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LR/RI produces a bulletin roughly every two weeks in order to inform area practitioners of news, events, and calls for participation and also as a forum for posing questions, issues and discussion topics. The current bulletin is posted below. To read previous bulletins, go to Bulletin Archives.November 6, 2000 Bulletin #106
Dear Colleagues, Calls for participation, conference announcements, information about resources on line and the usual range of notices follow. To post information, please contact LR/RI or leave a message (863-2839). Thanks.
Janet Isserlis ____________________________________________________________ NOTICES AAACE conference program is now online at AAACE.pdf If you have trouble opening the file, please contact LR/RI. ESOL sharing/discussion group will meet on Tuesday, November 28 at the Genesis Center (610 Potters Avenue, Providence) at 3:00 pm. Among other things, weíll be discussing responses to the survey Debby Venator, a regular participant in the ESOL sharing sessions, with input from others in the group, has constructed for ESOL practitioners; please join us on the 28th, whether or not youíve had time to complete the survey. It focuses on ways of utilizing speakers and field trips with adult ESOL learners. - survey about resources for ESOL activities, recently developed
by Debby Venator, is available
online.
We request that teachers complete the survey and send their responses to
LR/RI as sson as possible.
Mailing list - if you would like to be on the mailing list for the RI Workforce Literacy Collaborative, please call 861-0815 or email riwlceliz@aol.com to be added to the list to receive updates on workforce education training, ongoing practitioner discussion groups and other events A Meeting of Minds and Hearts: Fostering Respect and Trust in the Classroom Sociologist, educator, and prize-winning author, Professor Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot, of Harvard's School of Education, reaches deep into human experience to find essence and respect. She will show how respect is a crucial ingredient of classroom life, encouraging critical thinking and inquiry among students. Thursday, November 16, 2000 7:00 p.m. Salomon Center For Teaching Salomon Hall The College Green Brown University FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC Hosted by The Education Alliance and The New England Assistance Center Save the date: January 12-13, 2001: The Stakes of Assessment: Research, Policy and Practice ? MATSOL presents an opportunity to explore changes and policies affecting adult education. More online at http://www.matsol.org Employment opportunity - Energetic individual needed to teach
Russian refugees requirements for citizenship. Applicant must show
sensitivity to people of diverse cultures, have good instruction and communication
skills and one year experience in adult education instruction. Please
fax 401-331-5772 or send your resume to: Dan Kane, LICSW, Coordinator of
Resettlement Services Jewish Family Service, 229 Waternamn Street.
Equal opportunity employer. No phone calls please.
From Thursday notes, 11/2/00 Help in Diagnosing LD for Spanish-Speakers Draws State Support A process for diagnosing learning disabilities (LD) in Spanish-speaking adults, based on consensus among field experts, is available in a new OVAE report. Learning Disabilities and Spanish-Speaking Adult Populations outlines a process to help identify Spanish-speaking adults at risk for LD. In addition, OVAE, HHS and programs in seven states are combining resources from adult education, TANF and Welfare to Work to develop a validated screening tool (or tools) for LD among Spanish-speaking adults. The states include: AZ; CA [at the county level]; NM; MA; NY; TX; and VA. The validation process will take place over the next year and a half. Spanish was the chosen limited English proficient population because Spanish speakers comprise about three-fourths of all Limited English Proficient persons. The report will be available at http://www.ed.gov/ next week. Contact glenn_young@ed.gov Employment opportunity: Associate Coordinator, Central SABES
(System for Adult Basic Education Support) Worcester, MA
from Jeff Carter, New England Literacy Resource Center: the official Spiders at Work Web Camp site is now up online. http://hub1.worlded.org/spiders/. Our "Web Camp" project is a Web development training/support program for adult literacy/ESOL educators in the Northeastern and mid-Atlantic states who were also curriculum materials writers. Training took place in Brattleboro, Vermont, July 30 - August 4. This Web site is designed to be a connecting point for our training participants, and also as a way to provide the literacy community and the general public with updates on our progress. The Web Camp has been a collaboration between NELRC, the Literacy Assistance Center of NYC, Boston's Adult Literacy Resource Institute, Vermont Adult Learning, and others.
