How can we use the complex, real-world problems of twenty-first century adult life to inform our instruction with adult learners? This session will explore how to work with learners on an array of problem-solving strategies to promote their language development and essential skills.
- Instructors of all levels of adult ESOL, as well as adult education teachers and instructional leaders
This professional development activity/course is designed for:
This session will address the principles of problem-based learning (PBL) and provide opportunities to engage with this learner-centered approach step-by-step. Collaborating with colleagues, participants will identify the language strategies their learners need to support these steps: explaining an authentic problem scenario; researching, thinking through, and proposing solutions; identifying consequences; and applying a solution. The facilitator will share problem scenarios for different levels of language proficiency and demonstrate scaffolds and instructional strategies that help learners demonstrate their critical thinking when presenting solutions to a problem. Resources include materials from the national Teaching the Skills That Matter Toolkit.
- Provide your students with the rationale for participating in problem-based learning (PBL)
- Use the steps of the problem-solving technique to help learners work through a problem scenario
- Locate and/or generate meaningful problem scenarios
- Implement at least one scaffold and one instructional strategy to help students successfully engage with the PBL approach
Upon completion of this professional development activity/course, you will be able to:
Attendees should have a basic knowledge of Zoom features and breakout rooms.
United States
