# Presentation: 658684

## Professional Development from Your Inbox: Making the Most of National Discussion Lists

**Jackie Taylor**, Moderator, Adult Literacy Professional Development
- _[jataylor@utk.edu](mailto:jataylor@utk.edu)_
**Marie Cora**, Moderator, Assessment
- _[marie@hotspurpartners.com](mailto:marie@hotspurpartners.com)_
**Daphne Greenberg**, Moderator, Women and Literacy
- ALCDGG@langate.gsu.edu

## Introductions

**In small groups, take a minute to share your...**
- role in adult education
- Affiliation/state
- experience with the lists:
- Never heard of the lists
- Subscribed to at least one list (in past)
- Currently subscribed to one list
- Subscribed to two or more

## Expectations & Goals

- Each person take a moment to jot down...
- What you want from this session
- If you have lots of experience with the lists, what specifically you want to learn
- 						(2 minutes)
- We’ll hear from some volunteers among us.

## Session Overview

- This session introduces:
- The National Institute for Literacy’s Discussion Lists
- Emerging and key issues for each topic
- Upcoming discussion activities
- Strategies for getting the most from your subscription

## The National Institute for Literacy...

- is funded by Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA) and No Child Left Behind (NCLB) to strengthen literacy across the lifespan
-  supports programs and services designed to improve the quality of literacy programs nationwide
- mission (as it pertains to the Lists) is to develop a national dissemination and communication system in the field of literacy

## Overarching purpose is to provide means for:
promoting two-way discussion of critical issues in the literacy field
sharing resources
asking questions of subject experts
keeping abreast of current information

- promoting two-way discussion of critical issues in the literacy field
- sharing resources
- asking questions of subject experts
- keeping abreast of current information

- Why Discussion Lists?

## Discussion Lists

**Adult Literacy Professional Development**
**Assessment**
**Adult Education Content Standards**
**Adult English Language Learners**
**Family Literacy **
**Focus on Basics **
**Health & Literacy**
**Learning Disabilities**
**Poverty, Race, & Literacy Discussion**
**Program Leadership & Improvement**
**Special Topics**
**Technology & Literacy**
**Women & Literacy**
**Workplace Literacy**

## Key Issues for Professional Development

- Adult literacy professional development became a major issue in literacy in 1998, upon authorization of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). Emphasis shifted from “regulations” focus to “quality” and accountability.
- Examples of Hot Topics:
- PD that Leads to Change (approaches that are sustained, over time)
- Paid PD, Paid Plan Time &Teacher Working Conditions
- Policies that Support Teachers
- Student-led PD for Teachers
- State PD Systems

- http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/Key_Issues_for_Professional_Development

## Key Issues for Assessment

- The Assessment Discussion List was developed in response to the growing need for information exchange and professional development in order to meet federal and state accountability demands.
- Examples of Hot Topics
- Effective selection and use of assessments
- Building successful accountability programming
- Research and new assessment development
- Data reporting and NRS requirements

## Key Issues for Women and Literacy

- More than 50% of enrollees in adult basic education classes are female (Development Associates, 1993). This listserv addresses issues that are unique to female learners.
- Examples of recent "hot topics":
- women and literacy in countries outside the United States (Afghanistan)
- domestic violence and its intersection with literacy
- health literacy as it pertains to women's issues (abortion)safety and female literacy learners (transgendered learners)

## Using National Discussion Lists

**In small groups...**
- Select a recorder
- Brainstorm a list:
- Reasons why you use the discussion lists
- What you find most useful about them
- (If you are not subscribed (but considering subscribing), then what are some reasons why you might use the discussion lists?)
- 							(3 minutes)
- We’ll hear from all groups.

## Who Uses the Lists?

**In an evaluation of the Lists conducted in 2003:**
**Of subscribers:**
**13% = teachers/tutors**
**11% = state administrators and managers**
**11% = researchers**
**11% = high school, college, and graduate students**
**37% program directors, managers, or coordinators**
**Subscribers’ affiliation:**
**52% ABE programs**
**17% federal or state government agencies**
**15% state literacy resource centers, and **
**15% national literacy organizations**
**72% have been professionally involved with adult education/literacy for over 5 years, 57% over 10 years.**

## Reasons Why Subscribed...

- Subscribers who completed the evaluation gave two major reasons for subscribing:
- Keep informed of developments in research and in practice
- Strengthen subject knowledge and skills to improve instructional practice

## What Subscribers Find Useful

**75% of subscribers found:**
-  the knowledge gained about adult learners and classroom resources most useful
- the lists as important or very important to improving their instructional practice

## National Lists as PD

**Reasons subscribers said they use the lists for PD:**
- “...mainly as a means of acquiring validation for issues that we were experiencing in the classroom.“
- “...staying connected with practitioners from diverse areas of the country“
- “...primarily to see what others are doing in my field“
- “...to share information and guidance on tons of issues“
- “...to obtain information“
- "I've found that leading edge researchers (ok, famous folks in an industry) participate on these forums, and you'll often get key input from leaders in the field."

- http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/Listservs_and_Learning

## Limitations of Discussion Lists

**In small groups...**
- Select a recorder
- Brainstorm a list:
- Barriers/limitations for you in using the discussion lists
- What you find most useful about them
- (If you are not subscribed (but considering subscribing), then what are some barriers to your accessing/using the discussion lists?)
- 							(3 minutes)
**We’ll hear from all groups.**

## Strategies for Getting Around Barriers

**Choose one key barrier...**
- What are ideas for getting around that barrier?
- What are some supports you have or that might be put into place to get around the barrier?

## Expectations and Goals...

- Please revisit your notes from the beginning of the session.
- Did you obtain the answers to your questions?
- Did the session meet your expectations?
**Any remaining questions?**

## Thank You for Joining Us

**Jackie Taylor**, Moderator, Adult Literacy Professional Development
- 	_[jataylor@utk.edu](mailto:jataylor@utk.edu)_
**Marie Cora**, Moderator, Assessment
- 	_[marie@hotspurpartners.com](mailto:marie@hotspurpartners.com)_
**Daphne Greenberg**, Moderator, Women and Literacy
- 	ALCDGG@langate.gsu.edu
***See you on the list!***