TITLE: / CWES BULLETIN 08-15 /
AREA: / Distance Learning
REFERENCE:
DATE: / December 16, 2008
TO: / All CWES Staff
FROM: / Denise Boland, DEBS Administrator

The final federal Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) welfare regulations, issued in February 2008, recognized distance learning as a viable work activity. Employment Support Initiative (ESI) and the CalWORKs AdvisoryCommittee subsequently spent several months investigating distance learning materials and new service delivery methods.

The review found that iPods offerclients who are “on the go” or have limited or no access to a computer and the internet the best option for engaging in distance learning. Compact and portable, iPods are enabling educators worldwide to podcast lectures which students can listen to anywhere, any time.

In August, CWES began piloting the use of this new technology with our Rapid Response Team (RRT). Clients selected for the monthly sample are able to check out an iPod anduse the podcast time to supplement their activity hours to meet work participation requirements. This strategy has been very effective in increasing our WPR!

ESI has partnered with education providers to develop distance learning options for their school breaks that capitalize on the iPod’s capabilities.While TANF final regulations restrict our clients to ten federal holidays per year; educational institutions have breaks in service that far exceed this number.

For the upcoming Winter break, education providershave been given a small number of iPods to use in a pilot program with their students. Each institution has developed their own criteria for assigning students an iPod as well as additional distance learning options. Since we do not yet have enough equipment for all CalWORKs students, clients who are not selected to participate in this project will be given take-home activity assignments to complete during Winter break. Please refer to the attachment for a list of iPod and non-iPod based distance learning activities.

I will be meeting with the educational provider liaisons after the New Year to review the effectiveness of this pilot project. I look forward to sharing the results with you.

Depending on the success of the project, we may expand our current Distance Learning Libraryholdings to allow more clients to participate in this new learning environment. If you have questions or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to email me or to speak with your immediate Manager.

Holiday Break 2008

Distant Learning

Activities

Provider / iPod User Activity / Non-iPod User Activity
DeAnza/Foothill / Clients will meet their weekly required hours, by selecting from 14 podcasts that include related workbook assignments. / Take home activity assignments
EvergreenCollege / Audio book “The Four Agreement” with related workbook assignments. / Take home activity assignments.
GavilanCollege / Audio book “Nickel and Dimed” with related workbook assignments. / Novel “Nickel and Dimed” withtake home assignments.
MissionCollege / Audio books “Bridges out of Poverty”& “The Last Lecture” with assignments relating to both audio books. / Take home activity assignments and Read “The Four Agreements” with related homework.
San JoseCityCollege / Clients will meet their weekly required hours, by listening to the following podcast:
Avoiding procrastination,
How to answer essay questions & set up essay arguments,
Study smarter not harder,
How to take notes in lectures,
The ageing files,
Living with addiction,
Genetic dimensions of addictions,
Psychological influences and aspects on addiction,
Social influences on addictions,
The Machine Shop Part 1 & 2,
Healthy eating,
Going Going Gone Green.
Related workbook assignment is included. / Take home activity assignments.
WestValleyCollege / Clients will meet their weekly required hours, by listening to the following podcasts:
Bridges Out of Poverty,
Last Lecture,
Alpha Break,
Bait and Switch,
Simple Stories of Success, or how to Succeed in Life
Get Stuff Done,
Time Management,
The Treatise on Friendship,
Don’t Strive for Perfection,
Simple Steps to Reduce Stress,
Empathy …is it part of Your Personality?.
Related assignments include questionnaires, assessments, and a journal. / Take home activity assignments which include planning, worksheets, and writing activities.
Holiday Break 2008
Distant Learning
Activities
Provider / iPod User Activity / Non-iPod User Activity
East Side Adult Ed / Clients will meet their weekly required hours, by listening to podcasts such as:
Manners of Saying “no”,
Gone Missing,
Politely Offering Assistance,
About Sir Walter Raleigh’s Adventure,
American Radio Works,
How America was named,
How the Spaniards drove the French,
How the Flag of France was planted,
How the Flag of England was planted,
The Capitol Dome,
The Purple Heart,
21 modules of Just Vocabulary,
The Golden Goose,
Tom Thumb,
Men are From Mars, Women are from Venus,
Alpha Break,
Whatles of the Midnight Sun,
The Sea of Darkness.
Essay assignments will be written for each podcast. Also a math book “Number Power” is assigned. / Read Books and take home related activity assignments.
Metropolitan Adult Ed / Clients will meet their weekly required hours, by selecting from the following:
Huckleberry Fin,
Treasure Island,
White Fang,
Tom Sawyer
Alice in Wonderland
Related study guide assignments for each podcast. / Take home activity assignments.
Mt.View/Los Altos Adult ED / Audiobook “The Last Lecture” with workbook questions. / Take home activity assignments.