921-Tondreau,+Cheryl

Cheryl Tondreau
 * Deliverable #2


 * Background:** I am currently working for the Community College of RI (CCRI) as a counselor / advisor to the Skills Tutor Program at NetworkRI in Providence. This program is a remedial program. Clients are referred when their assessment scores for reading and / or math are not high enough to qualify for the job training program in which they wish to enroll. Since Skills Tutor is a web-based skill building program, participants can study from any computer with internet access – from home, the public library or at our computer lab at Network RI. Most of my clients use the program at a distance.

As teachers, we are aware that there are many factors which contribute to student success. One factor that is of particular interest for Adult Literacy practitioners is persistence. The New England Learner Persistence Project ([]) has been instrumental in studying this issue. Two components that contribute to helping learners persist are a comprehensive orientation and connection and support of the adult learner. In order to make my program better, this program year I am focusing on improving the orientation process and I am looking for ways to connect more with my “distance learners. I see the blog that I’ve created for my program as a vehicle to enhance what I am already doing in the computer lab (my classroom.) You will find the blog at [|http://Cheryl-skillstutor.blogspot.com]


 * Objective:** To utilize a blog to increase communication with my clients at Network RI in Providence and to expand the orientation to make it more meaningful for clients.

Here are the features I have added to the blog to help meet the objectives: To improve communication with and support of clients....  · Google chat - I have added this chat feature so my clients can communicate with me in real time. I plan to set "office hours" during which time I will be available to answer any questions my clients have or to just chat. · I have set up a blogroll with blogs about unemployment, Unemployment Blogs, to help build a sense of community. Oftentimes, we feel that we are all alone with our struggles when we are faced with a challenge such as being unemployed. I believe it helps to know that we have a community that is there to help and that understands. This is one of the factors that helps my clients - Network RI is a center which houses different programs to help the unemployed and the underemployed find the resources they need to succeed. When my clients use the computer lab for their studies, they meet others in similar situations and form a community. I would like my "distance learners" to have more of a sense of community. Eventually, it is my hope that my clients will expand our face to face community (the computer lab)to this blog. · I have added a list, What's Happening at Network RI - this week!. which announces the current events at Network RI in Providence. I will update this section each Monday so our clients know what is happening each day here at Network RI. · In the main area of the blog, I am now writing about topics of interest to my clients, sharing interesting articles that I hope they enjoy and will respond to. I need to keep practicing so I become better at choosing topics and articles that will keep my readers (clients) coming back for more. To expand and enhance the Network RI Orientation and my Skills Tutor Orientation: · I have added a Pages of Interest section. This section will be for documents that will help my students. Already I have posted a document with Skills Tutor Tips. I intend to add documents for Reading Strategies, Math strategies, and general learning strategies. · During the upcoming orientation sessions, I will give an overview of blogs and introduce the blog for the Skills tutor program. We will discuss its features. 1. I would like to add a powerpoint presentation of the Skills Tutor Orientation. I will use the Authorstream.com site on which our class sessions are accessed. 2. I will attend a Network RI Orientation and post the notes I take from this session so clients can refer to it whenever they have questions about the process. 3. I will work with the career counselors who refer the clients into my program to create a Handbook for Skills Tutor clients, which will delineate the process - from enrolling in Skills Tutor, through assessment, the proposal process, and finally what to expect once enrolled in training. This handbook, when completed, will be in the Pages of Interest section of this blog. (Note: this may be a project that is started in person and worked on through the use of a wiki.) 4. I would like to add another blogroll to the site with Blogs for success, or about motivation, or some other positive topic. I anticipate that I will expand this survey to suit my needs in order to see how beneficial this blog is for my clients as I add new features. ** Adaptations for Differentiated Learning ** : In order to help my learners for whom English is their second language or for learners who have some difficulty with reading comprehension, I have added answers.com. This is to help clients with any vocabulary that is unfamiliar to them. I would also like to add something like readplease.com to the site, so each article can be read aloud for any client who needs it. I'm not certain how this will work, but I know that I have recommended readplease.com to a number of reading students I've tutored. · In order to use the chat feature that I have added to the blog, clients will need to register for google chat. · To keep readers interested, I will need to be sure to keep site updated with current events at the site, with interesting information and articles of interest to the clients as they are unemployed.
 * Future Plans for this blog: **
 * Assessment: ** As I work with adult learners who are not in a traditional classroom where ongoing assessments, both informal and formal, are necessary, I have chosen not to view student contribution to the blog as the assessment. Instead, I would like my clients to assess the blog itself. To do this, I have created a survey on Survey Monkey. I will ask each client to take the survey here at the computer lab when they take the formal test needed to get the funds for training. The survey is very short right now, only 4 questions.
 * Potential Issues / Challenges: **
 * I need to spend the time necessary during my orientation to ensure that clients understand what the blog is and how to access it. Most of my clients do not want to hear about anything that is not directly related to their "passing" the test at the time of intake and orientation. I find that the more contact I have with them, the more they see the relevance of working on their skills, exploring other things that may help them during their time at Network RI, etc.

