COABE Conference 2010: Professional Development It’s now 24/7!

1. COABE Conference 2010: Professional DevelopmentIt’s now 24/7! Marian Thacher, OTAN mthacher@otan.us

2. How It Works in California • Funded by WIA Title II to provide services and support to adult education programs for improving programs and student learning outcomes. • CALPRO: Professional Development • CASAS: Assessment, Accountability, and Evaluation • OTAN: Technology and Distance Learning

3. Why 24/7 Professional Dev.? • More and more education is going online • Online learning is a required skill • We have a new digital social environment • Social networking • Mobile phones • User-created content • Virtual worlds

4. Why 24/7 Professional Dev.? • In this climate of low/no budget for PD • No travel time or cost • Anyone can access any time from anywhere • Easier to get information to a dispersed and fragmented staff

5. What are the challenges? • We need to offer timely, engaging, interactive PD opportunities • Instructors and staff are getting used to online learning and interaction • Matching offerings to needs without the interactions we are used to

6. What are your concerns?

7. What are the Delivery Models? • Webinars, online workshops, virtual meetings • Self-directed online courses • Facilitated Online Courses • Electronic Professional Learning Communities (e-PLCs)

8. Webinars &Online Meetings

9. Online Workshops • Online workshops • 37 topics • Offered several times each year • Some are recorded and posted • www.CAAdultEdTraining.org

10. Administrators Forum, DL Forum • Administrators Forum, Distance Learning Forum • Live online sessions • Recorded and posted for later viewing • Handouts, links, support materials available • www.otan.us/AdminForum/ • www.otan.us/DistanceLearning/forum/

11. CASAS Professional Development: Spring 2010 • Workshops via Web Conferencing • Self-paced courses via Moodle Professional Development

12. Web Conferencing • Over 60 Web-based topics now available • CASAS Resources • CASAS Implementation including e-Test • California Accountability, • EL Civics • TOPSpro • New titles with more detailed descriptions of technical concepts

13. California Winter Consortium • Internet video –Debra Jones and field panel discuss 08-09 WIA II performance, successful practices, and setting local performance goals • Also focus on • NRS Performance goals for 09-10, • transitions to the workplace and post-secondary education and training • Video available for viewing in early March

15. Webinars • Two per asynchronous online course • Administrators Forum series: The I‐BEST Model for Transition to Work, 2/18 http://www.caadultedtraining.org • CA College Transition series

16. Post‐Secondary Transitions Webinar Series • December 1, 2009: Follow up to Institute and Summit • January 26, 2010: Curriculum and Instruction • February 23, 2010: Counseling and Support • March 30, 2010: Collaborations and Partnerships Tuesdays from 2:30‐3:30

17. Self-DirectedOnline Courses

18. Course Hosting with Moodle • Moodle site for any instructor • Orientation and training • Networking • Tech support • Sharable courses • coming soon

19. CASAS Self-Paced Courses 7/24 Available starting February 2010: • CASAS Initial Implementation Training • CASAS Beyond Implementation Training • CASAS Appraisal Testing • CASAS eTests Basics *New* • Using Assessment for Classroom Lesson Planning *New*

20. CALPRO Self-Paced Courses • Orientation for New ABE Teachers • Orientation for New ESL Teachers • Learner Goal Setting • http://www.calpro-online.org/onlinecourseschedule.asp

21. Questions We Considered • How can we support independent learning? • How can we build flexibility into the instructional design?

22. Sample Course • Learner Goal Setting in Adult Education Programshttp://moodle.calpro-online.org • Course launched 12/1/09 • In first week since announced (12/8-15), 50 adult educators have registered for the course

23. FacilitatedOnline Courses

24. CALPRO Facilitated Courses • 15 classes offered on eight different topics • Content experts facilitate discussions over four weeks • Asynchronous format allows flexibility in accessing course content and interacting with colleagues

25. CALPRO Facilitated Courses • Topics include • Effective Lesson Planning • Enhancing Learner Persistence • Managing the Multilevel ESL Class • Optimizing Instructional Planning: Management, Monitoring, Reflection • Using Questioning Strategies to Improve Instruction

26. Questions We Considered • What is the role of the facilitator? • How is content organized? • How do we accommodate different learning preferences? • How can we promote learner persistence among online participants?

27. Sample Online Course – Fall ‘09 Understanding the Adult Learner, Session 1http://moodle.calpro-online.org • Seven other course titles available; • 15 classes offered in 2009-2010

28. E-PLCs

29. Characteristics of Virtual PLCs • Built in cyberspace • Contain activities that are enabled by information technology or information communication technology • Participants determine content and direction • Relationships among PLC members evolve with communication Lin, F. et al. (2008)

30. Advice for Sustaining Virtual PLCs • Increase capacity to add and integrate new members • Allow sufficient time for participation • Pay attention to shifts in different “ecologies” • Notice changes in roles and responsibilities • Embrace and manage conflict • Explicitly share common practices and knowledge Correia and Davis (2008)

31. Most Common Barriers – e-PLCs • Principal barriers: • Access • Acceptance • Utilization • Other factors: • Lack of • Time • Experience • Knowledge • Absence of motivators McCann (2009)

32. ABE Initiative

33. ABE Initiative • Group discussions • Posted documents • Calendar • Member pages • Blogs • Links • Photos, video • Polls

34. TIMAC • Technology training and mentoring • Mentors support site mentors support colleagues • Site-based projects • Networking and statewide connections • Application available March 1

35. TIMAC – the 24/7 part • Web site • Blog • Wiki • Videos www.otan.us/timac

36. CALPRO’s Use of Wikis to Promote Collaboration among Development Teams • CALPRO Tech Team (team of Connect experts who will support subject experts in developing synchronous online training) http://calprotechteam.pbworks.com • Teaching Critical Thinking (team developing synchronous online training)http://calprotct.pbworks.com

37. Leadership Institute wiki

38. Asynchronous Research-based e-PLC employs social networking tool, Ning Virtual Workroom for Multilevel ESL Instructors and electronic Professional Learning Community (e-PLC)

39. Questions We Considered • Content: in teaching their classes, what do adult educators of ESL most often ask for? What are their greatest challenges? • Format: What technologies can best support the access and use of research-based PD in multilevel ESL instruction? • How do you sustain a virtual PLC? What are the most common barriers to e-PLCs?

40. Virtual Workroom for Multilevel ESL Instructors Portal Overview of Content

41. Centerpiece: New Podcast Series Audio podcast series Sample pre-listening page

42. Application Activities linked to e-PLC

43. e-PLC using Ning(social network site):

44. Discussion Forums Related to CALPRO Virtual Workroom

45. Contact Information CALPRO – www.calpro-online.org CASAS – www.casas.org OTAN – www. otan.us Marian Thacher mthacher@otan.us