|
LR/RI produces a bulletin roughly every
two
to three 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. To receive the bulletin via email, contact LR/RI.
August 11, 2006
Bulletin #221
Dear Colleagues,
Calls for participation, employment, funding,
and conference and workshop
opportunities, online
and other resources. To post information, and/or to receive
the bulletin via email, please contact LR/RI or leave a message at
(401-863-2839).
Janet Isserlis
____________________________________________________________
NOTICES
ESOL share
- August 22nd at 2:15 pm at
the Genesis Center, 620 Potters Ave, Providence.
What's new, what are your plans for starting the program year?
Project-based learning? literacy? other ideas?
Workplace education share September 12th, at 2:30 pm at the
Genesis Center. balancing needs of
employers and employees; discussion of Gary Pharness digest:
Learner-Centered Worker Education Program. http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2/content_storage_01/0000000b/80/2a/14/f4.pdf
advocacy information from Art
Ellison, Co-Chair, Policy Committee, National Council of State
Directors of Adult Education Re: Action Alert-Congressional 2006
Elections
Over the past years we have developed a comprehensive and highly
effective network whose substantial impact has been and continues to be
felt throughout the US Congress. As we have gone forward with our work
during the past 1 years many of us have come to the realization that
while advocacy with the existing members of Congress is the focus of
our immediate efforts, in the long run we need to start the process of
influencing members of Congress before they come into office. This
situation is best reflected in the old Chinese proverb that "it is too
late to dig the well when the house is on fire."
A small group of literacy advocates, appropriately named the 2006
Literacy Congress Workgroup, has been talking about how we can raise
the issue of adult education and literacy with candidates before they
are elected to Congress. This Alert reflects the work of this group
over the past several months and asks us all to take our advocacy work,
not in a new direction, but to an expanded group of individuals.
There are four attachments to this message that should be helpful in
this work. (note: if you haven't received these, please contact LR/RI).
1. Listings of the candidates for the 50
US House District and 7 Senate races that are considered to have the
most potential for changing from one party to the other.
2. An outline of a fact sheet that can be
used to combine national data on the need for adult education and
literacy programs and state and or congressional district data.
3. An article on written by Marsha Tait
that focuses on some activities that students and staff can carry out
between now and the November 7, 2006 Congressional Elections.
In addition to these three resources there are two other documents that
would be helpful to our efforts: Pick Your Candidate, a manual by
Debbie Tasker that students can use to select a candidate that reflects
their values and positions,
http://tech.worlded.org/docs/pick/PICKPR.HTM and Pennsylvania’s
Stand Up and Be Counted Manual that has a huge number of activities
that can be used to establish connections with current or would be
legislators. http://www.paacesite.org/web-content/PDFs/paace3.pdf
The
major action requested in this Alert:
Contact the Republican and Democratic candidates in the fifty House
races and seven Senate races and/or their staffs asking them to
publicly support additional resources for adult education programs (See
attached Congressional Fact Sheet). You may also want to take the same
action with any incumbent not included in the top 50 House or 7 Senate
races who is not yet considered a supporter of adult education.
The contacts with any candidate's campaign staff should be made at the
local level by adult educators from that Congressional district or
state. Contacts with incumbents can also be make through their
Washington or district offices. SINCE ALL CURRENT MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE
OR SENATE WILL BE SPENDING MOST OF AUGUST IN THEIR HOME DISTRICTS OR
STATES, THIS IS A GOOD TIME TO MEET WITH THEM IN THEIR OFFICES OR AT
YOUR PROGRAM SITE. Meetings with candidates who are not currently in
office can be arranged through their campaign staff.
I would like to do some personal follow up with the local people who
are carrying out the work above. Would you review the list of 50 House
and 7 Senate races then give me the contact information for the people
who you think will be doing this work?
Hopefully our new efforts will result in new friends and allies during
next year;s appropriation cycle. Thank you again for your
dedication to this work.
Volunteers Needed for Books Beyond
Books Beyond is a books-on-tape reading program at
the Rhode Island prison in Cranston.
Volunteers help inmates choose new, age-appropriate books for their
children from a large selection of children‚s books that have been
purchased from the program. Under the guidance of the volunteer, the
inmates read the books onto audio tape. The volunteer then mails the
books and audio tapes home to the children. (At present, only inmates
who are literate are being accepted into the program. This program does
not require volunteers to teach or tutor basic reading skills.)
