Right now - as we speak - there are millions and millions of people learning English with the aid of their phones - without teachers! MLearning not only is here to stay but it has grown in significance a great deal, in my opinion.We call this type of learning "Non-Formal", or, better, "Informal".
I strongly believe that MLearning should be incorporated into every ESFL program as a distance learning class.
Many adults who work and have families simply do not have time to attend regular classes and would benefit greatly in a DL program based on MLearning.
Attention should be given to working mothers in particular for many reasons, including the fact that they play a very important part in their children's education. MLearning, then, would facillitate Family Learning.
MLearning can also be promoted and supported by agencies that provide adult education classes in any city - libraries, churches, community centers, community colleges, etc. And perhaps these agencies could even work together along the lines of the Philadelphia Literacy Council. In my opinion, it would be easier to find funding locally if there were a degree of cooperation between adult learning centers.
Finally, MLearning would definitely solve the problem we call "Bridging The Digital Divide".
Comments
I agree. When United Way "boldly" chose to laser focus on kids, careers and college, they actually marginalized (i.e. created a box and pushed those who didn't fit into that box to the margins) many people. WIOA followed along the same lines (2014/15), This marginalization included those without employment authorization and/or proof of authorization. [In 2021 it was taking up to a year to process employment authorization documents for some.] It included mothers who chose to stay at home while their babies were young. And many more.
Absolutely agree that focusing on mothers is very important--whether or not they intend to/are able to get a job immediately or not. [Mother's literacy is a huge factor in children's education.] But I wouldn't tie it directly to mothers working. A lot of learning, esp. for those with less formal schooling. takes extended practice over time. -- in bits and pieces, as you said. It's important to make it as easy to learn as possible without people taking it for granted. We do have to incentivize it a bit. I think micro credentials and badges can be an important tool for that, esp. for foundational adult education, including for the less literate. So, in my opinion, a great collaborative project--whether through LINCS or the Open Door Collective etc. would be to develop micro-credentials and badges for adult foundational education (think level 1 of National Reporting Standards) that could be used 1) to give learners feedback and 2) to allow providers to "share credit." {I've seen too many providers who invested in long-term, foundational work go under because they weren't the ones who collected the return on their (pedagogical) investment.]
Mary Joan...first, I totally agree with you concerning providing classes for every mother, not just those who are working. You are absolutely right.
Otherwise, in my opinion, there is a good possibility that "alternative" sources of funding are available through those companies we call the 'tech giants' and others. Manufacturers of laptops and smart phones and those that provide smart phone service might be interested in providing grants to programs that can show that they serve the community via technology. I can see adult education schools "partnering" with other programs that include classes in various agencies such as community centers and libraries.
In other words, it pays to think outside the box!!
Hello Paul, Mary Joan and all, This is such an important discussion. Thank you for sharing your thoughts in our community. I think you and many other members here will be interested to join an asynchronous discussion that will take place next month in the Reading and Writing community.
On August 23, LINCS will host a one-day asynchronous discussion with Dr. Esther Prins and Emily Wolfe of Penn State University. We will have the unique opportunity to hear from both a family literacy teacher and a noted researcher. Our guests will discuss principles for working with families with low incomes, effective strategies for supporting parents’ own education and their involvement in children’s learning and education, and how family literacy instruction can be adapted to remote/online settings.
If you are not yet a member of the Reading and Writing group, please join, so you can contribute your thoughts. (See the QR code below to join.) You are all invited to bring your questions and comments to this important discussion that will last throughout the day on August 23!
Cheers, Susan Finn Miller
Moderator, English Language Acquisition CoP
Hey Paul,
Agreed! mLearning is so important.
I really enjoyed being on this mLearning project and I wonder if you might be interested in exploring some of the great work that was done.
There's still much to be done in this area. I love Mary Joan's ideas about micro-credentials and developing a broader system for adult ed.
What other ideas do you have for incorporating mLearning? What promising practices have you seen in this area?
To respond to some of the points raised in the replies to my original post, I thought I would sum up my program and explain why I believe in "Community Based Adult Education".
Righrt now I live in Rosarito, Mexico, 20 miles south of the US border. I came here to promote my English MLearning course because it is a tourist town with a great need for English classes.
My MLearning program focuses on my two free websites (see below), several WhatsApp study groups, and soon a free class at a library.
I publicize the program by distributing flyers at swap meets, where I also sell my texts.
In addition, I post lessons on several groups on Facebook - three that I host and several that are for English teachers in Latin America.
Soon I intend to distribute flyers to the stores and businesses that are on the main street, and also to the public schools, taxi drivers, etc., and eventually to public officials.
Eventually I will train or teach people to be tutors so that the program can continue when I leave. I see the library acting as the center some day.
When I do leave, I will continue promoting my approach in various cities in the US. In the past I have taught at a few libraries and community centers, so I have some connections.
In my view, it is necessary to find a way to combine all the adult learning centers together in a network, similar to the Philadelphia Literacy Council.
If adult educators could make use of MLearning, then it would be possible to find a way to provide classes or lessons to nearly every adult in any community.