COABE call for participation - deadline to submit a proposal to present
at COABE/Memphis (April 2001) is November 1st. For information, please
contact LR/RI.
Online: on voting: From Anna Silliman, edior of Hands-on-English, an article for students (intermediate level, maybe low intermediate with help) about what to expect when they go to vote. Available online at: http://www.handsonenglish.com/currentevents.html Election websites from MaryAnn Florez and other contributors to the
NIFL ESL and NLA electronic discussion lists:
(Scholastic.com has info on campaign issues and candidates' opinions)
There's an online book specifically for citizenship education:
Other U.S. government sites with quizzes & citizenship test practice: http://eleaston.com/govmat.html#US New Citizen Voter curriculum. http://www.ncg.org/difference/citi.html
PBS LiteracyLink FREE videoconference--GED 2002: Making the - live satellite broadcast, GED 2002: Making the Transition," November 30, 2000, 2 - 4 pm This is the second of two video-conferences featuring Joan Auchter, executive director of the GED Testing Service, discussing how to prepare your program and your learners for the new GED exam. This session will focus on the social studies and science tests, including interpreting graphic representation, new reading contexts and the skills demanded on each. Also included will be information about the Spanish and French versions, accommodations for persons with disabilities, and implications of the new test on adult education performance measures. You'll be able to call or fax in questions during the show. If you missed the first program, "GED 2002:Everything You Need to Know," (held in April 2000), you can order a tape at www.pbs.org/literacy (Select ><Educators>) Online: new Q & A from NCLE, "Finding and Evaluating Adult ESL Resources on the World Wide Web," by MaryAnn Cunningham Florez http://www.cal.org/ncle/DIGESTS/findingQA.htm This four-page brief examines the functions of various search tools (including search engines and directories and portals, loops, and rings.) It also explains, step-by-step, how to create and execute search strategies. Finally, it provides questions to help you evaluate the resources your search has yielded. Although the article is written for adult ESL practitioners, the information contained is useful for all educators, especially those who (like me!) can feel their eyes glaze over when someone starts talking about Boolean logic and html markups and dogpile.com and spiders and crawlers. It's also available in print from NCLE at(202)362-0700, ext. 200. new Digests available from the ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult, Career,
and Vocational Education
Temple University's Center for Intergenerational Learning is sponsoring
a national conference in Philadelphia on November 10-11. The conference,
Connecting
Generations, Strengthening Communities, will explore how generations
can work together to promote social change. Workshop themes include:
education/literacy, family support, child/elder care and positive youth
development. For more information, please call (215) 204-3767 or
visit our website, http://www.temple.edu/cil
[registration: $200 Early Bird Special (register by Sept 24) $225
after Sept 24 $125 one-day]
also online at http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Swearer_Center/Literacy_Resources/standards.html - report from the EFF study circle, and an open letter from David Hayes and study circle participants
funding opportunity Pfizer Inc. Announces 2000 Health Literacy Grant Program Deadline: November 15, 2000 Pfizer (http://www.pfizer.com/) invites applications for two grants of $75,000 each: one for research to advance the understanding of health literacy, the second for an intervention that overcomes problems associated with low levels of health literacy. Examples of projects include: developing new measures or new ways of looking at the causes or impact of health literacy, developing programs that demonstrate improved health literacy, or creating policy initiatives that promote improved health outcomes. Grants may be used to supplement a specific aspect of already existing programs or research, but may not be used to supplant existing funding. Applications are encouraged from investigators in diverse fields such as health literacy, adult education, health economics, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, public, health, anthropology, health policy, social work, the management sciences, and ethics. Proposals for community-based research and interventions are encouraged. Visit Pfizer's web site for program details and application information. Contact: Charlene Landis, Pfizer Inc. 235 East 42nd Street New York, NY 10017-5755 Tel: (888) 457-3033 RFP Link (pdf format): http://www.pfizer.com/pfizerinc/about/health.pdf
