogue about professional development for ABE. As a SABES regional director, I have the privilege of working with David, George, Steve, Mina and others who are often on this list. Our ongoing critical dialogue is a major part of my own professional development. Just a note however that builds on some things Eric said about bringing teachers to CBO's to interact with parents and their issues. It strikes me that a major focus of 'professional development' for ABE practitioners is awareness of the need for all of us to be ongoing advocates - both for our learners and their needs, and for ourselves.

As I say often in training groups for SABES, we are not recognized as a 'profession' by a very wide audience. Our ALE 'system' is not yet a truly public education system: there are no waiting lists for kindergarten. Yet studies continue to confirm that thousands of adults in need of ABE and adult ESOL are on long waiting lists. Overview of the history of our system, our struggles and successes needs to be a part of ABE PD. While we have had increased federal and state resources granted to our 'system' , these resources are still a token commitment to available public adult basic education for all who need it.

In addition, it is no accident that a large percentage of our learner audience struggle with inadequate income, jobs that do not pay a living wage, lack of health care and other human needs. I believe that our 'professional development' must link our struggles to build the ABE system to larger campaigns for human and civil rights. As the SABES SE regional director, I am on the board of our state student leadership organization, Massachusetts Alliance for Adult Literacy. Our region is the sponsoring agency for professional development focus on supporting student leadership. Building practitioner awareness of the strengths, knowledge and leadership potential of our learners must also be a major aspect of our ABE professional development.

I am interested in what other states provide in supporting advocacy training and support for student leadership! Thanks for the opportunity to share in this dialogue! Sally Gabb, Director, SABES SE

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