Purpose:
Books Beyond will create a much-needed tie between parent and
child. With the help and supervision of volunteers, inmates will
be able to provide messages of love, reassurance and connection to
their estranged children. The children will have a constant
reminder of their
mothers and fathers, that is, books and tapes that may be re-read and
replayed over and over. We believe that this volunteer
operated program will provide a regular and essential link between
incarcerated parents and their families, providing an opportunity for
healthy and carefully monitored contact. (See below for more discussion)
Volunteer Responsibilities
After volunteer is trained (see more below) and given first his or her
inmate assignment, volunteer is responsible to:
- set up meetings with the assigned inmate via phone with the prison
counselors;
- help the inmate to choose a book from selections that the volunteer
will take from the book collection and show to the inmate;
- help the inmate read the book onto audio tape;
- supervise recording sessions with the inmate; - label tapes and
address envelopes;
- hand the addressed envelope to the program coordinator (or leave at
the Books closet in Dix) for mailing
- check in with program coordinator when an inmate is finished.
Personal qualities of
volunteers
-Desire to help build connections between parents and children in
broken families
- Love of books and reading
- Ability to conduct relaxed conversation and to help people (inmates)
feel at ease in a situation in which people are sometimes nervous or
self-consciousness
- Ability to offer brief, practical suggestions -- not in heavy-handed
or pedantic fashion -- to help people achieve the best results in
reading aloud
- Ability to restrain a desire for perfect results; ability to tolerate
less-than-ideal recording situations (background noise, time limits,
etc). -conviction that prison inmates and their families are worthy of
your attention, respect, time, and patience
Time commitment for
volunteers:
Preparation
1. One full day to attend New Employee Orientation (required by the
Department of Corrections for everyone working with inmates). This
class is usually offered one Monday a month. (see below for more
details)
2. One trip to prison property to have photo taken for computer system
that allows access to buildings (photo can be taken weekdays and
evenings).
3. One short, one-on-one meeting with Books Beyond program coordinator
Mary Lhowe for instruction and preparation (can be evenings or weekend)
Doing the work
1. After inmate is assigned, it takes an average of 3 or 4 meetings of
60 to 90 minutes per meeting with inmate to read and record books.
(Number of meetings may be higher for longer books -- i.e., young adult
novels -- going to older children). These meetings are scheduled by the
volunteer and prison counselors. Can be week-days, evenings, or
weekends, depending on availability of volunteer and inmate. Meetings
are scheduled by phone, working through counselors.
Requirements before
beginning work
To be eligible, volunteers must complete a one-day New Employee
Orientation (NEO) provided by the Department of Corrections and receive
approval to enter prison facilities. The NEO is offered one Monday a
month from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the prison property. Orientations are
scheduled on Mondays, July 24, August 21, September 18, October 16,
November 20, December 18.
The department sometimes offers the training in two evening sessions
that take place on two successive Monday evenings. This is the normal
full-day session divided into two night sessions, so you must attend
both. At the time of this writing (June 24), no dates for evening
classes have been set. They are likely to resume in the fall.
You must sign up for a New Employee Orientation by calling Donna
Kenyon, supervisor of interns and volunteers, at 462-2537 at least 3
days ahead. Also please tell me, Mary Lhowe, when you are ready to sign
up for NEO. If you want to volunteer, please contact Mary Lhowe,
program coordinator, by phone (401-739-5565) or email at
Lhowe@cox.net
Additional Background and
discussion:
More than 3,500 children in RI have a father or mother in prison.
Despite the problems of maintaining ties between parent and child, the
effort proves well worth it. Children are at increased risk of
abuse or neglect as their living situation changes rapidly and perhaps
frequently, loss of financial support, feelings of abandonment by the
parent, and subjection to social stigma.
Over time, these problems may develop into a host of other troubles,
ranging from decreased academic performance, delinquency, substance
abuse, or psychological disturbances related to trauma.
Maintaining contact with the incarcerated parent may mitigate some of
these tragic consequences for the children. Furthermore, there are
positive effects on the parents themselves.
Research has shown that maintaining family ties during incarceration
decreases the risk that the offender will turn to drugs or return to
prison. Studies show that parents with regular contact with their
children are more likely to contribute to paying child support. New
children‚s books were purchased for the program with funds from the
national Reading Is Fundamental program. All labor is volunteer.
U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services' Quick Guide to Health Literacy
Combining evidence and best practice, the new HHS Quick Guide to Health
Literacy is a reference for professionals interested in health
literacy. Strategies discussed in the guide reflect the current
body of research in health literacy and health communication.
