Online Courses from ProLiteracy America

ProLiteracy America is hosting five short, facilitated, online courses in November/December that may be of interest.

• Young Adult Education: Strategies and Materials (November 5-16)
• Young Adult Education: Program Design (November 26-December 3)
• Applying What We Know About Student Persistence to Your Classroom (November 12 - December 7)
• Facilitating Adult Learning: Conducting the Training Event (November 12 - December 7)
• Managing the Multilevel ESL Classroom (November 12-December 17)

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November 2007
Facilitated Online Courses from
ProLiteracy America
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Registration for the following courses opens Friday, October 12. To register, go to www.proliteracy.org and click on Professional Development. Select the appropriate topic area on the left navigation bar to find the course title. Questions? Please call 315-422-9121 ext. 367, or e-mail prodev@proliteracy.org. ************************************************************************
Young Adult Education: Strategies and Materials
Topic Area: Online Courses: Serving Young Adults
Course Dates: November 5-16, 2007; Course Webinar November 16, 2:00-3:00 p.m. (EDT). Course materials available November 5. Course Description
Students aged 16-21 years are entering adult education classrooms at an unprecedented rate, and they are changing the classroom dynamics. These students have different expectations than their older counterparts; they are motivated by different goals, gravitate toward different materials, and participate in different activities. What are you doing to accommodate the learning needs of the younger students you see in your classrooms? This course explores the characteristics of younger students and considers strategies for engaging them in learning. You'll examine the differences between older and younger students and how these differences impact learning. You'll learn how to select materials that pique younger students' interest, create motivating activities, and apply new strategies to your own classroom. Objectives
At the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Identify both challenging and beneficial characteristics of younger learners
• Determine appropriate materials for younger learners
• Critique lesson plans designed for youth
• Create an activity for a homogenous or heterogeneous age group using youth-friendly materials and strategies

Course Format and Schedule: facilitated, online
During this two-week course you will engage in self-paced activities and readings, as well as asynchronous discussions with the facilitators and course participants. The course will close with a live Webinar on November 16, 2:00-3:00 p.m. (EDT). Course Facilitator: Stephanie Korber, The Center for Literacy, Inc.
Estimated Completion Time: 4 hours
Price: $59 ********************************************* Young Adult Education: Program Design
Topic Area: Online Courses: Serving Young Adults
Course Dates: November 26-December 3, 2007; Course Webinar December 3, 2:00-3:00 p.m. (EDT). Course materials available November 26. Course Description
Students aged 16-21 years are enrolling in adult education programs in increasing numbers, challenging adult literacy program administrators to meet the unique needs of this audience. What impact do younger learners have on your program? Have you made changes to maintain the quality of your program in light of this recent demographic shift? How do you manage finite resources to meet their needs? In this course, you will think about the benefits and challenges younger learners present for your program. You'll consider how high quality programs adapt to incorporate a younger population, and you'll plan steps to move your program forward. Objectives
By the end of this course, you will:

• Understand why younger learners are entering adult education programs
• Identify common characteristics of younger learners as related to adult education programming
• Describe quality program models for serving young adult learners
• Describe key decisions for program development
• Name changes to your program that will support high quality service for younger learners

Course Format and Schedule: facilitated, online
During this week-long course you will engage in self-paced activities and readings, as well as asynchronous discussions with the facilitator and course participants. The course will close with a live Webinar on December 3, 2:00-3:00 p.m. (EDT). Course Facilitator: Stephanie Korber, Center for Literacy
Estimated Completion Time: 4 hours
Price: $59 ********************************************* Applying What We Know About Student Persistence to Your Classroom
Topic Area: Online Courses: Student Persistence
Course Dates: November 12 - December 7, 2007. Course materials available November 12.
Course Description
As an adult educator, you want students to persist in their studies long enough to reach their educational goals. Few adult students, however, remain in programs long enough to gain one grade level equivalent. Your students weigh their motivation for attending classes against the barriers they must overcome to be there. How can you help your students stay in the program long enough to reach their goals? In this course you will learn about the research on student persistence and how you can change program practices and instruction to support students' persistence. You will become critically aware of how adult learners' first experiences in your program affect their persistence. You will discover the important role all staff and teachers play in students' decisions to stick with a learning program. Together with your peers and researcher John Comings, principal investigator for NCSALL's Adult Student Persistence Study, you will explore strategies for helping your students stay the course. Objectives
In this course, you will:

• Describe key findings from NCSALL's Adult Student Persistence Study, including six research-based practices for improving student persistence
• Conduct a force field analysis of barriers and supports affecting participation
• Determine your priorities for developing a high-quality intake and orientation process that supports student persistence
• Plan strategies that build students' self-efficacy
• Describe the role of students and teachers in goal setting
• Develop strategies to help adult learners manage barriers and support systems

This course is made possible through a partnership of Towers Perrin and ProLiteracy Worldwide
Course Format and Schedule: facilitated, online
Each week you will explore different aspects of student persistence through online activities, readings, and discussion boards with the facilitator, guest researcher, and course participants. You may participate as your schedule allows, knowing that you won't miss a thing! Course Facilitators: Jackie Taylor
Guest Researcher: John Comings, Harvard Graduate School of Education and former NCSALL director
Estimated Completion Time: 8 hours
Price: $119
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Facilitating Adult Learning: Conducting the Training Event
Topic Area: Online Courses: Training Skills
Course Dates: November 12-December 7, 2007. Course materials available November 12.
Course Description
Have you ever attended a really great class, workshop, or training, one where you were tuned in to the content and the other participants, the discussions were engaging, and you left feeling it was time well spent? Wouldn't you love to lead training like that? This course deals with issues that make education an art: creating a learning environment where participants feel welcomed, respected, and safe; using questioning strategies that engage and challenge participants; providing attendees with feedback so they can build their knowledge and skills; and managing a group's energy and behaviors to support a comfortable and productive experience for all. Objectives
At the end of this course you will be able to

• Use a systematic approach to prepare for a training event
• Collect key information about participants before and during the training session
• Set effective ground rules
• Describe strategies for managing group processes, including problem behaviors
• Plan effective warm-up activities
• Use open and closed questions to help participants learn
• Explain the role of active listening in the training setting
• Use feedback to help training participants reach their learning objectives

This course is made possible through a partnership of Towers Perrin and ProLiteracy Worldwide
Course Format and Schedule: facilitated, online
Each week you will explore different aspects of the course topic through online activities, readings, and discussion boards with the facilitator and course participants. You may participate as your schedule allows, knowing that you won't miss a thing! Course Facilitators: Mary Bartlett and Jane Greiner
Estimated Completion Time: 6 hours
Price: $89
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Managing the Multilevel ESL Classroom
Topic Area: Online Courses: ESL Instruction
Course Dates: November 12-December 17, 2007. Course materials available November 12.
Course Description
The demand for ESL instruction continues to challenge teachers, particularly in the area of managing the multilevel classroom. Can you meet the needs of students whose skills and needs are so different? Yes! This course guides you in creating a classroom environment that supports ALL students. Using a virtual multilevel ESL classroom as a backdrop, the course leads you through practical strategies for understanding your students' unique needs and managing your own classroom. You'll have ample opportunities to apply the strategies, share ideas with a course partner, and solidify your learning. When you complete the course, you'll have a firm grasp of assessment, lesson planning, materials selection, and structure for the multilevel ESL classroom. The course includes these topics:
Week 1: Understanding the Multilevel Classroom (Webinar)
Week 2: Project Based Learning and Differentiated Instruction
Week 3: Options for Instruction
Week 4: Preparing Your Lesson Plan
Week 5: Review and Discussion of Sample Lesson Plans (Webinar)
Objectives
At the end of the five-week course, you will be able to

• Identify what makes a classroom "multilevel
• Describe the benefits and challenges of a multilevel classroom
• Name formal and informal strategies for assessing students' needs
• Discuss ways to frame instruction to build on students' strengths and resources and to meet students' needs
• Identify strategies you will try in your own multilevel classroom
• Identify types of feedback that are helpful to your students

Course Format and Schedule: facilitated, online

• The course will open with a scheduled Webinar on Thursday, November 15, from 2:00-3:00 p.m. (EDT).
• Between November 19 - December 14, you will explore different aspects of the course topic through online activities, readings, and discussion boards with the facilitator and course participants.
• The course will close with a Webinar on Monday, December 17, from 2:00-3:00 p.m. (EDT).

Course Facilitators: Erik Jacobson, ESL and Adult Literacy Specialist
Estimated Completion Time: 10 hours
Price: $149