Literacy Alive! Innovations in Literacy Programs That Optimize Community Involvement

ROTARY INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION 2015

Innovations in Literacy

ROTARY TEAM

Lynne Paradis Rotary Club of Red Deer AB District 5360

Jackie Hobal Athabasca Rotary Club District 5370

Aki and Sheree Fukai San Ignacio Rotary Club of Belize District 4250

Who are we and who are you?

Our team

Purpose

Literacy Global Grants

Success factors

Challenges

Possibilities for you

BELIZE EXPERIENCE

Re-Imagining literacy

Step beyond prior practice

Engaging more Rotarians

Going about things differently

EVIDENCE OF SUCCESS

Ministry of Education support

Student achievement scores

Teacher enthusiasm (praxis, leadership)

Continued conversations

Local companies in network

Numbers of community involved

LITERACY FOR ALL- It can be done !

CONTENT

KNOWLEDGE

CONTEXT DIMENSIONS

PROCESS COMPONENTS

TWO COMPONENTS

Community development

Reading instruction schools/ community

A SIMPLER APPROACH...

Teacher Team (vocational – VTT’s)

Community team (any vocations)

Volun– travel companion groups

Belize steering committee

EDUCATOR DIMENSION

Provide PD sessions

Materials creation (templates)

Assessments (student, teacher, parents)

Inspire literacy

Local resource development (Make it and take it)

Communication (WIKI, youth members)

Celebration events

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Awareness of literacy

Bridge community-school (eg. Scheduling)

FIND: Market opportunities to volunteer

Led by TRAINED developer

Provide Reading Coach training/guided mentors

Recognition and celebration

MANY EMERGENT ROLES …

TRUST AND RELATIONSHIP BUILDING

RELATIONSHIPS FIRST

Who is on board?

Trust and communication

Notions of white privilege

Perceptions of Rotary

Language of Belize

Show vulnerability

Mutual reverence

PROCESS

CO –CREATE content and schedule (not lead)

One site housing/working lab

Co-present (Belize leaders and experts)

In classroom support/audit

Community invitations to PD

Recognition and celebration events

Debriefing focus groups/assessments

CONTENT

Chunk literacy learning (reading, writing)

Reading coach teaching packages

Template binder ( and posted on line )

Volunteer coach seminar

EDUCATORS ON BOARD

READINESS LEVELS

Teachers

Students

Community

VOLUNTEER READING COACHES

Help for the student

Drill and practice activities

Making this work:

Help for the teacher

• Teacher gets assistance with students working at different levels.

• Making this work:

TESTIMONIALS

“I am so happy to help out with literacy and appreciate that the school has a specific plan to access my artistic skills to improve reading.” ( parent)

“I want to help out -- and now I AM learning to read better as I help out the Infant one students. ” (parent)

“My Mom IS a reading coach! I am so proud of her.” (Standard 4 student)

“At first I thought this reading coach idea was going to be another ‘new thing’ but now that I have received some training I can see that it could help me in the classroom -- I am going to recruit at least two reading coaches this weekend!” (teacher)

Got to keep reading, reading,

reading…….

INSPIRE

MOTIVATE

KNOWING-DOING GAP

Context is important

The Danger of a Single Story

Assumptions

PLEASE – do no harm..

Well intended humanitarian plans

Inappropriate donations

Assumptions on content, context and process

Co-dependency

Do it one way….

Keep moving in the right direction….

RECOGNITION - CELEBRATION

Literacy based prizes

Community recognition

Parent involvement

Certificates of completion

Public events (Belize owns)

PROMISING PRACTICES

Right things in the right order

Train volunteers and train teachers how to value them in classroom drill and practice

Essential training in simple terms

Cultural background (poverty, ESL, customs)

Use local resources and suppliers

Model and co-teach, co-plan

CONNECT CONSTANTLY

Answers reside locally

Involve, co-create, collaborate with all stakeholders

Provide a system of ongoing sharing

Good teachers can become great teachers with the support and assistance of others…

QUESTIONS?

Thank You!

FLASH MOBS

St. Martin's Government School

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRIPknczRhY

News clip about Literacy Alive!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSdZD06hu_Y

Flash mob at Sacred Heart school https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUVGxkM7LMc