Learning Circles have been an inspiration to us at Richland Library with regard to staff development. We tried 4 pilot circles in 2017 for supervisor training. They were extremely well received. We are digging in and scaling up to 7 simultaneous Supervisor Learning Circles this fall, 2018. A link to our Facilitator Guide is below. Most of the content of the curriculum is local documentation for our organization.
Hello Learning Circles colleagues,
Many public libraries and volunteer organizations offer adult literacy programs whose staff include one-on-one or small group volunteer tutors, and generally a paid volunteer tutor coordinator. Generally an initial 16-18 hour face-to-face – and increasingly online or blended (face-to-face and online) – tutor training course is required. Often the adult literacy tutoring programs find that once the volunteer tutors are matched with adult literacy learners that more training is needed. How to address the tutors’ initial staff development needs as well as their ongoing staff development needs is often an important adult literacy tutoring program challenge.
Learning circles for volunteer literacy tutors might offer some solutions. There are at least two other kinds of adult literacy professional development or training needs for which learning circles might be worth considering: 1) In an geographical area where there are several adult literacy programs, there might be advanced staff development learning circles for volunteer coordinators of adult literacy programs; 2) Based upon a training model that was offered many years ago in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the U.S., a learning circle designed for new volunteer tutors and the adult learner(s) with whom they are matched, that is, where the volunteer literacy tutor and adult learner(s) are trained together so that as a team they have the same information to help the adult learner to learn to read.
You may wonder if there are online courses or other resources to help with staff development for adult literacy tutors, volunteer coordinators, and tutor and learner teams. One is below, and I’ll add another in a second post, but it would also be great to learn about others if you have suggestions.
1) Santa Clara Public Library Videos (free) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMt4Gh4sxrnVDtkOASZfYeQ/playlists Also, see the extensive and intensive recent six-day discussion of these videos in the LINCS Reading and Writing community at https://community.lincs.ed.gov/discussion/day-1-lets-talk-phonics
David J. Rosen, Evaluator
World Education and P2PU English Now! learning circles project
2) ProLiteracy International Online Tutor Training
The two ProLiteracy online tutor training workshops below provide comprehensive training in working with a basic literacy or ESL student. Note: access to these may require joining ProLiteracy as a member.
[Basic Literacy Tutor Training Online Workshop] (https://proliteracy.csod.com/LMS/LoDetails/DetailsLo.aspx?loid=2b93af97-d689-489b-8208-84a681b2736e&query=%3Fs%3D%26q%3Dtutor%20online%20workshop&back_key=1#t=1) This is ProLiteracy’s Basic Literacy Tutor Training Online Workshop. There are twelve modules. Foundational topics include adult learning theory and literacy instruction, lesson planning, and assessment and goal setting, Instructional topics include alphabetics and word study, vocabulary, fluency, reading comprehension and writing. Plus modules on language experience and getting started working with a student.
ESL Tutor Training Online Workshop This is ProLiteracy’s ESL Tutor Training Online Workshop. There are thirteen modules. Foundational topics include adult learning theory and literacy instruction, culture, lesson planning, and assessment and goal setting, Instructional topics include vocabulary, conversation, pronunciation, grammar, reading, and writing. Plus modules on language experience and getting started working with a student. For more information and to join, go to proliteracy .org
David J. Rosen, Evaluator
World Education and P2PU English Now! project evaluator
Here’s another link to the free Santa Clara Library adult literacy tutoring videos, organized differently https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKEZxGu-wMvQ-pYXbB7qGTw
Here’s a link to a free, Tutor Ready Learner Web online professional development course for adult literacy tutors that incorporates these videos. It was developed for tutors to help their adult learners improve their reading skills. Tutor Ready: Reading is housed on Learner Web at tutorready.learnerweb.org
David J. Rosen