Literacy and Best Practices for Learning

I work in adult training and development and so most of my writing projects connect how curriculum and instruction translates into the business environment.  Literacy is a concern for modern business and employers.  In fact we call it Workforce Literacy.  Penn State University has a really great website which summarizes succinctly best practices for workforce literacy.  The primary issue for employers relates to the reading, writing, and comprehension required to do one’s job.  Thus many of the literacy activities for adults occur in the workplace and the environment in which an adult will
regularly act and perform their duties.  http://www.ed.psu.edu/nwac/document/literacy/best.html

Businesses also seek best practices from professional models which help them blend the competing needs that arise for many business issues, not just literacy issues.  Yet there is a correlation to our work in educational literacy.  Let me explain a little further:

The University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business presents a business model called the Competing Values Framework.  This framework describes four values which are present in any organization.  They are collaboration (people focus), creation (innovation and ideas), competition (results), and controls (rules and processes).  Each value is important to the success of an operation, yet they struggle against one another for voice and priority.  Organizations that can blend and manage the competing values become more efficient and effective. 






In many ways schools are no different.  They face competing values in how they deliver education.  Educators and administrators must have an eye focused on the students and their experience, then also on creative or innovative ways to deliver education.  Schools are also held to rules and controls
which govern how they deliver learning, the budgets and administrative aspects of learning.  Finally, educators are focused on the results of their methods. Did they actually achieve learning that meets the standards and expectations?









The Ten Evidence-Based Best Practices for Comprehensive Literacy Instruction* (p.19) appear to find a natural alliance with the Competing Values Framework.  Each is important to the success of the final goal, which is literacy for all.  See below how each practice breaks down into the model. Notice how the best practices favor the quadrants which focus on people and creativity.  I think this is
okay, because literacy efforts must be focused on people’s needs and innovation. 

I find the list comprehensive and would only add perhaps more best practices related to results. In the business world it doesn’t matter how good or honest or true your intentions are; it matters if you can achieve the result.  Assessments are important, but perhaps there are other metrics which can help educators “tell the tale” about how effective their efforts truly are.  Educators are
often punished for a student’s failure, yet so many outside factors contribute to a child’s success.  Consider the parents’ role, the cultural expectations, the child’s own drive and talent, and
the challenges between administrators and educators.  Introducing other metrics into the best
practices may help teachers demonstrate their effectiveness as well as reveal gaps and opportunities to improve a child’s results. 

Source:  Best Practices in Literacy Instruction, Third Edition (Gambrell, Morrow, Pressley)  Find Here