Laubach Literacy is seeking grant applications for its National Book Scholarship Fund Laubach Literacy is seeking grant applications for its National Book Scholarship Fund (NBSF), which distributes books and educational material to qualified adult literacy and education programs nationwide. NBSF grants are designed to help educational groups expand their work or to begin new programs among under-served populations. First priority is given to family literacy programs that work to improve the literacy skills of parents and children. Grants are also awarded to programs that work with special groups, such as the homeless, refugees, people learning English, and adults with learning disabilities. Last year, the NBSF gave $225,625 worth of in-kind grants to 96 programs, and is made possible through the support of foundations, corporations and individual donors across the country. For information or to apply for a grant, contact Mara Roberts, project administrator, NBSF , Laubach Literacy, PO Box 131, 1320 Jamesville Avenue, Syracuse, NY 13210; telephone 315-422-9121, email mroberts@laubach.org. Additional information is on line at http://www.laubach.org/NBSF/indexnbs.html. The grant application will be available online from September 1 to November 30, 2000; applications will be accepted until December 7, 2000. Laubach Literacy is a nonprofit educational corporation dedicated to helping adults improve their lives and their communities by learning reading, writing, math and problem-solving skills. volunteer opportunity Writing skills teacher/tutor needed. A male in his thirties wishes to improve his writing skills with the goal of writing successful grant funding proposals for some arts projects that he is developing. He will benefit most from a small group situation aimed at carrying out a more or less formal program of activities in-class that are aimed acquiring and using spelling, grammar and writing skills. Though he readily devotes time outside class to creating first drafts, he does not as easily find time to do excercises/revisions. His typing and computer skills are weak and his work is handwritten. Although he has a high school diploma, he was in classes for Special Students most of his high school career. He seeks a low-cost learning opportunity in Pawtucket, Central Falls or nearby Providence. Please call Jane Ingle 334-2649 (email: ibhji@hotmail.com), if you can offer ideas for assistance.
employment opportunities
ONLINE Worker.gov http://www.workers.gov connects to more than 1,000 federal, state and local government resources. Through the site, one can search a variety of Internet job listings, acquire skills through distance learning, scan websites for medical information, find services for families in need, plan for retirement, or explore resources available for people with disabilities. Families can also plan vacations, obtain advice on managing and investing income, look for volunteer opportunities, file a safety complaint, find school lunch programs or health insurance for children. New refugee information website: http://www.culturalorientation.net draft standards are posted on LR/RI's standards page. Please view the standards at http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Swearer_Center/Literacy_Resources/standards.html and send comments to LR/RI. Hard copies of the standards are also available upon request. Almost 20 adult educators have participated in drafting these standards and welcome your input. Stop the Hate, http://www.stopthehate.net/index1.htm
- provides numerous resources of value to anyone working in adult education,
community development and/or hoping to consider viable ways in which to
approach social change.
conferences - conferences are listed chronologically and are updated with each bulletin
Call for Proposals to present at the 10th Annual National Conference on Family Literacy, Partners in Learning, to be held March 18 - 20, 2001 in Dallas, Texas. Deadline to Submit Proposals: October 6, 2000. Call for Proposals available at: www.famlit.org If it is not possible to access the form off the website, you may call 502-584-1133x135 and make a request for one to be mailed to you or faxed to you. (If you leave a voice message, please provide your complete mailing address and/or fax number) LVA Conference October 4 -7 Kansas City, MO: Show Me the Future! information available at: http://www.literacyvolunteers.org/conference/index.htm. Those who attend are encouraged to share information, materials etc. through the bulletin and/or coming sharing sessions. Please contact LR/RI.