These strategies include: improving the usability of health
information; improving the usability of health services; building
knowledge to improve health decision-making; and advocating for
health literacy improvement. The action-oriented tools can be
applied to health care delivery, policy, administration, and public
communication and education activities. (background): In
2000, HHS released the Healthy People 2010 objectives, based on
research that is used to shape policy and programmatic directions, as
well as stimulate changes in organizational, professional, and public
practices. The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
(ODPHP) at HHS is the lead agency for Healthy People 2010 and
specifically for the Health Communication Objectives that include
health literacy improvement. Since 2003, ODPHP has used these
objectives to lead an HHS-wide effort to develop the research base,
identify organizational and professional barriers, raise awareness, and
develop tools for health literacy improvement. The Quick Guide, along
with a sample Power Point presentation on health literacy/other
resources, is available at: http://www.health.gov/communication/literacy/default.htm.
- Stacy Robison, MPH, CHES, Health Literacy Fellow, Office of Disease
Prevention and Health Promotion, Department of Health and Human
Services, 1101 Wootton Parkway, Suite LL100, Rockville, MD 20852 Phone:
240-453-8271 Email: srobison@osophs.dhhs.gov
Financial
literacy curriculum for ESL students divided into 3 units:
Basic Banking Services, Credit, Planning for the Future, and there is
an additional lesson on Identity Theft. The lessons are most
appropriate for Intermediate High students but can be adapted for other
levels. In our district we have used it for a special 30-hour
class as
well as integrated it into a regular ESL class. Available for
downloaded from the Outreach and Technical Assistance Network at:
http://www.adultedteachers.org/search/index.cfm?fuseaction=mini
Search
for Financial Literacy Lessons for ESL Students - Leslie
Shimazaki San
Diego Community College District
Practitioner
minigrant projects are underway – read about them at http://www.brown.edu/lrri/minigrant0506.html.
ALE Wiki: Katrina - families,
literacy, access and community
learning
opportunities
Online
courses: The Center for
Literacy Studies at the University
of Tennessee, and the Ohio Literacy Resource Center at Kent State
University announce spring 2006 distance learning courses.
Overviews
of each course, as well as start dates, are posted at http://www.aeprofessional.org.
Providence Public
Library events
- http://www.provlib.org/branchout/current.html
funding
opportunities - large and less large
Grants to Improve Family Literacy - The
Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy's grantmaking program for
2007 seeks to develop or expand projects designed to support the
development of literacy skills for adult primary care givers and their
children. Maximum Award: $65,000.
Eligibility: organizations with current nonprofit or public status that
have been in existence for two or more years as of the date of the
application. Deadline: September 8. http://news.publiceducation.org/t/5468/71227/161/0/
Funding
opportunities from PEN Weekly
NewsBlast, (from Pen Weekly Newsblast; To view
past issues of the PEN Weekly NewsBlast, visit: http://www.publiceducation.org/newsblast_past.asp
Hasbro Children Foundation grants to support the development and/or
expansion of programs for children. Maximum Award: $500-$35,000.
Eligibility: Programs must provide direct services to children under
age 13. They must serve children and families who are economically
disadvantaged. They must be innovative and provide a model from
whichothers can learn.
Deadline: N/A. http://www.hasbro.org
The Allen Foundation supports educational nutrition programs, with
priority given to training programs for children and young adults to
improve their health and
development. Maximum Award: Past grants haveranged from $2,000 to $1
million. Eligibility:
Schools and schooldistricts should partner with local nonprofits to
form nutrition education
programs. Deadline: Ongoing.
http://www.allenfoundation.org/
The UPS Foundation funds volunteer management, hunger and
literacy
efforts.
http://www.community.ups.com/community/philanthropy/focus/main.html.
The federal government's new one stop grant site:
http://www.grants.gov/
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.php
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/
employment
opportunities
Executive Assistant/Office
Manager Position Available
Immediate opening for a part time Executive
Assistant/Office Manager for Rhode Island for Community and Justice
(RICJ), a social justice nonprofit with a mission of fighting prejudice
and promoting understanding and mutual respect among all people.
The Executive Assistant/Office Manager runs the day-to-day business of
the RICJ office. Responsibilities include bookkeeping, record
keeping and scheduling for fundraising and program activities,
monitoring and requisition of supplies and organizing the office’s
workflow. Assist Executive Director to plan and implement
fundraising events and programs. Utilize computer software for
accounting, budgeting and fundraising records (Quick Books, Access,
E-Tapestry). This position interacts frequently with a diverse
community. Part time 25 hr/wk with competitive salary, no
benefits.
