Session Topics for ABE Teacher Class

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Subject: [PD 3401] Re: Discussion Framework
From: Lobaccaro Gina (DOC) Gina.Lobaccaro at state.de.us
Date: Mon Jun 15 10:57:53 EDT 2009

I have just completed an Online Course Development Course - designed for teachers. It was facilitated by EdTech Leaders Online - http://www.edtechleaders.org/ - and I am about to start a second course related to facilitating Online Courses for teachers.

The first course was taught to 12 Delaware educators and 10-12 from Mississippi. I completed the 10 week online session. I was the only adult educator in the group that was trained. The rest were regular education teachers and state administrative staff. I have a few months to tweak the class and them, I am expected to teach it in the fall. My class is being designed/now tweaked for ABE teachers. I decided to give the teachers 2 weeks of orientation and 5 other course sessions. These are the session topics:

  • Overview of the Adult Learner
  • Planning and Delivering Instruction
  • Technology for Teaching and Learning
  • ABE in Delaware/Policies and Procedures
  • Collecting, Documenting, & Recording ABE Student Information (mostly based on NRS information/guidelines)

I am thankful I will have the second course in facilitating the online courses - it starts later this week - before I have to teach the course in the fall. I am sure it will be very helpful.

While taking the first course I came up with an idea, which I hope to complete before I teach the course. And that is - I plan to design another course - a "short course" - probably just 3 sessions available for any DE teacher who has not taken online professional development in the past. The name is "tentatively" "Get Prepared to Take Online PD". I posted questions to at least one of the lists previously about this course and got good feedback... but I will ask again.

First- Do you have any thoughts about the session topics I chose for the ABE teacher class? Second - Do you have recommendations for lessons to be covered in 3 weeks to introduce teachers to Blackboard (the platform they will be using) and prepare them for their first online professional development class.

So far, the ideas I have gotten have included:


  • Learning Style Surveys
  • Discussions on Time Management
  • Information about web searching
  • "electronic presence" that's referenced on the Design Elements page, where instructors are advised to be as "present," authentic, chatty, informal (in a professional manner, of course) as possible.
  • Some focus on teachers who are technology phobic
  • Spending time - suggesting perhaps two orientation sessions - discussing their interests and give them an activity where they can display their own interests online- so they can then go back and show that activity to their student
  • Prepare them to download all needed programs (Adobe Reader, Windows Media Player, Flash, etc)- give them directions about what to do when there are "glitches" (as I DO want this to be a positive experience)

Another responder listed all of these ideas


  • Ideas for helping instructors learn to use technology through a distance learning course:
  • listen to other practitioners talking about using technology in the AlphaPlus project, http://blog.alphaplus.ca/alphaplus-tech-podcasts/
  • how to use computers and the Internet for supplemental learning
  • how to use free or inexpensive (because they have been federally-funded) services like USA Learns and the Learner Web, as well as teacher-made web sites in English and other languages
  • how to use basic computer and web tools such as word processing, search engines and email
  • introducing assistive technology tools such as text readers to learners who might benefit from knowing how to use this software
  • cell phones and iPhones as learning devices
  • any other technologies learners bring to the fray

I surely cannot do all of this in a 3-4 week "short course". I need some focus for designing the short course - which again would be for any teacher who has not taken an online PD course before who plans to take one on a content area in the near future. Any ideas...

Again.. here are my two questions...

First- Do you have any thoughts about the session topics I chose for the ABE teacher class?

Second - Do you have recommendations for lessons to be covered in 3-4 weeks to introduce teachers to Blackboard (the platform they will be using) and prepare them for their first online professional development class.

Subject: [PD 3425] PD: session topics for the ABE teacher class
From: Barbara Jacala [barbara.jacala at guamcc.edu]
Date: Tuesday, June 16, 2009 7:35 PM


I would suggest you add something on ethics of using downloaded materials. It is so easy to access all kinds of information in the internet. We need to impress on the teachers the importance of ethical behavior and give them guidance on do's and don'ts.

Barbara Jacala

Subject: [PD 3429] Re: PD: session topics for the ABE teacher class
From: Lobaccaro Gina (DOC) Gina.Lobaccaro at state.de.us
Date: Tue Jun 16 22:00:58 EDT 2009

Great idea Barbara.... and thank you.

There are alot of good sites on web searching and website evaluation and I am sure I can pick out a few of the best and do something with that. I have also created a Filamentality page for the ABE class..... not the "short course", since I am not actually teaching technology to the ABE teachers - but teaching the Adult Basic Education content..... that gives them alot of basic technology information. It is at http://www.kn.att.com/wired/fil/pages/listabetechgi.html

I will do a little bit more on ethical use website evaluation. The ETLO course I took had lots of great resources on that topic.

Great reminder.

Thanks again. This topic could not have come along at a better tiem for me.
Gina

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