AAACE national adult education conference schedule is available; - The American Association of Adult and Continuing Educationís national conference will be held in Providence in November; The early registration deadline for the AAACE conference has been extended indefinitely;. For information, please contact LR/RI or go to AAACE's website at http://www.cdlr.tamu.edu/tcall/aaace/conferences/aace2000.htm Promoting Participation in Community Development Models, Methods and Best Practices A workshop for practitioners, researchers and community organizers wanting to build public participation in community development, community youth development, community health and environmental projects. Sponsored by the Community Partnership Center - University of Tennessee Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday November 30 - December 3, 2000 Knoxville, TN This workshop will focus on models, methods, tools and best practices
for promoting participation in community development. Pactitioners with
particular experience in the areas of community development, community
youth development, community health, and environmental projects will share
models and methods for doing participatory community research and planning,
and will facilitate small group sessions around their own experiences and
participants' best practices in these sectors.
for more complete information see Bulletin 100, or contact LR/RI.
January 22-24, 2001 Atlanta, The Center for the Study of Adult Literacy at Georgia State University, in collaboration with Laubach Literacy Action and the Centre for Literacy of Quebec, announces the third International Conference on Women and Literacy. The focus of the conference is Language, Culture, and Literacy as they relate to women in adult basic education classes. Call for Presenters - presentation proposals are due August 1. We are defining adult basic education as basic literacy, ESL, family literacy, health literacy, workplace literacy, pre GED, and GED classes. We purposely did not define language and culture in the proposal, because we want presenters to feel free to define these terms in ways that are meaningful for them. The conference will address the following question: How do language, culture, literacy and women interact in basic literacy, ESL, family literacy, health literacy, workplace literacy, pre-GED, and GED classes? Proposals for presentations are invited from Practitioners, Researchers, Policy Makers, and Learners. Proposals with an international perspective are particularly encouraged. All proposals should address Practice, Research, and/or Policy, and can be presented as a seminar, workshop, demonstration, panel discussion, or round table. The round tables will be scheduled for 1 hour, and all others for 1 1/2-hours and 3 hours. Lead presenters will be notified regarding proposal acceptance by September 1. More information: contact LR/RI, or download forms at http://education.gsu.edu/CSAL . NCTE Assembly for Research Midwinter Conference February 9 ? 11 Berkeley, California New Literacies for New Times: Bakhtinian Perspectives on Language, Literacy, and Learning for the 21st Century This conference is concerned with new ways of becoming literate in these new times. As our classrooms become more diverse, our notions of literacy must account for the multiple voices represented by the wide range of students we teach. Our keynote speakers and workshop leaders all have been influenced by the theories of Bakhtin and will show how BakhtinÇs theories can prove particularly helpful for framing our thoughts on issues of equity and social justice in literacy learning. They will consider lessons they have learned through their research and practice, and they will focus our attention on important challenges that lie ahead. The workshops and conversations that take place on Friday will include mini-courses on theory and research methods related to how language embodies multiple voices and points of view. On Saturday the presentations and round table discussions will focus on the many ways that literacy functions and is used in our culture. On Sunday the round table discussions will be expanded to focus on issues of learning, both in and out of school. Throughout the weekend multiple voices from the field will be heard, blending the points of view of university-based researchers and teacher researchers. Keynote Speakers & Workshop Presenters Include: Anne Haas Dyson, James Gee Kris Gutierrez,Shirley Brice Heath,Glynda Hull, Carol Lee, Guadalupe Valdés Representatives from the Bay Area and National Writing Project The Conference will be held at University of California, Berkeley Graduate School of Education. Dean Eugene Garcia will host a Welcome Reception on Friday evening, February 9, from 5 - 7PM at the MenÇs Faculty Club. DEADLINES: Round Table Proposals - NOVEMBER 9, 2000.Registration ? Jan. 9 For information about proposals or registration, e-mail Terri Callenat tlcallen@uclink4.berkeley.edu
from previous bulletins: REMINDERS,
RESOURCES:
LD/ESOL resources: ESL Instruction and Learning Disabilities,
the new digest from the National Clearinghouse for ESL Literacy Education
(NCLE) by Robin Schwarz and Lynda Terrill is available from ncle@cal.org,
from (202) 362-0700, ext. 200, or can be downloaded at www.cal.org/
ncle/digests/LD2.htm NCLE is also unveiling a new feature: a
resource collection. The title of this first collection is Learning Disabilites
and Adult ESL and is posted at www.cal.org/ncle/whatnew.htm
The Resource Collection contains articles, reports, books, websites, organizations,
electronic discussions, policy materials, ERIC documents, and other resources
that address the featured topic. NCLE welcomes your comments, suggestions,
and recommendations for additions to the collection.
