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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.
November 21,
2006
Bulletin #230
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
- Tuesday, November 28 at 2:30 pm at
the Genesis Center, 620 Potters Ave, Providence.
Nazneen Rahman will continue to describe– and seek
input -- about techniques and approaches for ESOL classrooms,
especially at the lower levels. Nazneen’s goal is to introduce
the techniques and have people talk about their own experience.
Those attending her last session have asked for more - please join us.
Workplace
education share November
29, at 2:30 pm at the
Genesis Center - engaging employers: where are we at?
Call for Writings by Students in Adult
Literacy/Basic Education
Women's Perspectives #2: Women Who Dare ~ Daily Steps to Big
Accomplishments will showcase writings by adult literacy/basic
education students across all levels. This collection will continue to
empower women to exhibit the positive effect they have in our
communities.
The Call for writings is available at: http://www.litwomen.org/perspectives.html
*Note: There are two versions. The Call for Students
includes writings prompts. The call for use by teachers & tutors
includes some lesson plan ideas. The
deadline to send writings is December 22. Electronic
submissions (by email or on CD-ROM) are strongly encouraged. MAIL or
EMAIL writings to: WE LEARN, c/o Mev Miller, Ed.D., 182 Riverside
Ave. Cranston, RI 02910 welearn@litwomen.org If you
have questions or need more information, please contact: Mev
Miller welearn@litwomen.org 401-383-4374
From OVAE's Thursday notes:
New Regs For NRS - OVAE published an October 18 Notice of
Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that would provide States and local programs
with new rules for using tests approved for the National Reporting
System and test creators with a standard process for the submission,
review and approval of tests for the NRS. Under new regulations,
all tests currently approved for the NRS would be re-submitted for
review by OVAE. The time for public comment closed on 11/17; final
regulations taking those comments into consideration are expected this
spring.
http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/proprule/2006-4/101806a.pdf
and
Bill Knudsen Named Chief of Staff Assistant - Secretary Troy R.
Justesen announced that he has named William (Bill) W. Knudsen IV as
OVAE’s Chief of Staff. Knudsen,Deputy Director of
Intergovernmental Affairs at the Department, has served as a
special assistant in the Office of Legislative Affairs and worked on
policy issues, such as the No Child Left Behind Act and the Individuals
with Disabilities Education Improv-ement Act of 2004. Prior to
joining the Department, Bill worked on Capitol Hill and for a school
district in southern California.
Volunteers needed:
Federal Hill House needs literacy volunteers/reading coaches to help
parents that need to learn to read or need to improve their reading
skills. Duties will include: using assessment tools to determine
reading level and using beginning reading materials to bring clients to
a fifth grade reading level. Requirements: Good reading/writing
skills, ability to communicate ideas in an uncomplicated manner, and a
desire to help others. If interested, please call Sandra Perez at
421-4722.
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.
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, November 20, December 18.
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
new website: The
Institute for Language and Education Policy is a newly formed,
nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting research-based policies
in serving English and heritage language learners. We are teachers,
administrators, researchers, professors, students, and others who
believe that the time for advocacy is now. Learn more
http://www.elladvocates.org/
learning
opportunities
classes
available through the Certificate in
Family Literacy at Penn State University, Spring Semester 2007,
January 24th through April 25th:
Introduction to Family
Literacy (ADTED 456, 3 credits): Explores the rationale
for and characteristics of comprehensive family literacy, focusing on
the families served, services provided, outcomes achieved, and the
roles and responsibilities of the individuals, organizations, and
communities involved.
Interactive Literacy:
Parents and Children (ADTED 459, 3 credits): Focuses on
interactive literacy between undereducated parents and children from
birth to grade 3. Activities, including those for English language
learners, encourage language and literacy development for home and
formal care/education settings. Language, reading and writing/drawing
are treated in integrated, developmental processes. Instructional
strategies and methods are designed for family literacy and early
childhood educators to be able to develop and implement
intentional/planned interactive language and literacy learning
experiences for parents and their children.