We seek an individual with excellent verbal and written communication
skills, who is highly organized, efficient, reliable and
trustworthy. Computer proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite,
financial software and database packages are required. Bachelor’s
degree or equivalent experience, 3 years experience in office
management, and bilingual skills are preferred.
Qualified applicants should email a cover letter with salary
requirements and resume to: RICJ@cox.net , fax to 401-467-2707 or mail
to RICJ, 80 Washington Street, Room 227, Providence, RI,
02903-1803.
RICJ does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for
employment because of race, sex, color, ethnicity, disability, national
origin, religion, creed, age, marital status, sexual orientation,
gender identity or expression, citizenship or authorized alien status
or veteran status.
Health Educator
for Adult Learners
The Rhode Island Health Literacy Project (RIHLP), a
coalition comprised of public health, literacy, and insurance
professionals, seeks a health educator to pilot a basic health
curriculum to adult learners at Dorcas Place, Adult and Family Learning
Center in Providence. The class will meet weekly for two hours
from September 12 – March 23. Meeting day and time is to be determined.
Preferred candidate will have experience teaching adult learners using
the adult participatory model. To apply, please call Kate McMahon
at (401) 459-1795 by August 28, 2006.
Substitute
teaching: The
Genesis Center is interested in adding to its substitute list. If you
are an ESOL instructor who is interested in occasional work as a
substitute, either day, evening or Saturday hours, please call Nancy
Fritz or Pat Clarkin at 781-6110.
Jobs in Literacy –
nation wide postings on the National Institute for
Literacy’s LINCS site: http://www.nifl.gov/cgi-bin/lincs/jobs/jobs.cgi
Substitute list:
if
you would like your name added to the general
list,
please see contact LR/RI. The list needs to be updated so that it
can function more usefully for teachers and programs hoping to work
with
them. (http://www.brown.edu/lrri/sub.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 available
Join
the National Institute for Literacy for a live webcast on August 15, from1:30
- 3:15 p.m. to discuss the results of the National Assessement of Adult Literacy
(NAAL) 2003, specifically relating to Americans who tested in the Below
Basic and Basic literacy levels. Adults with Basic and Below Basic
Literacy Levels: Findings from NAAL and Implications for Practice. The
webcast can be viewed from your computer. We encourage you to register
in advance. For more information about this webcast, go to: http://www.nifl.gov/
To register go to: http://w.on24.com/r.htm?e=26758&s=1&k=EC4046F499FFDA3117E9FDB1758666EB
The webcast will feature Dr. Sheida White, of the National Center for
Education Statistics, who served as
project officer for the NAAL, who will present the findings of the NAAL
for Below Basic and Basic levels. After working as a full-time reading
researcher for 6 years, she joined NCES in 1991.
During the first 8 years at NCES, she monitored the National Assessment
of Education Progress (NAEP). Since 1999, she has been directing
the NAAL project. Her articles have appeared in journals such as
Language in Society and Reading Research Quarterly. In addition, there
will be a panel of subject-matter experts who will discuss what
implications the NAAL findings for Below Basic and Basic adults will
have on programs. The panelists including John Strucker, of the
National Center for Adult Literacy and Learning, will discuss basic
skills; and Brian Bosworth, of the consulting firm FutureWorks, will
discuss implications for workforce programs. John Strucker, Ed.D., is a
Lecturer in Education and Research Associate at the National Center for
the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL) at the Harvard
Graduate School of Education. He teaches a laboratory practicum course
at Harvard, "Developing Reading in Adults and Older Adolescents," and
he has been the principal investigator on two large-scale assessment
projects, NCSALL's Adult Reading Components Study (ARCS) and the joint
NCSALL/ETS Level 1 Study. Brian Bosworth is the founder and
President of FutureWorks, a private consulting and public policy
research firm in Belmont, Massachusetts, that builds regional
institutions and strategies for economic growth, workforce education,
and civic improvement. The webcast will be moderated by
Lori Aratani, Education Staff Writer at the Washington
Post. -My Linh Nguyen, Associate Director of
Communications, National Institute for Literacy
(202) 233-2041, fax (202) 233-2050 mnguyen@nifl.gov
A new guide for high school and
college professionals to help them assist underserved students,
independent students, those with disabilities, and foster youth prepare
academically, financially, and emotionally for postsecondary education and training
success is now available free from Casey Family Programs.
