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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.



July 25, 2002

Bulletin #146
 

Dear Colleagues, 

Calls for participation, employment, funding, and conference and workshop opportunities, online and other resources.  To post information, please contact LR/RI or leave a message (863-2839). 

Janet Isserlis 
____________________________________________________________

NOTICES



Please know that all visitors to the RIDE/URI extension building can only enter from the Washington Street side of the building and must sign in and out with security there.  The Westminster Street door can be used for exiting the building only.
The deadline to register to vote in RI primary elections is August 10.  If you or someone you know is not registered to vote here in RI (or as a Providence resident for the mayoral election) please encourage them to register by August 10. The primary takes place on September 10. 

The general election will be held on November 5 
Disaffiliation for Primary Voter (90 Days Prior To Primary Day) June 12, Deadline to Apply for Braille/Tactile Ballot for Primary July 29 
Deadline to Register for Primary August 10. Deadline to Apply for Primary Mail Ballot August 20 Emergency Mail Ballots Available for Primary August 21, Deadline to Apply for Emergency Mail Ballots for Primary September 9 http://www.providenceri.com/board-of-canvassers/elections.html


CAMBODIAN-AMERICANS BEING FORCED OUT OF THIS COUNTRY

The US and Cambodia recently signed an agreement that says  Cambodians in the US who are convicted of a crime can and will be deported back to Cambodia. THAT MEANSÖOver 2000 Cambodian-Americans will be forced back to a country they have no  material or linguistic relations with...we fear that deportation back to Cambodia will most certainly mean imprisonment, torture, and even death; over half of those with deportation orders are the main income-earners for  their American-born families...thus, increasing poverty and violence in our already struggling community.  This new deportation agreement is retroactive, making it possible for those  who have already served their sentences, eligible for deportation...why are they being punished twice? 

THERE ARE MANY MORE REASONS WHY DEPORTING CAMBODIAN-AMERICANS IS WRONG AND UNJUST! Come find them all out.  Join us for a community BBQ, SUNDAY, JULY 28TH, ROGER WILLIAMS PARK - Broad St. entrance (PROVIDENCE), 12PM. THERE WILL BE FOOD, SPEAKERS, PERFORMANCES, AND MUCH MORE INFORMATION ON DEPORTATION AND HOW YOU CAN HELP! for questions or more info, please contact the Providence Youth-Student  Movement (PrYSM) at 401.453.4914 or 401.286.0573



ESOL sharing/discussion session will take place on Monday, August 12 at 2:00 pm at the Genesis Center, 620 Potters Avenue, Providence.  We'll be focusing on program year start-up strategies.
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 soon as possible.

Community Health & Wellness Celebration August 16
Urban League of Rhode Island 246 Prairie Avenue Providence, RI 02905 351-5000 

ALL ARE WELCOME~FREE TO PUBLIC
8:15 to 9:15       Registration & Continental Breakfast
9:15 - Welcome, Dennis Langley, Executive Director, Urban League of RI
9:20 - Greetings, Patricia Nolan, MD, MPH, Director, Rhode Island  Department of Health
9:30 to 11:00 - Workshop "Epidemic of Obesity" Kathy Cullinen, MS, RD, LDN RI Obesity Control Program, RI Department of Health
11:00 to 12:00          Workshop "The Gonorrhea Project" Utpala Bandy, MD, MPH

9am-12pm      Women & Infants Family Van Health Screenings , On the front lawn (Please Do NOT Eat Prior to Screenings 

noon: Barbeque Luncheon On the Front Lawn 
12:30pm - John Hope Steppers
12pm-3pm:  Screenings & Informational Tables, Recreational Activities

Health Screenings & Informational Tables St. Frances Health Center, Allenberry Health Center, Lead Action Coalition, YMCA Obstacle Course, American Cancer Society, Davie Lopes, Urban League Minority Health, Tobacco Disparities, HIV/AIDS 

Sponsored by: Ameri-Corp Vista Volunteers, Department of Elderly Affairs, RI  Department of Health, Urban League of Rhode Island,  &  Aging 2000 Guide to fighting Medicare & Medicaid Fraud 

Community Health & Wellness Celebration Registration Form 

Name: ______________________________________________________________________

Agency or affiliation: ______________________________________________________________

Address: _______________________________________________________________________

Phone Number: _____________________________________________________________

Attending Morning Workshop: ______                   Attending Afternoon Events:______