list servs: LR/RI listserv: As some of you know, Literacy Resources has a list serv - an email discussion group available to anyone with access to email in the state (or beyond, as interest warrants). To learn more about the list, or to subscribe, please send an email message to janet_isserlis@brown.edu. To date, about 30 people have joined the list. Its purpose is to provide a forum for local educators to discuss policy, practice, resources, issues and news related to our work with one another. Unlike the bulletin, which arrives as email, the list is interactive - when you respond to message from the discussion list, everyone else on the list receives your message -- and the conversation, we hope, continues and grows. VALUE e-list: VALUE has established a valuelearners mailing for email users, hosted by the Western/Pacific Literacy Network, part of the National Institute for Literacy Information and Communication Network System (LINCS). This "e-list" is a way for adult learners who are members of VALUE to communicate with each other. Only adult learners who are members of VALUE can subscribe to this e-list. VALUE is the national organization for adult learners (current or former participants in adult basic skills programs) in the United States. VALUE provides training and other supports to adult learners who want to be more effective leaders in their education programs, communities, and states. This e-list is being managed by members of VALUE's Communications Committee. Subscribers are encouraged to communicate about information, ideas, questions, or problems of interest to them. If you are a member of VALUE and need help subscribing, please contact LR/RI. If you're not a member, but would like to become one, contact LR/RI or visit the VALUE website at http://literacynet.org/value.
LEARNER is intended primarily for adult learners. LITERACY is a general list for adult literacy practitioners and others. Information on these electronic lists is below. LEARNER To subscribe to LEARNER, send an email message to: listserv@nysernet.org Skip the message header and in the body of the message, type: subscribe LEARNER Yourfirstname Yourlastname All submissions to LEARNER should be addressed to: LEARNER@nysernet.org Questions regarding the list should be sent to: Beverly Choltco-Devlin Moderator, LEARNER bdevlin@dreamscape.com LITERACY To subscribe to LITERACY, send an email message to: listserv@nysernet.org Skip the message header and in the body of the message, type: subscribe LITERACY Yourfirstname Yourlastname All submissions to LITERACY should be addressed to: LITERACY@nysernet.org Questions regarding the LITERACY list should be sent to: Beverly Choltco-Devlin bdevlin@dreamscape.com
Welfare to work listserv: from Glenn Young - For those interested in the subject of welfare reform and learning disabilities, there has been a listserv created through NIFL. To sign up, please send a message to: listproc@literacy.nifl.gov write in the body of the message subscribe nifl-wtwld and your name. Do not write anything in the subject line and do not use any dots or dashes other than between nifl and wtwld. (Click here for more information on listservs). Professional development initiative: In 1998, I spent time at the RI Dislocated Worker Program, facilitating classes for teachers there so that they could have an opportunity to observe one another's classes and to reflect on their learning and teaching. (The full text of their reflections is available on the LR/RI web site at Writing from the Field - or contact LR/RI for a hard copy). Please let me know if you would like to participate in this process of professional development. All that's required is your willingness to share your reflections about the observation/learning process for others. I hope to build a block of writing and thinking about this and other forms of our own professional development both through the bulletin and the web site.
Please contact LR/RI if you have information, questions or announcements to share with adult educators in Rhode Island. Bulletins go out at least twice a month; more frequently when there's more to share. To submit information for the next bulletin, please contact LR/RI by phone (401-863-2839), mail (PO Box 1974, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912) or email. back to LR/RI home |
