Effective & Efficient

In light of everything going on in our nation (and the world): COVID, the deaths of cultural icons, blatant and virulent racism, a vitriolic election season, just to name a few, we thought we would take a step back to talk about the physical and psychological toll 2020 has been taking, not only on ourselves, but on our adult education directors, teachers, and students. This is Part I of a conversation we were fortunate to have with Carol Birth, the director of adult education at Phillips Community College in Helena-West Helena, Arkansas. We discussed racism, equity, helping students and staff cope with the collective trauma of the past year, and much much more.

For more information on some of the resources discussed in this episode, see below:

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, by Carol Dweck
https://www.amazon.com/Mindset-Psychology-Carol-S-Dweck/dp/0345472322

How to Be an Antiracist, by Ibram X. Kendi
https://www.ibramxkendi.com/how-to-be-an-antiracist-1 

With the annual Site Visit and Program Review season officially upon us and our local adult education programs, we thought we would speak to two directors about that process, and how they approach preparing. First, Amy Sturdivant from South Arkansas Community College in El Dorado stops by to discuss her strengths when preparing for Site Visits/Program Reviews, as well as how her preparation has changed over the years. After that, we'll be joined by Kim Darling from the University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton to talk about her experiences with program reviews, the importance of involving staff in the process, and how she and her husband have been faring following a recent COVID-19 diagnosis.

For those that don't know, one of the co-hosts here at Effective & Efficient, Dan Bingaman, is no longer with the Adult Education Section of DWS... formally, that is. So this week, we thought we would catch up with him to see what's been going on, what he's up to, and what the future has in store. Get into it!

It's a bonus episode! Associate Director for the Adult Education Section of the Division of Workforce Services, Bridget Criner, rode into town to kick up her spurs and chat about every ol' cowpoke's favorite topic: Budgets! 

Move 'em on, head 'em out!

This week all 5 Regional Program Advisors from the State Office will be gracing your listening ears! Jana Jenkins of the Southeast Region, Nicole Gray of the Northwest, and - making her podcast debut - Wendy Kittler of the Northeast all dropped in to wrap up last week's Teacher Summit, discuss upcoming projects and trainings, and hang out for a bit. Get into it!

"Don't call it a comeback!" 

After a brief hiatus to sort out our busy schedules, we are officially back on the mics with the start of a new season of Effective & Efficient. And we're hitting the ground running with a very special guest - Dr. Trenia Miles! Join us as we discuss the vision for adult education, learn a little bit more about Dr. Miles, and set potluck goals for the 20-21 program year.

This week we are joined by Barbara Hamilton, Director of Adult Education at SAU-Tech, as well as Dr. Jason Morrison, the Chancellor at Tech, to discuss the importance of having shared goals and a common mission between Adult Ed programs and their LEA (Local Educational Authority) when it comes to helping students succeed.

This week we are joined by Kimberly Freeman and Latasha Dale. Kim is a Program Specialist who oversees the Career Coach program for the Adult Education Section of the Division of Workforce Services, and Latasha is a Career Coach for two adult education programs across 7 locations in the Little Rock area. Kim and Latasha are passionate advocates for students as they make the transition from Adult Education to employment, and they dropped by to tell us a little bit about what they do, why they love it, and the future of the Career Coach Program in Arkansas.

This week we're saying "Goodbye" to 3 members of the Arkansas Adult Education family who are moving on to new stages in their lives and careers. Nancy Loftis of the Arkansas Adult Learning Resource Center, Debbie Shelton of Lonoke Adult Education, and Sarah Yager from the State Office all dropped by to talk about their time in adult education, what they'll miss (or won't miss!), and what the future has in store for them.

This week we are excited to be joined by Sarah Yager, the ESL Coordinator from the State Adult Education Department for a special ESL themed episode! Along with Sarah, we sat down to speak with Jason Garvey, an ESL instructor from the Fort Smith School District Adult Education Program to talk about teaching English Language Learners and some of the resources and research that have helped make him such an effective instructor (7:40). After that, we have an interview with a recent GED graduate from the University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton, as well as her teacher, to discuss her adult education journey and her plans for the future (28:50).

For information about the publication Change Agent, visit:
https://changeagent.nelrc.org/

For more information about adult education services in Arkansas or to find a program near you, visit:
https://www.arcareereducation.org/