It's My Life: Postsecondary Education and Training gives
professionals the recommendations, strategies, and resources they need
to improve their work with young people for college success. It is a
valuable resource for educators, counselors, and child welfare
professionals who work with youth of transition age. The guide
includes: links to online resources on preparation, study skills,
financial aid, and student housing ; a comprehensive guide to
standardized tests ; a step-by-step plan for applying for financial
aid; resources for students with special needs ; checklists for
students in each secondary grade level ; and retention strategies
focusing on underrepresented students . It provides eight
recommendations and numerous strategies for helping young people begin
and succeed in postsecondary programs. The recommendations include:
Fostering high postsecondary aspirations; Encouraging long-term
educational and career planning; Stressing rigorous academic
preparation; Supporting students in taking standardized tests;
Supporting students in choosing, applying for, and enrolling in
postsecondary education; Helping students obtain adequate financial
aid; Engaging young adults who have missed out on postsecondary
preparation; and Helping students adjust to and complete their college
program. http://www.casey.org/Resources/Publications/IMLPostsecondaryEd.htm
direct link to the publication:
http://www.casey.org/NR/rdonlyres/92960D67-DDA4-4E50-9E4F
D52315D55D45/746/CaseyPostSecondaryGuide021306.pdf
The Adult Literacy
Education (ALE)
Wiki now has 30 topics, a newly designed front page, over 730
pages of content, and more than 600 subscribers. Every week
adult literacy educators add new content.
The ALE Wiki is a community of practice and a professional development
treasurehouse. Check it out -- or visit again -- at: http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/Main_Page
For some of the topic areas we still need Topic Area Leaders. To
learn more about this, please email David J. Rosen, djrosen@comcast.net
Career Voyages – US Dept of Labor
website exploring career options in advanced manufacturing, automotive,
construction, energy, financial services, health care, hospitality,
information technology, retail, and transportation industries, as well
as in emerging industries -- biotechnology, geospatial technology, and
nanotechnology. Learn which industries are growing, how to qualify for
a good job, and where to get started. http://www.careervoyages.gov/index.cfm
Includes video (with subtitles) illustrating a number of occupations.
Study Circle Guide: Adult Student
Persistence
Newly revised to include the second phase of the NCSALL research on
adult student persistence, this guide provides comprehensive
instructions for facilitating a 10.5 hour study circle. It explores
research about adult student persistence and ideas for how to apply
what is learned in classrooms and programs. The guide is based on a
review of the NCSALL research on adult student persistence conducted by
John Comings and others, summarized in an article entitled Supporting
the Persistence of Adult Basic Education Students and other studies on
student motivation and retention. It includes articles, resources, and
action research reports to help practitioners consider strategies for
increasing adult student persistence. The guide provides all necessary
materials and clear instructions to plan and facilitate a 3-session
study circle with an option for a fourth. Each session lasts 3
and-a-half hours. To download the guide, go to: http://www.ncsall.net/?id=896
- and –
The National Institute for Literacy and the National Center for the
Study of Adult Learning and Literacy present Persistence Among Adult Education Students
Panel Discussion This 30 minute video focuses on persistence in
ABE, ESOL, and GED programs, and features a NCSALL study entitled,
"Supporting the Persistence of Adult Basic Education Students." Dr.
John Cummings presentation examines student persistence in adult
education programs. He presents a working definition of persistence,
examines existing research, and describes NCSALL's 3-phase study of the
factors that support and inhibit persistence. Other panelists include
practition-ers, Kathy Endaya and Ernest Best. Online: http://www.nifl.gov/nifl/webcasts/persistence/persistence_cast.html
You may need to cut and paste the whole web address in your
browser, or you could try this shorter version:
http://tinyurl.com/s6tcu Macintosh users will need to select the
Quicktime format for viewing the presentation.
The DVD of the panel will be available within the next two months, for
more information, contact info@nifl.gov. To read the Special
Topics list discussion with Dr. Cummings, for more information, go to:
http://www.nifl.gov/pipermail/specialtopics/2006/000088.html
Jo Maralit, National Institute for Literacy mmaralit@nifl.gov
http://www.nifl.gov/
The
OVAE REVIEW Summer Edition Office of Vocational
and Adult Education (OVAE)
U.S. Department of Education Angela Desrochers-Editor “The
OVAE Review” is an update from the Office of the Assistant Secretary,
Office of Vocational and Adult Education, U.S. Department of Education.
Practitioner Research
Training Guide: Research-based Adult Reading Instruction -
provides comprehensive instructions for facilitating a 31-hour training
that guides practitioners through an investigation of a problem related
to reading. Practitioners conduct the research in their own classrooms.
