TLC Monthly Webinar for Tutor Coordinators

TLC Monthly Webinar for Tutor CoordinatorsFebruary 18, 201310:00am 11:00amhttps://sas.elluminate.com/m.jnlp?sid=2011455&password=M.C4D0FF03130D87AE11B90926FE8DB9 AgendaReview of use of webinar platform, Collaborate UpdatesResources for tutor professional developmentSharingNext webinarMarch 19, 2013, 10:00 11:00 amTutor retention and motivationNavigation of CollaborateTo talkTo typeTo note approval, etcRaise handYes/no

Updates for Tutor CoordinatorsUpdates for Tutor CoordinatorsOnline Basic Tutor TrainingOnline Report FormTutor Conference20 spots still availableRequest one use code from Monica Shields, mona.shields@comcast.net Five tutors/agencyWith code, cost will zero out5Resources for Tutor Professional DevelopmentResources for Tutor Professional DevelopmentNew TLC website, tlcliteracy.org Suggestions from PeersMonthly PD trainingsWhat Every Tutor Needs to KnowCareer PathwaysReading SkillsSoft Skills in the WorkplaceWebsites/webinarsPeer to peer interactionVarious opportunities sent out in monthly emails

7Resources for Tutor Professional DevelopmentSuggestions from Peers, continuedIn house trainingsVideos on www.newamericanhorizons.org Initial orientation and basic tutor trainingTLCs basic tutor training on TLCs websiteQuarterly tutor newsletter

8Description of ActivityHow did your instruction change as a result of the activity?(i.e. Did you apply a new teaching technique? Did you change the format of your session?)How was the learner impacted by the change in your instruction and how was the impact measured?(i.e. Was the learner able to do something at the end of the session that he/she was unable to do at the beginning? Did he/she demonstrate a better understanding of the lesson?)How did you share the experience with peers?(i.e. Did you post it on a blog? Write a newsletter article? Have a conversation with peers? Talk to your coordinator? Discuss it during a group sharing session?)Activity, Brief Description and Reflection(i.e. webinar, meeting, independent study, conversation, book study, training, research, online course, etc.)Was this activity beneficial? Were there any obstacles or successes associated with this activity - in either your instruction or the learners performance?Length of activity(amount of time spent doing the activity)Example 1: I participated in an online course on tutoring adults with learning differences. The course gave me insight into problems some adults may have and it gave me a better understanding of the variety of ways that I can adapt my instruction based on the needs of the learner.6 hoursThe adult whom I tutor often says he has trouble reading; we used a colored transparency sheet over his reading and made the print larger.The learner was able to read the words more fluently and he didnt lose his place nearly as often as he did without the sheet.At our monthly tutor support group I shared the experience and suggested that they try something similar if they had a learner who was struggling with reading.Example 2: I went online and researched the topic multiple intelligences and how it affects learning. My learner was having trouble demonstrating her understanding of concepts but she is very artistic so I wanted to see if there might be another way to tap into her obvious intelligence and help her demonstrate her knowledge. It was very difficult to sort through all of the information available online though and I had a hard time narrowing down the information I found.2 hoursI asked the learner to visualize and draw word problems as we were doing them. We had never approached word problems this way.The learner was able to draw pictures based on the word problem and as a result she was able to determine the correct answer with each problem we tried. After a month she successfully completed an entire handout of word problems that I had created based on her interest in cooking.I wrote a short article for our tutor newsletter about multiple intelligences and how to build on them to improve learning.Example 3: I attended our monthly tutor support group and asked if anyone had any suggestions for me about my tutoring sessions the learner is so easily distracted and I have a hard time keeping him focused. I asked if anyone had any suggestions for working with him and keeping his attention.30 minutesA participant suggested that I change the location of our session so I moved from a room with a window with lots of activity outside to a room with no windows and few distractions on the wall, etc.The learner had a much easier time focusing on the lesson. I didnt have to remind him of what we were doing nearly as often. He even said that it was easier for him to pay attention! By the end of the month he was focusing with only 1 or 2 reminders each session much better than 10 15!I posted a comment on the tutor sharing blog about the success we had moving to a room with fewer distractions.Questions about Resources for Tutor Professional Development?? Are there any training sessions in audio/video recordings, which could be obtained and used by individual tutors at his/her convenience??TLCs recorded webinarsNew American HorizonsProLiteracy Ed Nets trainings?? Is tutor professional development expected to be completed on an individual basis by tutors outside of their tutoring time or should workshops and other professional development opportunities be provided by the tutor coordinator???? How often should tutor professional development happen?? ?? How do the agencies encourage their volunteer tutors to participate in professional development? Are there any incentives???? What resources are other agencies using for professional development, example books and websites??

