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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.May 31, 2001 Bulletin #118
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).
Janet Isserlis ____________________________________________________________ NOTICES
ESOL sharing/discussion group will meet on Tuesday, June
19th at the Genesis Center, 620 Potters Avenue, Providence, at 1:00
PM.
Another meeting to discuss possible collaboration/affilitation with MATSOL. will be held on June 12th, probably at Rhode Island College from 5:30 to 7:00 pm . Details to follow in the next bulletin or contact LR/RI. A survey about resources for ESOL activities, 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. Brown bag sharing session to discuss the MassInc report, New Skills for a New Economy : Adult Education's Key Role in Sustaining Economic Growth and Expanding Opportunity. June 18th, 12:30-2, at LVA Rhode Island The report, available online at http://www.massinc.org/ (go to publications) details issues in adult education in Massachusetts and has some bearing on questions we may want to ask about our own work in Rhode Island. Please join us; bring lunch and Donna Sherman will provide the drinks. For directions to LVA-RI, 260 West Exchange St., Suite 106 Providence, please contact Donna Sherman at 861-0815, or via email at lvaridonna@aol.com Bridging the Gap 2001 - learning support for all - a 5-part series of workshops being presented by RI' s Bridges to Practice team . The series, Bridging the Gap, consists of five 3-hour workshops, scheduled for February 2. March 2, April 6, May 4 and June 8. All sessions will be held at URI College of Continuing Education, Shepard
Building, Providence. For more information, please contact Elaine
Stafford (elaine_stafford@yahoo.com), 245ó1467; to register, contact LR/RI.
There is no fee for this series of workshops.
The RI Bridges to Practice team presents a 5-session continuum of best strategies for working with adult learners who have difficulties succeeding in a traditional classroom. These workshops will consist of multisensory, practical, direct teaching activities that can immediately be applied in an learning environment. June 8: Math and Beyond: Integrating Content Areas All sessions will be held at URI - College of Continuing Education - Shepard Building, Room 328, Providence, from 1:45 to 4:45 pm. To register, contact Janet Isserlis at 863-2839, or janet_isserlis@brown.edu For more information contact Elaine Stafford at 245-1467 or elaine_stafford@yahoo.com Parking will be validated; refreshments will be served. Bridges to Practice presents these workshops in collaboration with the RI Department of Education. save the dates June 26 - afternoon and evening workshops : GED 2002
writing tests. Contact Bob Mason for more information
Final Inquiry Projects Share will be held on Friday, June 28th, location to be determined. Please contact LR/RI, and/or check the inquiry page http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Swearer_Center/Literacy_Resources/inquiry.html soon for details, and to read about this yearís projects employment opportunities Coordinator, part-time for adult literacy program.
- ESL teaching position available at SEDC. We are looking for an English Instructor to teach English to speakers
of other languages in Woonsocket. Payment: $15 dollars an hour. More information
will be provided during the interview. Interested individuals should send
their resumes and cover letters to SEDC, 620 Potters Ave., 2nd Floor. Attention:
Joseph Le. Deadline: Fri., June 08, 01 before 3 PM.
- Literacy Program Director: LVA-Providence, Providence, RI ANNUAL SALARY: $23,400 HOURS: 30 hours/week, including some nights. (Some flexibility in arranging weekly hours.) BENEFITS: 2 weeks paid vacation per year (eligible after 6 mos. probation). 11 paid holidays. 3% employer match for Simple IRA (after 2 years of service). JOB DESCRIPTION: Directs Providence area LVA tutoring program. (Volunteer tutoring in Basic Literacy or Conversational English for adults). Responsible for recruiting and training tutors, recruiting and screening learners, making student/tutor matches, providing support to tutor/student pairs, and working with LVA-RI to expand program and meet LVA accreditation. QUALIFICATIONS:4 year college degree or combination of equivalent education
and experience. Experience with volunteer management, adult literacy, or
adult education preferred. Organization/management skills; ability to function
independently; good oral and written communication skills; record-keeping
skills; experience working on computers.
TRAINING OPPORTUNITY The RI Workforce Literacy Collaborative presents workforce development training events in June: Classroom activities for the workplace.