previously enrolled clients to let them know about the blog and get them interested in what it can offer them.
 * With most of my clients being "distance learners", I need to reach out to those

RI Adult Education Content Standards: Read with Understanding, Use Math, Listen Actively, Speak so Others Understand [] The Rhode Island Content Standards were based on Equipped for the Future (the National standards-based educational improvement initiative for adult basic education and English language learning) [] There are 4 Strands and 16 EFF Content Standards.
 * Standards Used: **

RI: Read with Understanding · A.4.5 and A.5.5 –Analysis and Interpretation - Determine the relevance of the ideas/ information presented to the reading purpose.
 * Standards Addressed in this project: **

· F.4.2 and F.5.2 – Fluency and Life long learning - Read regularly for own purposes, inside and outside of class

EFF Communication Skills EFF Decision Making Skills EFF Interpersonal Skills EFF Lifelong Learning Skills
 * Read with Understanding
 * Convey Ideas in Writing
 * Solve problems and make decisions
 * Plan
 * Guide Others
 * Use Information and Communications Technology
 * Reflect and Evaluate
 * Take responsibility for learning


 * Deliverable #3 – Proposal**


 * Proposal: Using Web 2.0 tools for Practitioner Collaboration and Support**

The notion of what it means to be literate has changed throughout the years. One hundred years ago, one might be considered literate if he could read and write simple texts and most people didn’t graduate from high school. Today, with the expansion of technology, the definition of literacy has changed dramatically. Not only does one need to graduate high school in order to qualify for most jobs, but even more training or at least some college is necessary for the type of jobs which are being created today. In order to be successful parents, workers, and community members in the 21st Century, our students will not only need skills in reading, writing and numeracy, but will need new skills for accessing, comprehending, responding, and creating information on the internet – Web 2.0 skills.

For a number of years, Adult Literacy practitioners in the State of RI have been interested in technology and exploring its use with our adult learners. Most programs are interested in and integrating technology into their curriculum. The Technology Advisory Committee is proof of this commitment. Although much is currently being done, I believe we can do more. I propose that we use two Web 2.0 tools to connect practitioners interested in technology and interested in expanding their knowledge of the Read/Write web in order to give our learners the 21st Century Information and Literacy Skills they need to succeed.

There is much research to suggest that using Web 2.0 tools, such as blogs and wikis, will help our learners gain the literacy and information technology skills needed today. Unless teachers feel comfortable with these tools, they will not be able to integrate them into their curriculum. Through this project, I hope that any teacher interested in technology will gain confidence using these tools and will bring what they learn to their students and their classroom.

A blog (a contraction of the term “web log”) is a type of website usually maintained by an individual or a group with regular entries. A wiki (from the Hawaiian meaning “quick”) is also a type of website that allows easy creation and editing for collaboration.
 * Explanation of Technology to be used:**

There are many sites which host blogs and wikis. For this project, I propose using Blogger.com for our blog. This software is free, is very easy to use, and has many useful features such as gadgets to enable chats. I have already created a blog that we can use to begin our conversation about technology. [|www.etalae.blogspot.com] (Experimenting with Technology for Adult Learners in Adult Education) We will begin with using this blog to communicate about our interest in technology, share what we already do to integrate technology and web 2.0 tools in our practice, and explore topics of interest to the group about the topic of technology.

For the wiki associated with this project, I would suggest either wikispaces or pbwiki. Both are free, easy to use and have tutorials to explain the features and use. I have not created a wiki for this project yet, as I believe that it is important the participants explore the available software and choose which to use as a group. The wiki which we will create will enable teachers to post information about various Web 2.0 tools, their usefulness in the adult education classroom, and lesson plans for integrating technology into the curriculum.


 * Resources that we use now:**

In Rhode Island, we already have the Literacy Resources website, [], which provides adult educators with valuable information for teachers and for programs. Included on this site is a page for Technology Resources.


 * Examples of Blogs about Technology:**

Ms. Thacher is the director of OTAN – adult education and literacy provider supporting services including collaboration, access to information, and technical assistance. California 2.0 Curriculum connections – a blog with topics and ideas for using Web 2.0 applications in education
 * Marian Thacher blogs about Adult Education and Technology – [|http://marianthacher.blogspot.com]
 * [|http://calcurriculum.pbworks.com]

[|http://edc921.blogspot.com] This course by Dave Fontaine, Internet Librarian, National Board Certified Teacher, offered through University of Rhode Island, is taught through the use of a blog to explain the various Web 2.0 tools and their use in education to foster literacy.
 * EDC 586-921 – Using Blogs and Wikis to Foster Literacy


 * Examples of Wikis for Collaboration:**


 * [|http://adultedtech.pbworks.com] - a wiki created by Susan Wetencamp-Brandt to connect adult educators, staff and volunteers to others interested in technology.