The guide provides all necessary materials and clear instructions to
plan and facilitate a four-session practitioner research training. The
sessions vary in length. To download the guide, go to
http://www.ncsall.net/index.php?id=1143 - and -
Training Guide: Study Circle Facilitators - provides comprehensive
instructions for preparing experienced adult education practitioners to
facilitate NCSALL study circles. The training focuses on the NCSALL
study circle, Research-based Adult Reading Instruction
http://www.ncsall.net/?id=892 . However, the training can be adapted to
prepare facilitators for NCSALL study circles in general or on another
topic. The guide provides all necessary materials and clear
instructions to plan and facilitate a one-day, study circle
facilitators training. The training is six hours in length. To
download the guide, go to http://www.ncsall.net/index.php?id=1137
Oregon has been engaged in a collaborative 2 year Science and Math
professional development initiative for ABE/GED and ESL teachers. We
are thrilled to share with other states that two Oregon adult literacy
instructors were chosen to go on Teacher at Sea Expeditions to the
Mariana Arc and the Antarctic with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration. These are amazing opportunities for the field of adult
education and for our instructors, many of whom are part time.
Students, instructors, and the general public can follow the second
expedition to the Antarctic from July 3 - August 15, and learn about
the scientific research at the Polar Science Station website
http://literacynet.org/polar; The website includes background
information, photos, learning activities, links to other resources
about Antarctica, and journal logs sent from the ship during the
expedition. You can write to Marian Tyson or other scientists
while they are at sea by using the "Contact Marian" button on the Polar
Science Station website, or directly to mtyson@literacyworks.org. This
project builds a special connection between a trained ABE instructor
and all adult education professionals and their students. For more
details and to download a flyer on this initiative, go to
http://www.coabe.org
Announcing a new website on Learning
and Violence http://www.learningandviolence.net
In the aftermath or presence of violence, too many people believe they
cannot learn. This innovative interactive site is a resource to support
learning. Join us to: Build an Understanding of the scope of the
problem and of different forms of violence and their impact on
learning; Explore Possibilities to learn differently, help
yourself and others learn, and take care of yourself;
Create Change by learning about new initiatives in every sector
of education and finding others working on this issue;
Imagine a Future by dreaming with us about a world without violence
and inequality.
The website is just beginning. Bookmark it and come back often to watch
it evolve.
Help build it. Add your voice: share your knowledge from learning,
teaching and research in words and images.
Contact Jenny Horsman jenny@learningandviolence.net
This website is an initiative of Spiral Community Resource Group/ and
Parkdale Project Read, developed with start up funding from the
Adult Learning Knowledge Centre of the Canadian Council on
Learning
The International Adult Literacy Study (IALS)
is now available in a searchable database, permitting users to retrieve
prose, document and quantitative literacy data for each of the
countries listed in the table, and for a wide range of combined
intermediate variables. Users can produce estimates of mean
performance, and percentages of each proficiency level for each of the
IALS literacy scales by any combination of background variables. Each
estimate is accompanied by the appropriate measures of statistical
reliability. The IALS database home page: http://www.statcan.ca/english/freepub/89-588-XIE/ials-eiaa.htm
- access the database from there.
teaching resource: No Human is Illegal: An
Educator’s Guide for Addressing Immigration In the Classroom;
available at http://www.nycore.org
In the recent weeks HR4437 advocates have sought to
introduce
legislation that will radically change the legal, social, and economic
status of immigrant communities in the US. The debate rages on and we
have heard
opinions ranging from the conservatives to the democrats to the
left—and a powerful constituency has emerged stronger than ever before
in the 21st century—students. How will educators encourage these acts
of critical thinking, civic responsibility, agency, and above all—
student leadership in advocating for all human rights? How can
educators engage their students in these critical issues in the
classroom? How can we serve as the liaison between students andthe
mixed messages the media and politicians are sending?
