Creating Learning Partners: A facilitator’s guide for training effective adult literacy tutors

If your group is small (fewer than five), have them share with the whole group why they chose that particular resource or word.
Discuss with tutors why someone would choose a particular word or resource over another. For instance, why would one tutor focus on phonics while another might focus on good literature? Why would one want to help a learner make changes in her life while another would want to use tasks from daily life?
Discuss with tutors what they think the advantage is of one perspective or belief over another. There is no right or wrong answer; rather, this provides tutors with an opportunity to explore everyone’s ideas.

Use of handout, reflection, discussion
Materials and equipment Handout 5.3: Defining Your Philosophy of Literacy Preparation Copy handout. STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS Have tutors go over the handout Defining Your Philosophy of Literacy. Brainstorm with tutors what resources and methods they would use to work with a learner based on their personal philosophies and beliefs about literacy. For instance, if they believe skills are important and that learning works best in the classroom, they might want the student to work out of workbooks, while another tutor might want to take his learner out on field trips to practise literacy in the real world. Ask tutors what the outcome would be if a learner held different beliefs than the tutor. Have tutors brainstorm some solutions. You may want to have some discussion around the question: Whose belief should they follow? Remind tutors about what they learned in Unit 2, Adults as Learners, to guide their discussion.

Use of handout, reflection, discussion

Materials and equipment

Handout 5.3: Defining Your Philosophy of Literacy

Preparation

Copy handout.

STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS

Have tutors go over the handout Defining Your Philosophy of Literacy.
Brainstorm with tutors what resources and methods they would use to work with a learner based on their personal philosophies and beliefs about literacy. For instance, if they believe skills are important and that learning works best in the classroom, they might want the student to work out of workbooks, while another tutor might want to take his learner out on field trips to practise literacy in the real world.
Ask tutors what the outcome would be if a learner held different beliefs than the tutor. Have tutors brainstorm some solutions.
You may want to have some discussion around the question: Whose belief should they follow? Remind tutors about what they learned in Unit 2, Adults as Learners, to guide their discussion.