10Discussion Questions about Tutor Professional Development?? How often should tutor professional development happen?? ?? How do the agencies encourage their volunteer tutors to participate in professional development? Are there any incentives???? How are tutor outcomes gauged???

11SharingEach webinar will allow some time for Tutor Coordinators to share a success or challenge of the month.What are your successes?What are your challenges?

What support can TLC provide you?

Upcoming TopicsTutor retention and motivationEvaluating the effectiveness of tutor instructionIndividual tutor professional development plansMonitoring tutor professional developmentTutor reporting and tracking of professional developmentTutor recruitment, selection and orientationTutor-learner matching processTutor networking opportunitiesBasic tutor training

Thank you!Next Tutor Coordinator Webinar: March 19, 10-11amTopics:Tutor Motivation and RetentionPlease plan to share what has worked for you and what questions you have for othersFor Your ReferenceTutor CoordinatorsThe following slides are for your reference and will be left in the monthly power points shared by Tutors of Literacy.Please let me, kim@tlcliteracy.org, know if there is something you would like to see added here.Guskey OverviewFive Levels of Professional Development Evaluation (adapted from Guskey, 2002)

For professional developers: 1) ensure teachers/tutors enjoy the experience 2) ensure teachers/tutors learn something 3) ensure supports for change/implementation are in place 4) ensure opportunities and awareness of how to use new knowledge and skills 5) see what the impact is on studentsJohnson, K.A. & Linden A.PD Evaluation for Minnesota16Tutor Coordinator Job Description and RolesTutor Coordinators provide training to volunteer adult education instructors AND associated learners support volunteer adult education instructors AND associated learners Duties include, but are not limited to, implementing effective processes for tutor screening making referrals to the case manager participating in orientationconducting training sessions assigning tutor-student pairs/groupssupporting tutor-student pairs/groupsproviding ongoing supervision of tutoring staffworking with the In-House PD Specialist to coordinate tutor professional developmentVolunteer Instructor Job Description and RolesDefinition from Adult and Family Literacy Guidelines, 2012-2013205.8 Volunteer Instructor, pages 11-12Volunteer Instructors provide one-on-one or small group instruction to students. Though they are not a paid staff member, volunteer instructors are still required to take professional development training and to schedule time for instruction preparation. Volunteer Instructors should work with tutor coordinators to periodically review goals; adjust student placement, if needed; and coordinate with intake specialist and case manager.

Volunteer Instructors (tutors) must have a four-year degree or be currently enrolled in a four-year degree program. This includes community college if the student is enrolled in a transfer program that will lead to a four-year degree. If the person has stopped taking courses, they are not considered to be pursuing the degree.

Tutors without a four-year degree are permitted if they show continuous tutoring since Program Year 2006-07, have participated in one in-service activity in each of those years, and have been consistently providing a minimum of three hours of tutoring a week (with breaks of one/two weeks once or twice a year).

Individual Tutor PD Plan aka Your Role as a TutorStatement for Initial Tutor Professional Development PlanAs a volunteer instructor, I will continually strive to identify and meet the needs of the learner(s) I tutor by learning about and applying new techniques during my instruction. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the tutoring sessions, I will document the instructional strategies I apply and how the learner is affected. Whenever possible, I will share my tutoring experiences with my peers so we can all learn and grow together.