To register or for additional information visit http://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/
and go to Certificate Programs, Family Literacy. Email questions to:
Donna Bell at the National Center for Family Literacy dbell@famlit.org
or Sheila Sherow at Penn State University sms20@psu.edu.
Providence Public
Library events
- http://www.provlib.org/branchout/current.html
funding
opportunities - large and less large
NewRoots Providence, next (rolling
deadline) December 31. http://www.provplan.org/matriarch/MultiPiecePage.asp_Q_PageID_E_139_A_PageName_E_NRSmallGrants
The Toyota Family Literacy Teacher of the
Year Award is given to educators who demonstrate exemplary
efforts to help parents and children achieve their academic and
non-academic goals. The 2007 Teacher of the Year will receive a $5,000
award for his/her program, courtesy of Toyota, and will receive a trip
to the 16th Annual National Conference on Family Literacy in Orlando in
March, where he/she will be recognized as Teacher of the Year. Several
finalists will also receive free registration to the Conference
plus hotel and travel expenses.
Download the application at http://www.famlit.org/,
follow the process outlined here, and submit your nomination by
December 1 to: National Center for Family Literacy Attn: TOY325 West
Main Street, Suite 300Louisville, KY 40202-423 Faxed submissions will
not be accepted.
The nominated teacher must have worked for at least 3 years in a
literacy program that provides: children’s, adult and parenting
education (Parent Time), and interactive literacy activities between
parents and children (Parent and Child Together Time). A typed
narrative addressing the guidelines outlined below should be submitted
by the Program Director or Coordinator (someone who knows the
contributions of the nominated teacher and of the program).
Nominations must be accompanied by a brief adult student essay that
describes how the nominated teacher has impacted the student’s life,
the lives of the student’s family members, and others in the program.
Only one teacher per program may be nominated. Six copies of the
nomination must be submitted to NCFL. Incomplete entries will not be
considered. All nominations must include: Nominated Teacher’s Name ,
Name of Program Director/Coordinator and Contact Information, E-mail
Address, Program Name, address, phone and fax numbers; name of adult
student essay writer.
Guidelines
Please address each of the following points in order in the nomination
narrative.
Briefly describe the literacy program. How long has it been in
operation? How many families attended during program year 2005-2006?
How are student outcomes measured, and what percentage of students
(adults and children) met anticipated outcomes for the program year?
How is the program funded (e.g., federal or state funding, private
funding, collaborating agencies)? What is the retention rate for the
program? What is the nominee’s teaching assignment in the program? What
is her/his education? How many years has she/he taught in the program?
What professional development has the nominee undertaken to better meet
the needs of students? How does the nominee work to improve the
literacy skills of both adult learners and children enrolled in the
program? How does she/he foster intergenerational learning? Describe
how the program adapts to meet the needs of specific populations (e.g.,
working parents, English language learners, families with infants and
toddlers). What is the nominee’s role in addressing the goals of these
groups?
Describe how the nominee demonstrates skills and knowledge in these
areas: curriculum development, student retention, special initiatives,
teamwork, collaboration with program partners. Cite at least one
example of how the nominee has impacted families in the community.
Describe the special qualities the nominee possesses and what
exceptional work she/he has done to qualify for the Family Literacy
Teacher of the Year award. Adult Student Essay. An adult student who is
very familiar with the nominated teacher should describe in detail how
the teacher has impacted the student and his/her family. The essay (no
more than 1 page) should be written by the student. Enclose the
original essay. Please also provide a typed copy and an English
translation if applicable.
Since 1991 Toyota and the NCFL have forged successful programs to
promote family literacy in the US. Toyota has contributed more than $26
million to help NCFL establish family literacy model programs
throughout the country. The Toyota/NCFL partnership accounts for over
196 family literacy sites in 33 cities and 24 states.
Call for Nominations: 2007 Verizon Tech
Savvy Awards
These are the first national awards honoring programs that improve
parents’ and children’s understanding and use of technology. Four
$5,000 regional awards and one $25,000 national award will be
presented. The deadline for
submissions is January 12, 2007.