Introduction to Career Mentoring
Power Point Presentations
How the New GED Support Workforce Education
For more information, contact LR/RI, or visit the workforce website
at http://www.riwlc.org/
From MaryAnn Florez, NIFL-ESL list moderator: Linguistic Assets Database This notice comes from our friends at the National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education (NCBE). NCBE has been a vital resource for 25 or more years for people working with or interested in bilingual and English language education. While their focus tends to be K-12, I often find resources through them that are relevant to aspects of adult ESL. Certainly the database discussed in this announcement is of potential interest/use to people in our field. (If you want to take a look at the many online resources on their Web site, go to http://www.ncbe.gwu.edu .) Register for NCBE's National Linguistic Assets Database - Changing demographics
in the United States and the resulting Diversity in US classrooms have
contributed to the need for practitioners and resources for multiple language
groups. To address this need, NCBE is developing a fully searchable database
of linguistic assets. The National Linguistic Assets Database (NLAD) will
contain the names and contact information of ondividuals fluent in English
and at least one other language whocan serve as resources for schools and
local education agencies and Organizations offering translation/ interpretation
services, referrals, or other language-related resources. If you or your
organization provides linguistic services, please register to be included
in our database by completing the simple, online form. Database registration
will be accessiblet hrough http://www.ncbe.gwu.edu
Saturday, June 2, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Oasis International presents ...Economic Literacy Program Consumer Education -- learn how to build and repair your credit history, manage money and create a savings plan. Refreshments will be served; this is a free workshop at International Institute 645 Elmwood Avenue Providence. FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES Verizon Foundation: eGrants for nonprofit organizations. Beginning immediately, nonprofits without Internet access can request an eGrant from the Verizon Foundation, in the amount of $240, toward access from the vendor of their choice. To request a faxable application form send e-mail to verizon.foundation@verizon.com, or send a fax requesting an application form: 212.398.4362, or call 800.360.7955. Community Technology Centers Program -- CFDA# 84.341A http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/announcements/ FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION about Department funding opportunities, including discretionary grant applicatio packages, please see: http://www.ed.gov/funding.html BELOW ARE the purposes, eligible applicants,
availability &
Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Community Technology Centers
program is to promote the use of technology in education through the development
of model programs that demonstrate the educational effectiveness of technology
in low-income or economically- distressed urban & rural communities.
Additional Information: Supplementary information, priorities, selection criteria, contacts, & other information are available in the Federal Register notice. Additional information is available online at:
From: Vikki Jo Stewart, Chair, and Marsha L. Tait, President, Literacy Volunteers of America, re: a joint press release/announcement from Laubach Literacy International (LLI) and Literacy Volunteers of America, Inc. (LVA) [posted below] [Recently], the Boards of each organization unanimously approved a Memorandum of Understanding that outlines terms and conditions under which we will proceed to consummate a merger of our two organizations. Combined, the new organization will have approximately 1,500 member programs in every state and most communities across the US. The proposed merger will create an opportunity for LLI and LVA to speak with one voice on behalf of volunteer and community based literacy programs throughout the country. Announcements about potential changes will be made as soon as possible. A task force with representation from both organizations will be formed to address the structure and design of the domestic state/regional system. The current systems in both organizations will remain in place for a period of one to three years while the task force does its work. Questions about local implications of the merger can be addressed to Donna Sherman, Executive Director, Literacy Volunteers of America-Rhode Island 260 West Exchange St., Suite 106 Providence, RI 02903 (401) 861-0815 lvaridonna@aol.com [from the press release:] SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, May 21, 2001òLaubach Literacy International (LLI) and Literacy Volunteers of America, Inc. (LVA), two of the oldest and largest volunteer literacy organizations in the world, today announced their intention to merge. The boards of each organization have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that combines the current operations of LLI and LVA and locates the new literacy organization at Laubach LiteracyÇs headquarters at 1320 Jamesville Avenue in Syracuse, NY. The organization resulting from the merger will be named later this year and will commence operations on or about January 1, 2002. "This merger will bring incalculable benefits to the programs and people we serveòboth domestically and internationally," says Robert Wedgeworth, President of LLI. "Most important, it will allow us to speak with one voice on behalf of adults as parents at a time when public policy is grappling with the enormous challenge of educating AmericaÇs children." Marsha L. Tait, President of LVA, agrees: "Joining forces makes great sense for both organizations. Combined, we will have the opportunity to ensure that every adult student who seeks our services will receive the best possible quality of instruction, both here and abroad." The U.S. Department of Education estimates that between 40 and 44 million adults in the U.S. function at the lowest level of literacy skill. LLI and LVA are nonprofit educational organizations, managed by professionals, who support local literacy services through national networks of approximately 160,000 volunteers and 1,450 local, state, and regional literacy providers in the United States. LLI and LVA share the mission of assisting adults to acquire the listening, speaking, reading, writing, mathematics, and technology skills they need to be effective in their roles as parents, community members, and in the workplace. . For more information please visit these Web sites: www.laubach.org and www.literacyvolunteers.org.