Number of Persons Attending: ______

Fax to Loretta Becker at 454-1946 Or E-Mail Loretta@ulri.org


Women,  and literacy: The discussion/sharing group focussed on women's issues in adult literacy will reconvene on Thursday, August 22nd at 3:00 pm at the Swearer Center for Public Service, 25 George Street, Providence.   What are the issues you'd like to discuss in considering adult education for women?  http://www.brown.edu/lrri/women.html

learning opportunities

Women's Fund of RI   ready for applications; August 15 is the1st deadline for Year 2003 grants  - learn about community meetings to be held next week and funding opportunities from the RI Foundation http://www.rifoundation.org/womens_apply_intro.htm


TRANSITION to COLLEGE  administered by Project RIRAL
"This is a wonderful program that has changed my life.  A goal that I thought was impossible has now become a reality! It should be available to more people and I hope it keeps growing." TTC graduate

Did you know. . . College graduates can earn nearly double the wages of high school graduates, and this income gap will only increase in the coming years.  In order for many adult literacy programs graduates to reap these benefits and succeed in post-secondary education, they need additional academic preparation and counseling.  The New England ABE-to-College Transition Project responds to this need by providing free college transition services that include instruction in college level reading and writing, algebra, college survival and study skills, time and stress management, and educational and career counseling. Students who have transitioned to college also receive mentoring.  Transition to College has been funded by a grant from the Nellie Mae Foundation. Project RIRAL runs their Transition to College program in Pawtucket, Rhode Island at 175 Main Street. Anyone who is interested in learning more about this program should contact Marie Crecca-Romero @ 722-3100 ext. 182.   Recruitment is ongoing for the August, 2002 session.  Call today to sign up for Transition to College.



Inquiry projects - completed reports from this round of projects are posted/being posted on LR/RI's inquiry site http://www.brown.edu/lrri/inq2001.2.html - as well, new projects will be funded for the coming academic year. 
Call for new projects:  deadline for submissions is September 13.  An overnight retreat, a required component of the inquiry process, will be held on October 15 and 16. 


2002 minigrant projects now underway:  read about the projects being undertaken at:
http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Swearer_Center/Literacy_Resources/mingrants2002.html
The three minigrant recipients will present their work in the fall. 


computer drop in sessions - Due to changes in Brown's computing department, a computer lab will not be available for drop in sessions this summer.  If you or your students are interested in learning more about using online technology - email, the internet - options are available.  You can schedule time with LR/RI at your convenience to learn more about available online resources, consider working with a group of teachers or learners - in your lab, or in others that may become available to us as demand warrants.  Although there will not be a regularly scheduled Friday morning session, there are other ways of addressing interest in exploring the internet.  Please call or email LR/RI if you are interested in learning more about using the internet to support your own work in adult education, or just to learn more about the resources available online generally.


A Cambodian Family Journey
The Providence Public Library and the Cambodian Society of RI present a very special literacy opportunity for Providence Cambodian Families with children ages 11 -17 that will:  Invite Cambodian elders and families to share their rich culture and unique stories with children and the community; Enhance communication between parents and teenagers, adults and teens can practice English and Khmer languages; Teach teenagers in the program useful computer skills and introduction to web design - After interviewing their parents, each teen will create a web film about their family's story and much more. Each family will receive a copy of a book that has been shared in the class and the class will culminate in a special celebration of culture and community.

The Providence Public Library is among 12 US libraries awarded a grant from MetLife Foundation and Libraries for the Future: Reading America Project. Libraries for the Future (LFF) is a non-profit organization based in NYC that works with libraries to enhance community programming, reach inter-generational understanding and diverse populations. This project will hopefully be the beginning of future collaborations with LFF and the MetLife Foundation that will work with other diverse populations in the city of Providence. Some of the other libraries awarded this grant are in Arizona, Vermont, Massachusetts, Wyoming, Georgia and New Jersey. The Providence Public Library is the recipient of the 2001 National Award for Library Service for outstanding community service. We would like to offer at least 12-17 Providence Cambodian families this rewarding opportunity. Initially families attend all sessions together for discussion and sharing with translation assistance of Pich Chhouen, President of the Cambodian Society of RI and Michael Chuon, our south side neighborhood connection at Knight Memorial. After the stories are assembled, Jen Frisbee, a computer teacher at PPL will assist teens in developing their web sites. The first session begins on September 16, at the Knight Memorial Branch 275 Elmwood Ave. Providence, 02907, and will continue every Monday and Wednesday from 5:30-7:30 until November 13. The final presentation date and celebration will be announced. 

