Benefits of ALE
Why should I take this program?
It’s all about the learners. The better we become as adult literacy educators the better prepared we are to support learning. Today’s learners have diverse needs and challenges. Adult literacy educators need to have the skills and knowledge to support learners and the variety of goals.
Often literacy work happens in isolation. We crave opportunities to share what we do—to gain a sense of being on the right track, for example. Your participation in the courses will provide you with this opportunity. You will also gain a sense of the literacy field as a community of practitioners.
There is a great emphasis in each of the courses on practical application of knowledge, therefore you need to be either volunteering or working in a literacy program. If you aren’t currently working in the literacy field the Certificate Program can provide a gateway into the field. The Program requires you to make a connection with literacy providers in your area. This type of networking can put you in touch with the people who are responsible for hiring new staff.
If you are already working in the literacy field, the Program can expand your network of contacts. This can allow you to consider working in other types of literacy programs.
Often in the busy day to day we don’t have to reflect on what we are doing and why. Participating in the program can give you the time to think about your practice as an educator and it gives you the opportunity to exchange views with your peers.
People who have already taken the courses say that it has been a refreshing experience. It gave them the opportunity to get above the day-to-day. Click here to read what other course participants have to say about the Program.
Why should I support my staff, if they want to take this Program?
It’s all about the learners. Adults come with a variety of needs and challenges, you will want your staff to be as prepared as possible to help adult learners meet their stated goals. The courses that make up the Certificate Program are based on a list of best-practices developed by experience literacy educators. This means that the content of each course reflects the realities of day-to-day delivery in a learner centred and goal-directed learning environment. It supports the delivery of quality services.
Since the focus of the Certificate Program is adult literacy, this means that graduates will have the foundational knowledge needed to work specifically in the literacy field. As a supervisor you can be ensured that you are hiring someone who has the qualifications to work with adult literacy learners.
Encouraging your staff to take the courses means that you value ongoing training and professional development. It also signals to staff that you see them as a valuable part of the literacy program.