Application forms for this year's Hands-on English ESL Minigrants competition are now available. To learn about the grants, please visit: http://www.handsonenglish.com and look for the "Minigrants" link. You can get an application form by contacting Hands-on English with your postal mailing address at P.O. Box 256, Crete, NE or download a PDF file of the application form on their website. The deadline for applying is June 30, 2001. online Idealist.org in Spanish We are very excited to write you with
a big piece of news: last week we
From: Matthew Scelza [mailto:matthewscelza@caliteracy.org], Wednesday, May 30, 2001 I am writing to tell everyone that you can go to one site for your ESL resource and information needs. The NIFL English as a Second Language Special Collection is available online at http://www.literacynet.org/esl The ESL Special Collection is a one-stop gateway to the best curricula,
organizations, and resources available to ESL instructors, students, and
administrators. Each item included on the site is annotated for your
convenienceÖ California Literacy was selected by the National Institute
For Literacyas the lead agency for the English as a Second Language Special
Collection. Cal Lit partners with Laubach Literacy Action, World
Education, and Western/Pacific Literacy Network to provide the expertise
for the ESL Special Collection. Cal Lit and its partners will also
be providing mini-grants for the development and acquisition of outstanding
ESL curricula. Applications and more information about the
mini-grants are available at the Special Collection at http://www.literacynet.org/esl.
Advocacy - LR/RI's advocacy page has recently been updated to
include a link to pending adult education legislation
Message below is from Jakob Nielsen. Web usability expert (http://www.useit.com). Please pass along to anyone you think might be able to help with this study. USERS WITH VISUAL AND MOTOR IMPAIRMENTS NEEDED FOR STUDY I am conducting a research study on the usability of websites for users with disabilities. If you know Internet users with a visual or motor impairment, then please ask them to volunteer for the study if they are located in one of the following cities: New York City, Boston, Silicon Valley/San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, San Diego or Portland, OR Users will be paid an incentive for participating in the study. We will come to the user's location to allow use of their usual assistive technology. Potential test users please contact Susan Farrell, farrell@nngroup.com
Language and Literacy is a Canadian on-line journal for educators interested in a broad range of literacy issues encompassing research and teaching in multimedia, print, and oracy. Available at http://educ.queensu.ca/~landl/ conferences - conferences are listed chronologically and are updated with each bulletin The Ninth Annual Conference on Serving Adults with Literacy Disabilities will be held on May 24th at the Hartford Marriott Hotel in Farmington, Connecticut. For information, please contact LR/RI, or go to http://www.crec.org/atdn/workshops/ldconf.shtml 38th Annual Correctional Education Association Region I Conference
will be held June 3-5 at the Providence Biltmore Hotel. Glenn Young, from
the Office of Vocational and Adult Education, and a long time advocate
for adults with learning disabilities, is scheduled as a keynote speaker.
Preliminary information is available through LR/RI, or contact Janet Labreque,
summer conference opportunity ?http://www.nald.ca/PROVINCE/ALT/LCA/gatherin/poster.htm Bearing blossons...Sowing seeds, a gathering about literacy research in practice. July 24-27, University of Alberta, Edmonton. This three day gathering will bring together up to 50 people who are involved in adult literacy research in practice.The event builds on previous Canadian consultations about literacy research and will draw from current endeavours to support research in practice in Canada and elsewhere.The gathering will be of interest to new and experienced researchers in the adult literacy field, including literacy teachers, facilitators or program coordinators and university-based and independent researchers.
Call for presenters: AAACE Annual Conference, Baltimore, Maryland - October 17-21 Proposals for presentations are due June 8th. For more information, please contact LR/RI or call the AAACE office at (301) 918-1913, or send email to aaace10@aol.com
from previous bulletins: REMINDERS, RESOURCES:
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. 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
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 |