For information about attending,  A Cambodian Family Journey or general information, please call Kristen McKenna, Project Coordinator at PPL, 455-8066, or The Cambodian Society at 785-3611.



As a follow up to the workshop offered by Heide Spruck Wrigley , material has been added to the ELCivics page. Heide Wrigley has contributed four files to LR/RI's ELCivics page in addition to resources already posted there.  The new files: (1)  a curriculum unit on people and places, (a Word file), (2) a Powerpoint file :,"A Guide to Field Trips"; (3)  a Feedback Sheet sheet(another  Word document), and (4) strategies for implementation (Powerpoint). Heide would like you to know that you can provide feedback in a number or ways:
1.  by  filling in the feedback sheet electronically and attaching the document to an email to Heide
email: hwrigley@aiweb.com
2.  by  making comments on the curriiculum file directly  and attach it to an email
3.  By being part of a teacher share or providing feedback to the group
4. by writing an emails that explains what you did and how it worked for you -
Heide will be working on additional activities in the spring, related to student generated projects, learner inquiries into civics topics and activities related to "community mapping;" please be sure to share any great ideas you have along those lines. 

Your input is still needed
Joyce Fowlkes Campbell, ESL Coordinator for the US Department of Education, is interested in learning about and sharing with others our work in ESOL practice. If you, or others you know, are working on particularly promising approaches with your adult ESOL learners, please let us know. A brief description of the context in which you work, the work you're doing and its implications for others -- how can we adapt it? what can we learn from your work? -- will be greatly appreciate. The US DOE disseminates this information on thier website;  LR/RI will include your notice in upcoming bulletins and on its website as well. For more information, please contact janet_isserlis@brown.edu or contact Joyce directly at joyce.campbell@ed.gov

and, locally:
what do you think? LR/RI has had an online survey on its site for months.  Previously, those who may have come across the survey were asked to copy and paste it into an email message, or to print it and complete it.  Thanks to the brilliant technical support and inservice learning provided by Brown University, the survey can now be completed on line.  I'd be grateful if you could please take the time to complete it.  While occasional word comes back about the work LR/RI has done, this survey attempts to be somewhat more systematic in considering the work that's done and the work that needs to be accomplished.  Please complete the survey at http://www.brown.edu/lrri - scroll down and click on the link to the survey.  If you lack web access and wish to complete the survey, please contact LR/RI to receive one via snail mail or fax.


funding opportunities - large and less large



The Poverty & Race Research Action Council (PRRAC) announces another round of education reform grants in areas of social science research.  PRACC is particularly interested in issues such as high classroom turnover/mobility and its disproportionate impact on low-income, minority, and farm worker students.  However, other issues will be considered as well.  To apply, send PRRAC a proposal outlining the planned research and methodology, the advocacy work it is designed to support, a budget, timeline, and qualifications of the researchers.  Maximum grant: $10,000.  No application deadline. http://www.prrac.org/grants.htm 


Funding Solutions for Small Nonprofit Organizations
A collection of resources to help small nonprofit organizations fundraise including ways to motivate your board, sample fundraising letters, phonathon advice, and tips to improve your direct mail solicitation. http://www.nonprofit-innovations.com/



Rhode Island Special Interest Group of MATSOL
The Rhode Island SIG is a group of professionals in ESOL and Bilingual Education organizing under the auspices of MATSOL, in order to meet the professional needs in the field in Rhode Island.  Our purpose is to recruit ESOL and Bilingual Education professionals in Adult ESOL, Higher Ed, Workplace Ed, Elementary, Secondary, and Low-Incidence programs serving English Language Learners in Rhode Island, to determine advocacy and professional development needs.  If you are interested in joining or learning more about the Rhode Island Special Interest Group of MATSOL, you can contact Jenifer Giroux by e-mail jgiroux@ric.edu or at 456-8794.


employment opportunities


 From Peter Hocking (peter_hocking@brown.edu

The Swearer Center for Public Service at Brown University is  seeking qualified candidates to fill four positions on our staff.  The Swearer Center is forward-thinking educational program that links higher education with critical social needs.  The Center's programs span the arts, literacy, technology education, community health and international concerns.  We work with children, adolescents and adults.  Although much of our work is focused in Providence, RI, we support initiatives in various communities outside of Rhode Island. More information about the Swearer Center can be obtained on our web site. The full-time positions for which we are currently accepting applications are: 
Assistant Director - Youth, 
Program Coordinator, 
Assistant Director -- Providence Urban Debate League, and 
Debate Specialist / Coordinator -- Providence Urban Debate League. For complete job descriptions, go to http://swearercenter.brown.edu  Questions can be forwarded to me or to the supervising staff person (as noted on the job description). 



