A – Z: DESIGNING A WORKPLACE TRANSITION COURSE FOR THE ABE CLASSROOM Stephen Hunt & Kevin Avise – District 191: Burnsville - Eagan - Savage School for Adults
Mar 30, 2015
A – Z: DESIGNING A WORKPLACE TRANSITION COURSE FOR THE ABE CLASSROOMStephen Hunt & Kevin Avise – District 191: Burnsville - Eagan - Savage School for Adults
SWBAT:
Identify general principles and framework for creating pilot ABE course.
Recognize successful and unsuccessful methods in the course design methods and practices.
Utilize principles to design & implement a career transition course for their own ABE programs.
Questions expected & encouraged!
Presenters
Kevin Avise Stephen Hunt 2003 – 2013
ABE/ESL instructor 1987 – 2000
Secondary English teacher
B.A. – English/History (1985)
M.A.T. – Education (1991)
MAESL – ESL (2013)
Background & Overview
Jan. - July 2012 > Course designed, curriculum written/students recruited
Sept. 2012 > 16 students start cohort 1
Dec. 2012 > 12 students complete class
Jan. 2013 > 11 students take Parapro Praxis; 6 pass
Jan. - March 2013 > 12 students in cohort 2
April 2013 > 6 students take praxis; 4 pass
March 2013 > 2 students hired in ISD 191
Who were the students?
18 total completed
17 Female/1 male
13 nationalities Somali/Hispanic
largest background
Prerequisites: 225 CASAS
reading Math pretest (new)
Cohort One
Cohort Two
Curriculum Design
3 Guiding Principles
1. Parapro Praxis. Three sections – math, reading, writing.
2. State & National Paraprofessional Competencies.
3. Practical & Reflective K-12 Classroom Practices.
Contextual Instruction
Creates explicit connections between the teaching of reading, writing, and math AND instruction in a discipline area (i.e. paraprofessional prep.)
Integrates basic reading, math, and language skills AND industry AND occupation knowledge
Source: Adult Career Pathways
Curriculum & Course Design Resources
Adult Career Pathways www.acp-sc.org Funded by U.S. Dept. of Education
Minnesota FastTRAC Career Pathways http://www.mnfasttrac.org/about.html
Hubb Center – St. Paul www.hubbs.spps.org
PARAPROFESSIONAL PRAXIS National Exam administered by ETS.
($50.00)
Given 6 times per year.
Three sections 1/3 – math; 1/3 reading; 1/3 writing (90 questions – 2 hours & 30 minutes)
Passing standard differs in each state
55% of our students have passed
State & National Paraprofessional Competencies
Ethics
Instructional Skills
Classroom Management
Historical Foundations of Education
Practical & reflective K-12 classroom practices.
Journals K - 8 Classroom Visits Education Vocabulary Classroom Management Read Alouds Reading & Writing Process Translation/Interpreting skills Films Basic Math Instruction
Read Aloud Practice
Read Aloud
Media Coverage
Print: “Immigrants train to
work in Burnsville classrooms as teacher aides” Minneapolis Star-Tribune; April 6, 2013
“Burnsville-Eagan-Savage: Adult immigrants being trained to help students learn English” St. Paul Pioneer Press; Feb. 10, 2013
Television “Adult Immigrants Learn
to be Teaching Assistants in Burnsville” KSTP News, February 26, 2013
http://kstp.com/news/stories/s2941004.shtml
Education Conversations – Education Commissioner Cassellius & Curriculum Coordinator Kathy Funston discuss classroom assistants program; April 23, 2013
http://www.ctv15.org/index.php/programs/local/education-conversations.html
QUESTIONS
SWBAT:
Identify general principles and framework for creating pilot ABE course.
Recognize successful and unsuccessful methods in the course design methods and practices.
Utilize principles to design & implement a career transition course for their own ABE programs.