Professional Development is a high priority to our funder. In fact, in the CALP Guidelines (July 2018) on page 13 it states:
“The department encourages funded organizations to access the substantial amount of research and resources available on best practices in the Literacy and Foundational Learning field, much of it located on the Community Adult Learning Program Portal (www.calp.ca)…Funded organizations are expected to support staff, volunteers, and board members to access professional development. Because foundational learners often have complex learning needs and may face one or more social or economic barriers, they require highly supportive and knowledgeable staff and volunteers who are aware of their needs and are competent and confident in Literacy and Foundational Learning subject matter.”
However, in our busy CALP world it is sometimes hard to find the time to focus on our own CALP-specific Professional Development (PD) and further learning, and also PD and further learning for our board members, instructors, facilitators, and volunteers. Or sometimes we find the time for PD, but our “CALP wallet” is thin on funds.
What if you and those connected to your CALP could access free, relevant, CALP-specific PD at the times that work for you at the touch of a button? Please read on…
Here is a sampling of 5 categories of learning available immediately to you on the CALP Portal. I would invite you to choose the area(s) of interest or need for you and your CALP and explore the great resources connected with that topic area (just click the links!). What if you and/or others connected to your CALP don’t have a CALP Portal account? No problem! Please have them go to https://calp.ca/request to get an account set up.
Please click on any of the links below to access associated resource descriptions and links:
1. CALP Guidelines & Reporting
Let’s be honest…sometimes looking at guidelines and required reporting is kind of like cleaning. We all know it’s important and necessary…but sometimes we procrastinate doing it because we may not enjoy it. Did you know there are a variety of resources on the CALP Portal that can work together to explain how to align to the CALP Grant and also how to gather the information needed from learners? The gathered information is valuable for both sharing with our funder the good work your CALP is doing, as well as it provides information for your CALP that can inform future planning.
This is the “miscellaneous” drawer – a collection of all sorts of useful things. We have collected a variety of useful resources in helping the everyday functioning of your CALP.
Working with Adult Learners is the focus of our CALP’s. Here are resources that are helpful in understanding how to best create a learning environment that works best for adults, and how to engage them in a way that helps them learn best!
A key part of a CALP’s planning is based on meeting the needs of the Adult Learners in their community. Sometimes it is difficult to know what those needs are though. Here are a collection of resources that can get your CALP started in brainstorming and planning how to intentionally find out who the adults in your community are and how your CALP can help meet their literacy and foundational needs.
If you had a choice, would you prefer to take a plane, train, car, or boat to get to a destination? Your preference may be based on all sorts of factors: Who will be travelling with you? What have your past experiences been with different means of transportation (good and bad)? Is one means of transportation more affordable or realistic for your time limitations? Where are you going, and are all the means of transportation an option? Just like you would have a preference in the example above, adult learners have preferences in how they want to get to their learning goals. In CALP, we call these “Modes of Delivery” and they include: Tutoring, Courses, Family Literacy Programs, and Learning Activities.
If you would like to do further learning related to, but not specifically CALP focussed, here’s a great resource for you: Online PD for Adult Learning and Literacy Practitioners.
What CALP-specific PD and further learning have you found helpful on the CALP Portal? Please share in the comments below!
Tanis Harms
CLN RSS North