Professional Development Opportunities

As a new LBS college practitioner, you will have access to a wide range of professional development opportunities. Many of these opportunities are provided through the college itself. Some colleges have PD departments. You may wish to explore PD opportunities with the LBS manager or other practitioners. One opportunity that is directly applicable to your role as LBS practitioner is described below.

Adult Literacy Educator's Certificate Program

The ALE program is delivered through the college system and is designed to address the training needs of literacy practitioners from all sectors. It is intended for individuals already working or planning to work in the field of literacy and provides an in-depth exploration of principles, concepts, key skills, practices and professional issues involved in literacy work. Adult education theories are applied to the diverse needs of literacy learners and the specific needs of the program.

At present, the program consists of 6 courses and 1 fieldwork placement. Some of the courses include additional text, modules, videos, audio cassettes. The courses are currently being updated so that course materials and support will be available online. The revised content will reflect the most current changes and initiatives in the LBS delivery system.

Courses include:

  • The Adult Literacy Learner
  • Assessment and Evaluation
  • General Instructional Strategies
  • Strategies for Teaching Literacy and Numeracy Skills
  • Professional Issues
  • Advanced Instructional Strategies

The Program is currently offered by 3 Ontario colleges using various formats including:

  • weekly face-to face learning circles (Algonquin College) Check Algonquin’s web site - http://www.algonquincollege.com - and use EASY SEARCH. Type in ‘literacy practitioner’. Contact Dot Rowlandson (613) 727-4723 Ext: 5720 for more information.
  • weekly audio conferencing (Sault College ) Program participants must be able to access a Contact North site. Check Sault’s web site for program description - http://www.saultc.on.ca (HTML) - see Programs and Courses - Continuing Education -Audio Conferencing. Contact Rita Taraborelli (705) 759-2554 Ext: 597 for more information.