National Institute for Literacy:  links to  employment in adult literacy, at: http://www.nifl.gov/lincs/whats_new/job_announce.html


Rhode Island Community Jobs (RICOMJOB) is a public e-mail announcement list that seeks to raise the profile of meaningful work in Rhode Island by helping non-profit and public interest employers publicize openings effectively. Anyone seeking a job that makes a difference in Rhode Island can join the list.  Any non-profit, government or private sector employer advertising a paid position related to the public interest or community concerns can post a free job listing.  Positions must be paid but may be part-time, full-time or temporary.

To join the list as a job seeker or to post a job as an employer go to: http://www.ricommunityjobs.org 

Rhode Island Community Jobs is supported by the Swearer Center for Public Service at Brown University and the Rhode Island Campus Compact.  If you have questions about this service, please contact us at ricomjob@brown.edu 


online / resources


from Thursday Notes,  July 10: 
Report Recaps Keys to Alternative Assessments
If you're working on--or using--alternative assessments to measure learning gains in adult education, see the requirements for sound alternatives set out by the National Research Council. The Council just released its recap of an OVAE co-sponsored workshop on designing effective alternative assessments. Read it online at http://www.nap.edu/books/0309084539/html/ or buy it there at a 20% discount.

and from Thursday notes, July 25
Senate Committee Backs EL/Civics
Legislative language for FY 2003 again reserves $70M for EL/Civics activities. Funds would go to every state on the same formula as last year with a minimum grant of $60K. No date for Floor consideration was available at press time. To read the Senate committee version of the bill, see http://thomas.loc.gov/ and search for S2766.

Are Foreign-Born in Adult Ed Undercounted? 
We know English literacy (EL) and EL/Civics learners make up the largest share of adult education enrollment. Lately something more may be happening. MA State Director Bob Bickerton says that throughout the 1990s, English literacy students made up 40% of MA's adult education learners, while 60% of students were native-born learners in adult basic education or adult secondary education. Today 60% of adult education enrollees in the state are English literacy students. Another 20% of adult education/adult secondary learners also are foreign-born and have a native language other than English. They have enough English not to need English literacy and enroll in broader adult education programs. Fully 80% of the state's adult education efforts are serving foreign-born learners this year. Contact: dcornellier@doe.mass.edu

NAS: Education Key to Health Education plays what the Washington Post terms a "surprisingly important" role in good health according to the National Academy of Sciences. A new study says that education is central to understanding why and how to take medication, critical to good health care. See http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A49381-2002Jul23.html



New issue of NCLE notes from the National Center for ESL Literacy Education available on NCLE's Web site at http://www.cal.org/ncle/Nnotes111.pdf, or from the National Center for ESL Literacy Education, Center for Applied Linguistics 4646 40th Street NW, Washington, DC 20015


New Trends and Issues Alerts from the ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult, Career, and Vocational Education :
Virtual Networking for Career Development (#34) by Sandra Kerka - The critical career development strategy of networking is being transformed by the Internet into virtual or e-networking. A variety of communications technologies are helping people expand the reach and manage the growth of their personal and professional networks: e-mail; chatrooms, newsgroups, and listservs; websites of professional organizations and corporate and university alumni; personal web pages; and handheld personal data assistants.

Global Mobility of Workers (#35) by Battina Lankard Brown - Changes in the world economy such as globalization, free trade in services, and unequal demand for some occupations have resulted in increased cross-national movement of workers and emphasized the need for easily transferable or international qualifications. Leading the effort to address the issue of transferable qualifications is the European Union, which was established by the European Economic Community in the Treaty of Maastricht in 1992. The European Union introduced a community vocational training policy to support the free movement of workers across borders and to facilitate the acquisition of skills for transnational employment (Bainbridge and Murray 2000b).

Proprietary, Career, and Charter Schools and CTE (#36) by Michael E. Wonacott - Propietary and career schools have long provided postsecondary career and technical education (CTE) as private, for-profit institutions. In recent years, they have been joined at the secondary level by charter schools providing CTE. This Alert addresses important trends and issues affecting proprietary, career, and charter schools as providers of secondary or postsecondary CTE, as well as the implications of those trends for the more traditional, public institutions providing CTE.