This guide is for educators to take on the important
issues that
teachers and students alike have been tackling in
their activism from INSIDE the classroom. This resource can be
best used online as a web resource. – from Sally Lee, Founder, Teachers
Unite sally@teachersunite.net 646-206-4160, http://www.teachersunite.net
Google Scholar enables searches for
scholarly
literature, including
peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, preprints, abstracts and technical
reports from broad areas of research. Use Google Scholar to find
articles
from a variety of academic publishers, professional societies, preprint
repositories and universities, as well as articles available across the
web. Google Scholar orders search results by how relevant they
are
to your query, so the most useful references should appear at the top
of
the page. This relevance ranking takes into account the full text of
each
article as well as the article's author, the publication in which the
article
appeared and how often it has
been cited in scholarly literature. Google Scholar automatically
analyzes
and extracts citations and presents them as separate results, even if
the
documents they refer to are not online. This means your search results
may include citations of older works and seminal articles that
appear only in books or other offline publications. http://scholar.google.com/
Living in Poverty slideshow does
the
math: what
does it take to live at the poverty level.
http://www.nccbuscc.org/cchd/povertyusa/tour2.htm
RI Foundation online scholarship
directory - searchable by city/town,
intended field of study, current high school, and more. http://scholarship.rifoundation.org/
YouthBuild USA Learning Network has
links to Web sites and
full-text
documents, and includes a section on "Authentic Materials/Engaged
Learning/Constructivism/Contextual Learning/Project-based Learning." http://www.youthbuild.org/learningnetwork/professionaldev.html
Providence Community Resource Network
(PCRN) http://www.provplan.org/pcrn
Spanish language version of PCRN is up and running.
You
can access the site from the PCRN home page, http://www.provplan.org/pcrn,
or go to http://www.provplan.org/pcrnespa.
The Web pages, online instructions, and the content of the database
have
all been translated.
conferences
and workshops - conferences and workshops
are
listed chronologically and are updated with each bulletin
Rhode Island - Training/events around
employment issues
for people with disabilities http://www.ric.edu/uap/training.html
Registration for the 2006 COABE
regional Institute by the Bay
is now open, and will be accepted on a first come - first served
basis.
Several of the COABE strands are limited to the first 30 registrants,
you will need to make your first and second choice for training
strands. Also, please note that the deadline for early registration is September 15th.
After this date a rather substantial late fee will be charged.
The FINAL deadline for registration is October 2nd. No late
registration will be accepted and there is no registration at the
door.
The list of Institute Strand descriptions are available on the web
site.
Below is the list of available strands:
Administrative Leadership with Kathy Polis and Lennox McLendon, NAEPDC,
Adult Learning Disabilities with June Crawford, NIFL,
Assessment in the Adult Education Classroom with Ann Marie Barter and
Valerie Sullivan,
College Transitions Math with Pam Meader,
Differentiated Instruction with Donna Lee, USM faculty
ESOL: Is it LD or Something Else? with Robin Schwarz,
Public Policy and Advocacy with Bob Bickerton, Art Ellison, Silja
Kallenbach and Andy Nash, NELRC,
Reading: Vocabulary and Comprehension Instruction with Jane Meyer, STAR
trainer, Wilson Reading with Judy Storer,
Workplace Literacy with Melissa Dayton, Connecticut, CREC
Register and pay online - using either a Purchase Order or Credit
Card (MasterCard or VISA), register and pay using a hard copy of the
registration form. With this option you can pay by Purchase
Order, Credit Card, or Check. If using a check you must mail in
your registration form and payment. Each registrant MUST include an
e-mail address on the registration form. Confirmation of
registration will be sent by e-mail only!
To get information and/or register for the conference go to http://www.maineadulted.org/conferences.html
If you have any questions please contact your COABE Regional Institute
co-chairs: Connie Patton, COABE Region 1 representative,
cpatton@msad35.net; or Evelyn Beaulieu, COABE Institute co-chair,
evelyn.beaulieu@umit.maine.edu - Evelyn Beaulieu, Director Center for
Adult Learning and Literacy, 5749 Merrill Hall, UM Orono, ME
04469 (207) 581-2413 http://www.umaine.edu/call/
call for participation: The National Center
for Family Literacy invites you to submit a proposal for
presentation at the 16th Annual National Conference on Family Literacy,
March 4 - 6, 2007, in Orlando, Florida. NCFL is especially interested
in session presentations that share successful, specific outcomes and
strategies that work well for the diverse populations family literacy
serves. Proposals are welcome from literacy practitioners and are
encouraged from professionals in administration, policy and research.
Deadline for submission of proposals is September 29.For further
information and to access the Call for Conference Proposals form,
please visit http://www.famlit.org/Conference/index.cfm
The 2006 National Even Start Association
Annual Conference, entitled Even Start Family Literacy:
Learning from the Past, Creating the Future, will be held October 15-17
at the Holiday Inn on the Bay in San Diego, CA. There will be one day
of pre-conference sessions and two days of general conference sessions.
