Agenda

1. PD Support Frameworkfor instructors in Ontario government-funded language training programsfunded by Citizenship and Immigration CanadaApril 2011 – March 2013TESL Ontario presentation, October 27, 2011Anne-Marie Kaskens , Justine Light

2. Agenda • Project description • Conclusions from literature scan • Preliminary findings from consultations • The approach for moving professional learning to classroom practice • The approach in action

3. Project Goal The goal of the professional development project is to engage instructors in the examination, evaluation and application of professional knowledge to classroom practice in order to facilitate improved outcomes for language learners.

4. Project description Four main components • Practitioner Handbook (drafted by March 2012) • Guide for Supporting the Professional Learning of instructors (drafted by Dec 2012) • Training Program, and training of up to 25 individuals (fall, 2013) • Job-embedded PD support to instructors

5. 1. Practitioner Handbook ...for applying professional learning to the classroom To include: • Forms of professional learning, and strategies for applying to the classroom • Methods for applying learning to classroom, based on reflective practice • Policies and adopted instructional approaches in Ontario government-funded language training programs • Learning from research

6. 2. Guide to Supporting the Professional Learning of Ontario instructors To include: • Details of promising PD practices of a variety of language training providers in Ontario • Strategies for supporting professional learning • Strategies for supporting job-embedded PD practices • Description of training program and training materials

7. 3. Training program and training • Recruit interested participating language training providers (that would select individuals among their staff to receive training) • Provide training program • Support trained individuals as they offer job-embedded pd support to others

8. 4. job-embedded pd delivery • Among the 25 trainees, 3-5 of them would be staff paid by the project, to offer job-embedded pd support to instructors that is: • Non-evaluative • Collaborative • Rooted in reflective practice

9. Consultations with language providers Language training providers across Ontario • Invited by survey • Successful, innovative PD practices • Summaries for publication • A few examples....

10. Team teaching in Windsor Windsor Women Working With Immigrant Women • Literacy – coordination • Proposed Team Teaching

11. Conference sharing Polycultural Immigrant Community Services, Scarborough • Post conference meeting: • Highlights, resources • Resulted in a Portable Library Targeted workshop Working Women Community Centre, Toronto • Targeted workshop on mental health and settlement

12. ESL Literacy Circle in Ottawa Ottawa Catholic District School Board • Topic from identified need • Met monthly for 5 months • New approaches to supporting learners

13. Sharing lessons learned • Ongoing interviews • Do you know of an initiative that features bringing knowledge to the classroom? • Contribute to publications

14. A balance act

15. Preliminary conclusions from our initial research • Currently no study (that we could find or access) with information on pd activities in Ontario LINC programs

16. Implications for the project… • Conduct an environmental scan to determine current pd practices in LINC programs; identify and explore promising practices

17. How we plan to address that • Our Guide will include a section on current practices and examples of pd in the Ontario LINC context

18. Preliminary conclusions … • There is a gap between academic research and classroom practice ; there can be a gap between what teachers think they are doing (e.g., communicative language teaching), and what they are in fact doing

19. Implications for the project… • Make research-based instructional strategies and sources of SLA knowledge available and accessible to practitioners • Make SLA knowledge/research relevant to particular instructional contexts • Ensure that pd goes beyond individual reflection, but also includes inputs, such as explorations of policy, theory and research, new resources, etc.

20. How we plan to address that • A Practitioner Toolkit, that includes a user-friendly listing of information about SLA and TESL research, research summaries, as well as approaches and techniques of reflective practice to put professional learning into practice

21. Preliminary conclusions … • Teachers report a lack of time and lack of systemic supports as a barrier to learning from SLA research

22. Implication for the project… • Focus on job-embedded forms of pd, that are directly related to teacher’s context, and can be pursued within class time and with learners • Include strategies to help teachers locate directly relevant, short, clear information (e.g., assisting teachers with the leg work and sifting through research summaries)

23. How we plan to address that • In the Practitioner Toolkit and the PD Guide, outline (and include tools for the implementation of) the process, methods and techniques of reflective practice and action research. • In the PD Guide, and PD Support Lead Training Program, highlight strategies for contextualizing research in particular classroom situations, and facilitating reflective practice

24. Preliminary conclusions … • There may be some inconsistencies in the interpretation and application of LINC policies and curriculum guidelines

25. Implications for this project • Make LINC policies, curriculum guidelines and related LINC instructional resources possible topics of job-embedded pd activities

26. How we plan to address that • Include a section in the Practitioner toolkit, the PD Guide and the PD Support TrainingProgram that addresses and clarifies LINC policies and the purpose of curriculum guidelines, and CLB

27. Preliminary conclusions … • There are forthcoming, new and existing resources and CIC initiatives that are of key relevance to Ontario LINC and adult ESL teachers

28. Implications for this project • Make LINC policies, curriculum guidelines and related LINC instructional resources possible topics of job-embedded pd activities

29. How we plan to address that • Include a section in the Practitioner toolkit, the PD Guide and the PD Support TrainingProgram that addresses Ontario government-funded language initiatives and applying that learning to the classroom

30. The approach in practice

31. Applying professional learning to the classroom ... an approach rooted in reflected practice • How can I reflect on what I do as an instructor and how my actions impact the learners in my class, in order to create an optimal environment for language learning?

32. Applying professional learning to the classroom ... an approach rooted in reflected practice

33. Select a focus • Select a question, topic, area of interest or classroom issue to explore. • Conference, workshop • New resource • Funder mandated change • Critical incident in class

34. Collect information This step involves collecting information about the topic or question for learning. It can involve both collecting information about learners, and about the topic • Learner questionnaires/surveys/interviews • Observations • Examining lesson plans • Keeping a journal • Peer observation • Reading research articles • Examining a resource

35. Reflect on the information Consider the information from step 2 as it relates to your instructional practices. • New information • Feedback from learners • The degree to which your practices reflect your beliefs and theories • Information from resources or peers about alternatives

36. Return to the classroom and experiment Try the alternative technique, instructional strategy or approach in the classroom. • This step involves adopting an attitude of open-mindedness and exploration. • It may involve trying an approach or technique you have doubts about, or that differs from your usual approach.

37. Re-reflect on the results of the experimenting This involves reflecting on results in the classroom, related to the effect on learners of the alternative instructional practice. • learner questionnaires, surveys or interviews • observations of learners or classroom activities • It also involves reflecting on the results, and making instructional decisions based on those results.