These publications are available as e-mail messages, in PDF, or in paper, and at http://ericacve.org/listserv.asp  Send you requests to ericacve@osu.edu (note new e-mail address) and indicate the format you prefer. Be sure to include your mailing address if  you want paper copies.
Judy Wagner,  wagner.6@osu., 614/292-8625; 800/848-4815 (ext 2-8625);  FAX: 614/292-1260 TTY/TDD: 614/688-8734


the Providers Guide to Quality and Culture - resources for cultural competence
http://erc.msh.org/mainpage.cfm?file=2.0.htm&module=provider&language=English (from nHELP's immigrant health resource page http://www.healthlaw.org/immigrant.shtml )


from David Rosen (29 June, 02): The Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) (online) has an interesting page describing adult literacy and other adult education teachers.   A discussion of this information can be found on the National Literacy Advocacy List; (the thread begins with this post: http://lists.literacytent.org/pipermail/nla/2002/001289.html) the document itself is on line at http://stats.bls.gov/oco/ocos064.htm

The newest issue of Focus on Basics, on Staff Development, is available at http://ncsall.gse.harvard.edu ; scroll down and click on New Issue of Focus on Basics. Featured in the issue: NCSALL's staff development research, articles on video and study circles as staff development tools, using a learning organization approach to enhance professional development, one teacher's experience with NCAL's Professional Development Kit, the story of the redefinition of Kentucky's ABE professional development system, web resources for states interested in improving and expanding theirprofessional development systems, and advice from three "elder states people" on the role of the state in staff development - Barbara Garner Editor, Focus on Basics


SABES Resource Lists Available.  From Carey Reid [full message here]:
As you might know, Massachusetts now has a rigorous, stand-alone ABE teacher's license.  SABES, the System for Adult Basic Education Support, is a state-wide staff development system funded by MassDOE. 
Ö[S]months ago I asked if NLA subscribers were interested in helping SABES build resource lists, by standard, in support of teachers seeking the new license here in Massachusetts.  Many of you helped out, thank you, and we've also worked with small groups of people locally to build these 29 lists, now with over 150 resources--books, articles, websites, and videos.  The lists are now available on SABES's  license support website at http://www.sabes.org/license.  You can get quickly to the lists by clicking on the "new resources added" link under What's New, or at any time by using the resources link on the bottom of every webpage.  When you arrive at the chart listing the 29 standards, click on any standard to go to the resource list we've compiled for it.   The lists are annotated; with the annotations, teachers who wish to improve their knowledge and skills in respect to a particular standard can be more assured they're getting the resource they want or need.  If the resource can be viewed or downloaded on the Net, we've provided a link. 

Additionally, we want to improve these lists, so please email me at <creid@worlded.org> if you'd like to suggest additions or changes.  BTW, the full list of resources is also collected in a ProCite bibliography file, so if you use that software and would like to have your own "instant" database, let me know and I'll email you the file. As stated earlier, SABES is funded by the Massachusetts Department of Education.  To avoid confusion, the website is not an official DOE site but rather one of SABES's means of supporting license-seeking teachers in our state.  Links to Massachusetts DOE webpages, however, are provided on the site. 



Harry Seda has designed a survey on students' use of technology; your help is sought in disseminating this survey to adult learners.  Harry writes in the introduction to the survey: 
"Dear Fellow students: As a student ambassador and advocate I am doing another survey to help students find services, programs, and/or software programs that might help you learn and become more knowledgeable and a more productive member of your community. The content of this survey will better reflect the diverse needs and levels of all students, including English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL for short). Many students had written to me saying they would like to learn more about technology with computers. In order to find and develop new programs and find proper workshop settings to fit that need, I need your help by completing this survey found on my web site."  The Web address for the survey is:
http://harry_i_seda_lva.tripod.com/studentsurvey/index.html


breathe - everyday yoga at your desk. http://www.mydailyyoga.com/yoga/everyday_yoga.html


e-literacy: The National Institute for Literacy's electronic newsletter is online (new and archived issues) at http://www.nifl.gov/nifl/eliteracy/archive.html  NIFL also maintains an online calendar of events at http://www.nifl.gov/cgi-bin/Calendar/calendar_world.cgi  The March issue of  e-literacy is  available at: http://www.nifl.gov/nifl/eliteracy/02_03_01.html



search LR/RI - the search function at http://www.brown.edu/lrri has been improved so that the LR/RI website is now searchable.  Please try it.  Let me know what you think..  Thanks to Bill Dennen at Brown for his assistance in getting it to work.


Free education publications are available from ED Pubs, the U.S. Department of 
Education's Publications Center. To order free books, brochures, videos, and more,  visit the ED Pubs Web site (http://www.ed.gov/about/ordering.jsp) or call ED Pubs  toll-free at 877/433-7827.



