Hi, all.
Last week I was in Portland, ME, doing an audit of the adult ESOL program. In one class, there was a presentation on oral health, given by a community-based organization that provides free health services to low income children and families. There was so much rich language there, such as practice with imperatives/directions: "Place the bristles against your teeth and brush down. Rinse," etc. The giant (and real size) toothbrushes and teeth were great props.
Today, coincidentally enough, Julie McKinney, SME for the Health Literacy CoP, started an interesting discussion on that list. She talks about how talking about the free dental screenings that many children get in public schools could be a good way to build content knowledge on oral health with adults while introducing/practicing language needed for health care. (It also builds cultural knowledge.)
So I am passing on her invitation to participate in the discussion at https://community.lincs.ed.gov/discussion/tapping-childrens-dental-screenings
Have any of you had speakers come in or on your own brought up the topic of oral health? How has it gone?
Miriam
SME, Adult ELL CoP
Comments
In our program, we have had several community speakers come to speak to ESOL classes.
We have had nurses come and speak on specific flu"s and viruses and how to deal with them.
We have had fire dept. personnel come and talk about fire safety in and around apartments and houses.
We have had organizations dealing with substance abuse problems come and speak about where
teens might hide drugs/alcohol, and police also added their experiences and how parents should act if their children are subs. abusers/
Dotti,
It sounds like you have close connections with the community to be able to get so many speakers to come and present to your program. How have you cultivated these relationships? Do you have a staff person whose job it is to make connections, or do all teachers work on this? I think it would be useful for others to hear how this works.
Also, how do you prepare your learners for the speakers? Do you discuss the topic first and brainstorm vocabulary and questions? Do you also prep the speakers in advance?
This activity is so rich for language, content, and culture!
Miriam Burt
SME Adult ELL
Hi Dotti,
Yes, I would love to hear more or hear from others about how you find and use guest speakers from the community in your classes. Other teachers I have talked to over the years have offered some tips on how to prepare a community speaker to talk to adult learners in a way that will help to make the information clear, and the learners feel comfortable.
In the resource guide, Family Health and Literacy, there is a chapter on How to Get Started. This includes some information on Collaborating with Health Organizations, and also specifically on Preparing a Speaker.
Here are some of the tips mentioned: