Using Crossroads Cafe
From LiteracyTentWiki
The discussion below took place on the National Institute for Literacy English Language discussion list in April 2009.
From: ProjectCARE@morton.edu
Subject: [EnglishLanguage 4135] Crossroads Cafe
Date: April 15, 2009 3:35:18 PM EDT
I would like to have a tutor run a Crossroads Café group at a local library. Approximately how long does it take to 1) watch an episode and 2) cover the episode in the worktext? I just need general ideas so I can advise how long the tutor should meet with the group. Ie. 2 hours each time?
Thanks for any help!
Karin Johnsey
Adult Volunteer Literacy Program Coordinator
Project CARE
Morton College
Cicero, IL
708-656-8000 x383
projectcare@morton.edu
From: MMirman@bccc.edu
Subject: [EnglishLanguage 4136] Re: Crossroads Cafe
Date: April 15, 2009 5:04:49 PM EDT
We have used Crossroads Café in classes. Two hours is about right. Each episode runs for approximately 25 minutes, but the tutor will probably want to re-run parts of the episode. The worktext time really varies with the level, but an hour to an hour and a half is probably a good rough estimate. In addition, discussions can be held on the various topics raised by each episode. I would allow 10-20 minutes for this.
Marte Mirman
Instructional Specialist, ESL Programs
Baltimore City Community College
710 E. Lombard Street
Baltimore, MD 21202
410-986-5443
From: Patmay1122@aol.com
Subject: [EnglishLanguage 4138] Crossrds cafe
Date: April 15, 2009 6:12:06 PM EDT
Hi
I usually show the video twice for the class. It's amazing how much they seem to get with it being played twice. A 2 hr. time frame would work for your project. There is also a "culture clip" in the video which can spark conversation.
~Pat
NE Pa.
From: holly@dilatush.com
Subject: [EnglishLanguage 4139] Re: Crossrds cafe
Date: April 15, 2009 7:09:11 PM EDT
Hello all,
I used Crossroads Cafe extensively for two+ years with a pilot distance learning project. Learners borrowed the DVDs and watched them at home, as many times as they wished. Recommended highly (by students, by me) -- for all levels; not just beginners -- are the available "comic-book style" photostories books. In our program, learners had optional "open study sessions" where we met face-to-face and I'd have students retell the episode as best they could, using the photostories guides -- and generating questions. This allowed us to optimize time by replaying shorter segments of the DVDs during class time.
High intermediate and advanced learners loved Crossroads Cafe and the characters and the storylines as much as the high beginner / low intermediate level learners -- and everyone found benefit and meaningful learning with the series.
I'd be happy to talk more about this with anyone -- contact me offlist: holly@dilatush.com (and phone #s are below, with my signature).
Holly (Dilatush)
Charlottesville, VA USA
holly@dilatush.com
(434) 960.7177 cell phone
(434) 295.9716 home phone
From: dlwann@comcast.net
Subject: [EnglishLanguage 4140] Re: Crossroads Cafe
Date: April 15, 2009 8:47:50 PM EDT
In evening classes where I used Crossroads that met for three hours twice a week, I would allow for two weeks per episode. I used many of the activities in the teachers handbook as well as pre-teaching vocabulary and characters. We had opening discussions about the situations and how we might react. After watching an episode, we would practice vocabulary, language structures and have fallow-up discussion. We would view short segments of the episode to work on listening comprehension. CC was the main activity of the evening but of course I had other mini lessons that were a part of the class.
I have colleagues who have developed extensive lesson plans and activities. One night is not enough to develop comprehension and to develop expressive language skills. The episodes do a good job of repeating taught skills so that students are re-enforcing previously learned skills while learning new skills. It also makes it easier for students who miss an episode. In Indiana, We have also used this series in a distance learning check out model. The biggest mistake I have seen is when teachers and administrators think that you do an episode a night and then you are done when episode 26 has been shown.
Dan Wann
From: dlwann@comcast.net
Subject: [EnglishLanguage 4141] Re: Crossrds cafe
Date: April 15, 2009 8:51:43 PM EDT
I agree with Holly that high intermediate and advanced learners enjoy and benefit from the series. There is a lot of humor that more advanced students begin to pick up on.
Dan Wann
Adult Education Consultant, Indiana
From: holly@dilatush.com
Subject: [EnglishLanguage 4142] Re: Crossroads Cafe
Date: April 16, 2009 8:33:11 AM EDT
Dan, all,
I concur with Dan's brief notes (copied below) -- we found that reviewing previous episodes brought lots of "a ha!" lightbulb moments, new questions, new understandiings, much fun! So, with the first 10 or so, we'd play "Who's your favorite character?" / Episode 1 (name of episode): Describe a scene from this episode with your two characters in it (students work together to describe to class) -- then students "act" that scene, then replay the segment from the DVD that theyve just talked about and re-enacted -- great review and confidence/competence builder.
I found the episodes (and the students' input) to be neverending prompts for supplementary activities. There's a neighborhood watch episode that has brought many a real-life question/concern/story out -- high relevance story lines.
Definitely _not_ a "watch it in class, talk about it, done" kind of thing. Volunteers I've used have enjoyed watching the DVDs and have found family literacy connections (for native English speakers too) worthwhile. Volunteers I've used have enjoyed listening to students retell the story -- learners have found that highly beneficial -- especially when the volunteer has _not_ seen the episode -- because then they can help each other retell/remember, they _have_ to make their pronunciation clear enough to bring understanding, they have the photostories to fall back upon if they must (but oh, how happy they are when they don't have to look at them, when they can retell without that crutch!!).
Crossroads Cafe, though not perfect, has much to offer, in many different ways, to many different learning styles, to many different teaching styles.
Project Ideal has useful info to: http://projectideal.org
Holly
From: Rebeca.Fernandez@cpcc.edu
Subject: [EnglishLanguage 4143] Re: Crossrds cafe
Date: April 16, 2009 8:40:39 AM EDT
We developed wrap-around video materials for Crossroads here at Central Piedmont Community College and have worked with the program for many years with much success. J It is sometimes the only thing students with demanding family and work schedules can do. Students really love the TV series approach to the program and that the content is something with which they can easily identify. It really engages them. Students meet with a teacher once a week for 2-3 hours at one of our campuses or local libraries to exchange videos, discuss assignments and/or receive some targeted instruction. We have 10 Crossroads Café classes throughout the city of Charlotte and outlying areas right now. Our college TV station also broadcasts the videos as a series several times a week.
Crossroads materials assume a certain level of English language competence, so we don’t recommend the program to beginners. It’s the same for our online Adult ESL classes. If there were more instructional hours involved, perhaps we could make the materials work for beginners. But as it is, there is a lot language that would be overwhelming to beginners. So, I say it’s great but not always appropriate for beginners.
If anyone wants to know more, our Crossroads ‘queen’ at CPCC is Claudia Farnandez (Claudia.farnandez@cpcc.edu). She has even developed an online training for teachers who want to learn how to teach at a distance with Crossroads.
Rebeca Fernandez
Central Piedmont Community College
704-330-4693
