Distance Learning Program
Goals
The number of adults who need services to improve their literacy skills far exceeds the ability of our little nonprofit to meet their needs. Also, given that few people can really ask for help, HLP determined that we had to find other ways to reach them and to give them an opportunity to learn in the privacy of their own homes. We also needed to find a way to inform the public about our services and to encourage prospective Learners to come for one-on-one tutoring.
Grants from the McLean Foundation and from American Mensa have made the project possible.
The goals of the program are to utilize television and the new television series that are now available to extend our services throughout the county. The capability of High Definition Television (HDTV) means there will be an explosion in channels that will be available. Many of these channels will be used for educational programming. Our new partnership with KEET TV may be beginning, but we do see that we can continue to work together for some years to come.
Target Audience
The two series we are introducing are designed for pre-GED level viewers. That means that these are adults who are not yet prepared to take the GED and need additional study. We might say they are at or around Level 2 Literacy. However, the subject matter is of interest to a wider audience, and we think they will be useful to anyone who needs some help in developing life-skills and is preparing for work.
That means that high school students may find these programs useful, because they introduce skills that are not necessarily taught in the classroom.
Anyone new to the workplace, returning to work after a long absence, looking to improve their performance or find a better job will find the Workplace Essential Skills especially relevant.
Anyone new to our country will learn life skills and workplace skills they need to succeed in our American culture and society.
The series are designed for adults, and they don't minimize how hard it may be to master the skills needed to be successful. They expect that the viewer will have to learn knew things and change some habits that interfere with success on the job. The series are developed by different organizations and have different ways of delivering their message.
With every broadcast, viewers will be told to call HLP if they have questions or want one-on-one tutoring. One of our goals is to recruit new Learners and Tutors.
This is a series of 25 episodes that is designed for the 54 million adults who read at the sixth to eighth grade level. It teaches the skills attitudes and competencies necessary for success in the workplace. This series can help individuals prepare to start working and to increase their skills even once they are employed.
The Orientation gives the viewer an overview of what is available in the series. The remaining 24 episodes are grouped into four major subject areas. I think you can imagine that all kinds of people will find these subjects interesting and usable. What I found was that the series features real supervisors and managers talking about what they expect and need from employees, and real employees talking about their jobs. The role play features actors portraying supervisors and employees on the job.
HLP has the tapes for this series, and Tutors and Learners may watch them at the office if they wish. Instructor Guides and Learner Workbooks are available to Tutors and Learners.
Online services are also available for the Learner and the Tutor and for any viewer. There are additional lessons available and even online help for those who want it.
The Instructor guide for this each episode is designed to cover how a tutor introduces the subject, as well as how to use the workbook to reinforce what is learned.
Because this series divides information into major subjects, it does not have individual workbooks for each episode, but groups the workbooks into four major categories. The number of activities associated with each episode is large enough to pick and choose specific exercises or to complete all of them.
This series does allow you to order individual copies of the Instructor Guide and Workbooks. Check the website for more details.
