Many needs, many responses: Designing professional development for LESLLA teachers Patsy Vinogradov, University of Minnesota

Our Context: Minnesota

Minnesota

Minnesota’s LESLLA learners Minnesota has:  the highest proportion of refugees of any state in the US  the largest population of Somali immigrants in the country  the second largest population of Hmong and the largest urban Hmong population in the country 

Adult Basic Education teachers:  Majority are part-time  Those working in school districts have a teaching license but may not have experience & training in working with adults and or ESL  Many volunteer instructors in community-based organizations  Most have not had formal training on working with LESLLA students

In St. Paul, Minnesota, Hamline University and the Minnesota Department of Education have formed ATLAS, ABE Teaching and Learning Advancement System. ATLAS Mission: to provide resources and professional development to advance adult education throughout Minnesota.

Professional development needs?  A survey of nearly 700 Adult Basic Education workers in Minnesota in 2009 revealed a great deal about programs, learners, teachers, and professional development needs.  One major finding was a need for more professional development for LESLLA instructors.

Our PD ‘package’ for LESLLA teachers 1. Introductory workshops 2. Focused, more ‘advanced’ workshops 3. Materials distribution via website (forthcoming) PD initiative includes the development of a Study Circle for more focused, in-depth professional growth.

Workshops General workshops:  Instruction for low- literacy learners  Using learner- generated texts  These workshops are typically 2-3 hours, presented at state and national conferences, regional events, and in-service professional development days.

Contents of Introductory Workshops  Characteristics of LESLLA learners  Importance of contextualized, meaningful instruction  Balanced literacy: combining top-down and bottom-up instruction  Capitalizing on oral skills  Language Experience Approach (LEA)  Resources, teaching tips

2010: More specific, in depth workshops: 1. Phonemic awareness

2010: More specific, in depth workshops: 2. Emergent reading in early childhood; connections to adult instruction

Lesson Planning workshop This workshop focuses on planning successful lessons: determining objectives, planning appropriate activities, and assessing learner progress.  Workshop begins by viewing the New American Horizons video: Building Literacy with Emergent Readers Video available at: This video nicely illustrates Whole-Part-Whole instruction, using learner-generated texts, contextualizing phonics…

Building Basic Skills workshop  This 2-hour session is organized into 7 “learning stations” for teachers to explore and discussion different areas of basic literacy skills and teaching LESLLA learners.

7 Learning stations for teachers in Building Basic Skills workshop Stations: 1. phonemic awareness 2. phonics 3. extensive reading 4. narrative skills 5. LEA follow-up 6. print motivation 7. automaticity & journaling

Why aren’t workshops sufficient? Professional Development for teachers is most effective when it includes: 1. Content focus 2. Collective participation 3. Duration 4. Coherence 5. Active learning Desimone, L.M. (2009). Improving impact studies of teachers’ professional development: Toward better conceptualizations and measures. Educational Researcher 38(3),

Study Circle  What is a study circle?  8-12 participants  3 meetings over 6-8 weeks  Readings and tasks between meetings  Constant opportunities to discuss research and its implications for the classroom

Low-literacy Teachers’ Study Circle Study Circle Facilitator’s Guide developed summer 2010, to be piloted fall meetings, 2.75 hours each meeting

Study Circle: Meeting One  Characteristics of emergent adult ESL readers  Research Findings: What do we know for sure?  Orality and Literacy

Study Circle: Meeting Two  Unraveling Reading: Components of emergent reading development  Emergent reading instruction, Part I: What can we learn from early childhood instructors? (Classroom practices to create literacy-rich environments and meaningful literacy experiences for learners.)

Study Circle: Meeting Three  Emergent reading instruction, Part II: further reporting on our classroom-tasks, using authentic materials, extensive reading, etc.  Planning for progress in a 0-1 class: lesson planning, managing multiple levels and mismatched oral and literacy skills, assessment  Resources, Next Steps

Discussion  What types of professional development are you providing in your contexts?  What else can LESLLA scholars be doing to better prepare teachers?

 Thank you!  Patsy Vinogradov