Part D: Following Up the AWAL Workshop

In order to increase the likelihood of long-term benefit to your organization, follow-up with all Workshop participants is a key component of AWAL. This includes not only the educators but the employers and employees as well.

Collecting and Using Feedback

AWAL Forms 6 and 7 are designed to assist you in collecting feedback from educators, and employers and employees respectively. Please feel free to expand on the questions on the forms.

Educator Follow-up

Professional development is most effective when it is part of a long-term professional development strategy. It works best when it is continuous, involving follow-up, opportunities to integrate the new learning, and support for further learning. AWAL then also works best when it is one component of a longer and integrated PD plan.

How you follow-up with the participants will vary according to the culture of your own organization. Possible strategies include:

• Have the participants come back together several weeks after the session and consider the question, “has this made a difference to my teaching practice?”
• Do in person or electronic follow-up to learn who has used their activity in class. Seek out volunteers to share their results or the lessons themselves with others.
• Ask for volunteers from the AWAL Workshop to coordinate another Workshop the next term.
• Let others know about your experience. Make a presentation to a Parent’s Advisory Council or include a write-up in your institution’s newsletter.

Workplace Follow-up

AWAL Form 7 is designed to get a quick response from workplaces indicating their impressions of the day and whether they would be interested in participating again. In addition, it is important to send a note or e-mail to the workplaces to express your thanks for their participation. Many organizations have their own community partner certificates of appreciation or recognition that can also be used for this purpose. In addition to providing thanks, an effective follow-up letter can explore possible involvement in another AWAL Workshop or other ways in which the workplaces may wish to become involved in the institution’s activities (co-op education, apprenticeship, work experience, career fairs, etc.), and provide an opportunity for questions to be asked and answered. You may also wish to invite employers and employees for reciprocal visit to your classrooms.