 * [] - Adult Literacy Education, a wiki created by David Rosen that enables user to learn more about adult literacy education and contribute knowledge about the field. Discussions on various topics of interest in the Adult Literacy Field are housed on this site.


 * Justification for Project:**


 * Importance of technology in our daily lives and therefore in the lives of our adult learners
 * Prevalence of technology in the personal and academic lives of our future learners who are in school now
 * Need for professional development for Adult Literacy Educators on technology and the new literacies needed in the 21st Century.
 * Need for educators to collaborate to disseminate the vast amount of information that is available
 * Support and collaboration of professionals with common interests – collective intelligence


 * Possible Challenges:**
 * Lack of time to devote to project
 * Concern about intellectual property


 * Opportunities Outweigh Challenges:**
 * Can use the project as professional development tool
 * Collaboration can provide valuable ideas
 * Connections will be made between agencies (these connections can help to create learning centers required by grant).
 * Time spent can be counted as professional development time
 * Collaboration of lesson plans and other ideas will reduce planning time – why recreate the wheel if we don’t have to

__Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms,__ Will Richardson “The Need for Digital Literacy”, David Rosen, [|www.nifl.gov/pipermail/technology/2010/002679.html] "National Assessment of Adult Literacy”, [] || ||   || Cheryl Tondreau
 * RESOURCES USED:**
 * Final Project – EDC 586-921

Introduction:

These lessons were created to supplement the curriculum of the CCRI ASE to College Program which will begin in Fall 2010. The coordinator was very interested in including Web 2.0 tools into the design of the program after hearing about the EDC 921 course and attending COABE workshops on using the Web.

Rhode Island is in the process of developing the curriculum for the ASE to College Programs. The College and Career Readiness Standards will be used to develop the curriculum. For the first year of the project, RI will use the curriculum developed by the State of Maine for the areas of Reading, Writing, and Mathematics. Since Maine uses the Core Standards and EFF Standards, I have used both of these standards for my lessons. RI’s curriculum will be using three modalities: classroom, distance learning, and independent. Each modality will be designed to be 105 hours in length.

I have made several assumptions when creating the lessons to include in this program.

The Unit I’ve created is titled, Using Online Resources and Tools. The goal of this unit is to provide information about using the web. Included in these lessons are Web 1.0 skills (what we have traditionally thought of as computer and internet skills used for reading, receiving, and researching) and Web 2.0 skills (using the Read / Write Web for contributing, collaborating, and creating) These skills will increasingly become more important as their use is being required in colleges and in new job opportunities being created. Our learners need to be ready to show they are capable of 21st Century Skills. Source: Steve Hargadon, Web 2.0 is the Future of Education, presented at OTAN Technology and Distance Learning Symposium 2009.
 * There will be a distance learning coordinator or instructor who would teach these lessons and monitor participants’ Distance Learning and Independent Activities.
 * Time on Task for both Distance Learning and Independent Activities must be documented and that there will be a standard created for crediting time on task for each independent activity developed. (Included in my lessons which include an independent activity, I have set a time on task designation which could be used if student completes activity.)
 * Some classroom time can be devoted to direct instruction / explanation of the Web tools we will use.
 * Teacher / administrator desire that participants learn 21st Century skills and are supportive of including Web 2.0 tools in classroom and independent modalities.
 * All participants have convenient access to the internet since there is a Distance Learning component.
 * All participants will be surveyed to determine computer skills prior to presenting these lessons.

When I present this unit to the supervisor of the CCRI ASE to College Program, I will include additional lesson plans which could be used during the Orientation component of the program or integrated with this unit, to ensure that learners have the background information on study skills, goal setting and assessment necessary to complete the lessons in my unit.

I will also include a sample lesson for Social Studies on Interpreting Political Cartoons to show an example of how a typical GED lesson can be integrated with the use of Web 2.0 tools, specifically how the class blog and wiki can be used to supplement the lesson.

**OUTLINE** (CTRL + click on Lesson Title to access Lesson Plan)

I. Learning Style Assessment II. Setting SMART Goals III. Study Skills IV. Using EFF Standards V. Using Rubrics for Assessments VI. Portfolio Assessment
 * Orientation: **

__  I.  Introduction to Web Tools   __ __  II. Using Online References  __ · Dictionary · Thesaurus III. Research A. Introduction to Research on the Web · Search Engines · Wikipedia · Reliability of sites B. Social Bookmarking and other research tools IV. Using Blogs and Introduction to Digital Citizenship · Introduction to Blogs · Using Class Blog · Digital Citizenship V. Using Wikis A. Introduction to wikis B. Using Class Wiki C. Portfolio Assessment and wiki D. Ownership (copyright vs. Creative Common License)
 * Unit: Using Online Resources and Tools **

I. Interpreting Political Cartoons |||| ||
 * Social Studies: **