Evaluating Websites

In enjoyed the Critical Evaluation of a Web Site:  Web sites for use by educators exercise.  I realized that as I search for topics utilizing general search engines, I automatically do much of this evaluation within my mind within my first scan/swoop over potential sites.  My eye has been quickly trained to look for links, images, dates, authors, images, etc.  Because many of our learners trust everything on the web more than we/I do, we need to be sure to assist them in evaluating what they choose to read and believe.  This is true of both print and web resources. 

I can see myself really diving in and critically evaluating sites, if I was providing a list of related links on a given topic to an audience or class.  I would want to make sure that what I was passing off to them was well written, dated/recent, easily accessed by many users regardless of type of connection, unbiased, provides further relevant links, etc. 

Excellence in Professional Practice: What works and what doesn't...

Hattie's work identified five major dimensions of excellent teachers. Expert teachers

• can identify essential representations of their subject,
• can guide learning through classroom interactions,
• can monitor learning and provide feedback,
• can attend to affective attributes, and
• can influence student outcomes

It would be interesting to use these five dimensions within a learning lab setting where visiting instructors would observe your instruction and look for these specific dimensions.  It would also be interesting to observe other teachers and look for evidence of these dimensions within their teaching.  Either way, we would be learning and would be more aware of our teaching and the aspects of excellent teaching. 

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Within the IES What Works Clearinghouse, I was interested in the research behind children with disabilities and their language competencies.  The intervention that I read about was Phonological Awareness Training.  The research is showing a larger improvement index than other methods.  I appreciated the Find What Works link, what a quick and efficient way to locate strategies, that are researched based, to immediately implement within an IEP, within a classroom, or to suggest to parents.  I will use this tool again! 

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

This was a tough checklist and topic for me to apply to my job responsibilities.  I am the Director of the Adult Tutoring Program at the Literacy Center of West Michigan.  I recruit and train community members in order to certify them as Adult Reading and/or English Language tutors.  They work one on one with an Adult Learner.

So, as I assessed my current understanding of UDL and use of it, I was thinking of the Professional Development that I offer to community members, Tutor Training.  This instruction incorporates technology and encourages tutors to integrate technology into their tutoring sessions, but it does not include assignments and/or assessments of tutors.  I also supervise Literacy Coordinators that have a caseload of adult learners.  These adult learners are matched with certified Literacy Tutors.  The adult learners are assessed, in a standardized fashion, by the Literacy Center.  Tutors are also encouraged to measure their learner's progress in other ways (read alouds/fluency demonstrations, writing samples, etc.).

So, are we effectively training tutors to create a tutoring environment utilizing the UDL?  Yes, but not all tutors utilize all of the strategies that we suggest  We are very thorough when it comes to teaching tutors how to lesson plan.  We do model how to begin with the end in mind.  Many of our tutors create very dynamic lessons regardless of their education background.  This is exciting to see!

Do we really need technology in the classroom?

Yes. Yes. Yes.
We need technology in the classroom within Adult Education because we're preparing adults for the next step in their education journey which is a GED course (soon to be only offered on the computer), a National Career Readiness preparation course (also mainly a computer test), job training, and/or post secondary education.

Most jobs be they w/in the skilled trades or within an office utilize technology.  So, to be workforce ready, our learners need to use technology prior to entering the workforce.

Community Colleges are often the first step in a post secondary education journey.  If an adult learner enters a community college without technology experience, they will struggle greatly.

It is our job to ease adult learner's transitions into post secondary education and/or the workforce, so technology is our duty as educators.

Assignment: Visionary Leadership

Through this assignment, I learned the importance of having a personal vision in addition to your district's current vision.  I learned how hungry for technology students are and the need for educators to advocate both for funding for technology and continuous PD for teachers on the technology w/in the school, but also on how to incorporate technology into the classroom. 

I learned how easy it is to follow education sties via Twitter.  I also will be more efficient when online because I'll be able to access my bookmarks from any web source!  I'm excited to stay more connected to what's happening in education and with technology in education through my Twitter.  Thank you!

Visionary Leadership: Vision Statement Assignment

If I ran the Literacy Center, we would move forward on the consortium of Region 10 (Kent, Allegan, Ottawa) by creating a one stop agency within each county that assesses learners and refers them to the first step/agency on their personal literacy journey.  Each county would house a literacy council with one on one tutoring, Family Literacy programming in partnership with area schools, an Adult Education Agency with Adult Basic Education courses at all levels, ELL courses at all levels, and GED preparation and testing, a Workplace Readiness agency with skill training and certification, a Post Secondary transition center, and a Community College that would include developmental courses and credit courses.  These agencies would share resources, learners, space, and funding in order to make sure that each adult learner is placed and working towards his/her personal goals in an efficient and successful fashion. 

What can I do to be a visionary leader?

I read the "NETS-A Standards for Visionary Leadership."  It's a document that lists the standards for being a visionary leader and incorporating technology into schools and organizations. 

At the Literacy Center of West Michigan, we teach Adult Education.  I recruit and train volunteer tutors to teach adults to read, write, or speak and understand the English language.  Tutors meet in any public location, out in the community, in order to conduct their tutoring.  We train them on the use of research based literacy strategies and provide them with adult learning materials.  Not a lot of our learners have access to computers and/or other technologies within their homes or at their tutoring sites. 

My role in encouraging the use of technology for teaching adults may be accomplished within the Tutor Training that I teach.  I provide KeyTrain access (an online curriculum preparing learners for the WorkKey's assessment and thus a National Career Readiness Certificate), provide lists of adult learning websites, show tutors how to build their own professional networks through Adult Learning sites, lesson planning sites, etc.  Within the Literacy Center, we have computers available for adult learners and their tutors to use.  The new GED assessment will only be given on computers, so I'd also like to incorporate typing and basic literacy skills into our annual tutor and/or learner in-service schedule. 

Q/A for TLA

What makes a good blog?
The blogs that seem to attract my attention contain images/photographs that draw me in and make me interested in learning more.  I also enjoy the fact that my "friends" mention blogs on their facebook pages, because I learn about blogs that I might enjoy based on their comments and recommendations. 

How could a blog enhance your existing agency web presence? 
We have a PR/Marketing Specialist that has been exploring creating a blog for the Literacy Center or West Michigan.  It's really important to her that it's done well and is well maintained by staff people.  It may be a way to provide free web advertising for the Literacy Center and may assist us in recruiting tutors. 

Are blogs an easier way for people to self-publish?
I would assume so!  It's as easy as 1,2,3!

TLA TAL -getting started

Through the Teacher as Learner course, I hope to become more comfortable training Adult Literacy Tutors to incorporate technology into their one-on-one tutoring sessions.  They may also be able to use technology with their learners in between tutoring sessions or for make-up sessions.