Additional information will be available soon. http://www.evenstart.org/
October 27th and 28th : Bridges to
Opportunity conference at LaGuardia Community College in Long
Island City, Queens, NY.
Sponsored by the Center for Immigrant Education and Training and the
Center for Teaching and Learning of LaGuardia Community College, the
conference offers professionals from around the US an opportunity to
come together to strategize how to develop effective systems to support
workforce development for English Language Learners, share lessons we
have learned from our work, and build a knowledge base that can serve
as a resource in this field, and identify what works in workforce
development for English Language Learners and make recommendations for
next steps.
The conference is partially funded through the US DOL-ETA High Growth
Initiatives and the keynote speaker, Heide Spruck Wrigley, Ph.D., is
president of Literacy Work International, a small social science
research firm, specializing in issues affecting language minority
adults. She is currently key in two national literacy projects in the U
S and in Canada dealing with youth and adults who are struggling
readers. Dr. Wrigley is primary author of The Language of
Opportunity: Expanding the Employment Prospects of Adults with Limited
English Skills, a publication of the Center for Law and Social
Policy. For more information: http://www.lagcc.cuny.edu/ace/bridges/
- Suma Kurien, Director, Center for Immigrant Education and Training,
LaGuardia Community College
Fall SCALE Conference, November 3-4:
Each year SCALE – Student Coalition for Action in Literacy Education -
hosts the Read. Write. Act. National Conference, the only national
conference devoted to the interests and concerns of campus-based
literacy programs. Participants come to share information, learn new
skills, challenge assumptions, and develop ideas to create more
participatory literacy programs. Learn more at:
http://www.readwriteact.org/rwa/conference.html
From Erik Jacobson,
Chair, J. Michael Parker Award Committee - The National Reading Conference's
(NRC) 56th Annual Meeting will take place in Los Angeles, from
November 29 to December 2. The conference covers a range of
literacy related topics, including adult literacy. Information is
available at http://www.nrconline.org/.
I encourage adult literacy researchers to join the dialogue at
the meeting and to consider submitting proposals. In addition, to
encourage research on adult literacy, NRC has established the J.
Michael Parker Award, given to graduate students and
untenured professors who present research on adult learning or
education at the annual meeting. Information and submission
guidelines at http://www.nrconline.org/pdf/2006callforproposals.pdf
SAVE the DATES: November 30-December
2, 2006 A MEETING OF THE MINDS II SYMPOSIUM
The National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy, the
California Department of Education Adult Education Office, and the
California Adult Literacy Professional Development Project of the
American Institutes for Research announce a Meeting of the Minds II: A
National Adult Education Practitioner-Researcher Symposium.
Scheduled for November 30-December 2, at the Sheraton Grand hotel in
Sacramento, California, the symposium is designed to provide
opportunities for adult education practitioners and researchers to
share and discuss current research findings and practitioner wisdom. It
will engage practitioners and researchers with questions related to
goals, accountability, and efficacy and efficiency in policy, practice,
and research. The ultimate goals of the symposium are to highlight
systemic changes that can enhance literacy practice and increase
student learning gains. The theme of this symposium is Systemic Change
and Student Success: What Does Research Tell Us? As in the first
Meeting of the Minds Symposium that was held in 2004, each session of
the 2006 Symposium will be structured so that the research presentation
is followed by a panel of practitioners who will discuss implications
for practice or policy. In addition, conference attendees will have
opportunities for small group interaction and networking with
researcher-presenters to discuss not only how research can inform
practice and policy, but also how practice and policy can inform and
suggest a research agenda.
More information will be available soon at http://www.researchtopractice.org.
(This Web site currently lists presenters' PowerPoints and abstracts of
sessions held at the 2004 Meeting of the Minds symposium as well as
thoughts generated by attendees regarding implications of the research
findings.) We are updating this site to house information about online
registration for the 2006 symposium as well as information about hotel
registration. We will send out another notice after the Web site has
been updated.
-Mary Ann Corley, Ph.D., Symposium Coordinator and CALPRO Director,
American Institutes for Research
other events and
conferences http://www.nifl.gov/cgi-bin/Calendar/calendar_world.cgi
TESOL worldwide calendar of events http://www.tesol.org/isaffil/calendar/index.html
from previous bulletins: REMINDERS,
RESOURCES:
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
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.
breathe - everyday yoga at your desk. http://www.mydailyyoga.com/yoga/everyday_yoga.html
what do you think? LR/RI has had an online survey
on its
site
forever. 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.
please
submit
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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