CALL FOR PAPERS 2003 TESOL Journal Special Issue
Theme: Promoting L2 Literacy, Coeditors: Nancy Clair and Marjorie Terdal
Literacy is recognized today as more than just reading and writing ability and more complex than the simple dichotomy of "literate or illiterate." Rather, literacy is an extremely complex notion that is increasingly defined by the contexts in which it occurs and the factors that affect it, including economic, political, social, and cultural factors. For these reasons, ESOL researchers and practitioners must address the variety of literacies that learners seek to develop. These ESOL literacy learners are very diverse, representing not only children acquiring literacy in their L1 and L2s simultaneously but also adults who may lack or have limited literacy in their L1 and who are developing literacy in English for vocational, functional, critical, expressive, sociocultural, or general academic purposes.

The Autumn 2003 issue of TESOL Journal will focus on classroom-based practices and current scholarly perspectives related to ESOL literacy development. The purpose of this special issue is to bring together a variety of perspectives and current practices related to ESOL literacy education from the range of settings where it occurs, including ESL and EFL contexts; in schools, workplaces, community centers, and homes; and with children and adults.
The editors welcome submissions written in a clear, accessible style. Scholarly perspectives, like all submissions, should include direct implications for TESOL Journal readers' own professional practice. Possible contributions include, but are not limited to: innovative practices for promoting ESOL literacy,  sociocultural factors in literacy development, literacy development for learners with limited L1 literacy, developing multiple literacies, administration of literacy programs, linking literacy practices in the classroom to other contexts (e.g., workplace or community), viewpoints on ESOL literacy learning from an international perspective, literacy development for learners literate in non-Roman alphabet languages, using authentic materials to promote ESOL literacy, and assessing ESOL learners' English literacy.

These topics listed are meant to be illustrative, not restrictive. Submissions may address related areas or more than one of the areas. Submissions are welcome in all departments: feature articles, perspectives, reviews, tips from the classroom, and heard on the Web. All submissions must conform to regular submission guidelines, with the exception that three hard copies are requested of all submissions, regardless of the department. Submissions should be sent to the address below. The deadline for submissions is January 6, 2003. Send queries and material to: Marjorie Terdal, Applied Linguistics, Portland State University, P.O. Box 751, Portland, OR 97207 USA, Queries only to terdalm@pdx.edu and nclair@attbi.com



LR/RI website: a shortcut.  The URL for Literacy Resources/RI's website has not changed; you can now get to it more quickly by using this new address: http://www.brown.edu/lrri/ -- with thanks to Kath Connolly and Bill Dennen at Brown University for making it so.

conferences and workshops - conferences and workshops are listed chronologically and are updated with each bulletin



The League for Innovation is accepting proposals for the 2002 Conference on Information Technology, November 17-20, Long Beach, CA. Join your colleagues in this learning community to discover how information technology is transforming educational and social enterprises.  The conference appears to be aimed primarily at community and two-year colleges, which means it could have implications for adult education generally. http://www.league.org/2002cit/index.html


MATSOL Fall Conference MATSOL's 30 Years: Measuring Our Success  October 3-4, 2002   Lantana's Conference Center in Randolph, MA http://www.matsol.org/


World Congress & Exposition on Disabilities (WCD), October 3-5, Orlando, Florida.  Educators, Adapted Physical Education Specialists, Psychologists, Social Workers, Therapists and Speech Specialists: multidisciplinary disability conference and trade show in the industry, sponsored by the EP Foundation for Education, Inc., a 501(C) 3 not-for-profit organization, with the assistance of EP Magazine.  The comprehensive program also includes an intensive schedule of adapted physical activity sessions, and an additional 50 conferences in the employment symposium, sponsored by the Florida Department of Education, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services. CEU accreditation will be offered for educators through The Council for Exceptional Children, an authorized provider recognized by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET).  CEU accreditation for OTs, PTs, recreational therapists, social workers, speech & language pathologists and nurses will be offered through the University of Pittsburgh. http://www.wcdexpo.com for conference details and to pre-register at discounted rates (enter source code EDU.


Heritage Languages in America: Second National Conference Washington, D.C. October 18-20, 2002 The first day of the conference will be an invitational research symposium at the University of Maryland,. The final 2 days will be a public meeting in Tysons Corner, VA. http://www.cal.org/heritage Joshua Fishman, Yeshiva and Stanford Universities


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.


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/


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.



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.


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  • 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

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