Needs Assessment:

Literacy Training Through Audiographic Teleconferencing Project

We have between 9 and 12 hours for delivery of this portion of the audiographic teleconferencing project. I would like the content of this course to be as useful to you as learning the new technology. Therefore, I am asking you to select the topic you would like covered in this series. If you have specific questions or information you would like included, please add your requests to the Needs Assessment.

For purposes of this literacy training project, only one option can be chosen for presentation. However, future tutor training sessions can include those options not chosen.

Option #1: Learning Styles and Learning Strategies - Looking at affective, cognitive and cultural learning styles through examining our own styles and matching these to a range of applications in reading and writing.

Expected outcomes:

• participants will understand the difference between affective, physical and cognitive learning styles
• participants will Identify their own learning style through the use of the Myers-Briggs, Gregorc and other learning style Inventories
• participants will be able to manipulate materials to meet the learning style needs of their students

Option #2: Learning Disabilities - Informal diagnosis, matching strategies to style and program planning; looking at case studies of students and honing your skills as an interviewer and tutor with this group.

Expected outcomes:

• participants will understand the use of miscue analysis in reading and writing to identify specific learning difficulties in their students
• participants will practice and discuss the role of psycholinguistics in analyzing specific reading and spelling difficulties in their students
• participants will develop better questioning techniques for interviewing students about their difficulties
• participants will understand the range of teaching approaches needed to facilitate learning in students with specific learning difficulties

Option #3: Meta cognition, critical thinking and motivation - This course would focus on developing understanding of the cognitive strategies that students may or may not possess. We will look at reading and writing strategies that help students transfer learning from one situation to another.

Expected outcomes:

• participants will be able to define meta cognition and understand its context within the framework of reading, writing and numeracy
• participants will experience and develop strategies which enable students to transfer learning processes from one learning situation to another. Included will be such topics as modeling, scaffolding, think alouds, anticipation guides, summary writing, etc.
• participants will learn to do text analysis and understand how this ability can help students develop better comprehension skills

Thank you for taking the time to respond. I look forward to working with you in January.