The annual award will be given in March 2007 in Orlando, Florida, at
the National Conference on Family Literacy. The Savvy Awards were
established by the National Center for Family Literacy, the Verizon
Foundation, and Iowa First Lady Christie Vilsack. The awards are
designed to support programs that help parents bridge the widening gap
between adults’ and children’s understanding of technology. The two
generations must learn about technology together so parents can be
effective teachers and advocates to ensure that their children are
literate in technology and prepared for the 21st century workforce.
Successful programs should create innovative ways to employ technology
as an important component in family literacy, and those methods should
have the ability to be easily replicated at other sites across the
country. Organizations that are 501(c)(3) nonprofits, such as
community-based organizations, libraries and schools, should apply.
Religious or sectarian organizations may apply only if the program(s)
offered serve a broad cross-section of the community. Organizations
should apply within one of the regions specified on the map provided in
the nomination kit. For a copy of the 2007 Verizon Tech Savvy
Awards nomination form or to send a notice about the awards to a
colleague, visit http://www.famlit.org/techsavvyawards
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
Grants for Supporting
Children's Health, Education and Inner-city Services -The
Teammates for Kids Foundation accepts proposals for grants from
nonprofit organizations that specialize in working with children in the
areas of health, education and inner-city services. Maximum Award:
$50,000. Eligibility: 501 (c) (3) organizations with a record of
effectively delivering programs and services that improve the lives of
needy children. Deadline: February 1, 2007. http://www.teammates4kids.com/apply_for_grant/format_grant.htm
Grants for Community
Improvement Programs - Hamburger Helper is looking to lend a
helping hand to neighborhoods nationwide with its "My Hometown Helper"
grant program. Individuals from communities and organizations across
America can submit a written essay of 250 words or less describing how
the "My Hometown Helper" grant would help improve their community
project. Maximum Award: $15,000. Eligibility: Requests for funding must
be sponsored by a municipal or civic organization or public school.
Deadline: May 31, 2007. http://www.myhometownhelper.com/
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/
UPS Foundation Education Grants fund
high impact philanthropic programs
that raise the level of educational instruction, family learning
opportunities, and school involvement projects. Maximum Award: varies.
Eligibility: 501(c)(3) organizations. http://www.community.ups.com/philanthropy/grant.html
- other grants from the Public Education Network: http://www.publiceducation.org/newsblast_grants.asp
- 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
Writing and
Professional Skills Instructor
Are you passionate about working with urban young
adults and providing them with opportunities to excel? Do you
want to teach in a hands-on, project-based environment that will
encourage your creativity? Then come teach at Year Up! Year
Up is an exciting and dynamic young organization whose mission is to
prepare urban young adults for work and learning in our
technology-driven society, guiding them toward successful and rewarding
careers and higher education. Year Up offers its students
intensive technical and professional skills training, paid internships,
and potential college credits through articulation agreements with RI
colleges including Johnson & Wales, and New England Tech. We
are in our second year of operation in Providence, RI and are looking
for a passionate, confident and entrepreneurial educator to join our
team.
The Instructor of Writing and Professional Skills will be responsible
for working with our existing college-level curriculum to teach
multiple college-level courses. S/he will plan and coordinate
with the various instructors, and teach classes him/herself. As
part of the Professional Skills curriculum, the Instructor will
participate in weekly feedback sessions for students and staff.
The Instructor, as with all positions at Year Up, will also advise
several students, and be expected to work closely with the students,
maintain an environment of trust and nurture, and engage with them on a
daily basis in ways that contribute to both the students' and the
organization's success.
Qualifications
A proven passion for working with urban youth, an unshakeable belief in
their potential, and confidence in his/her ability to make a
difference;
Master’s degree in Education or English preferred;
At least 2 years’ experience as an educator in Writing or English
(preferably experience in writing instruction at high school or college
level)
Strong team orientation – desire to be part of the learning team and to
lead the team in the areas of writing and professional skills;
Moderate degree of technical literacy required; strong technical
literacy a plus;
Strong interpersonal skills - experience working with diverse
individuals and groups;
Experience teaching or working with urban youth, preferably with the
18-24 age range;
Experience with curriculum, syllabus development and lesson planning;
Experience with student assessment; and a talent to continuously
evaluate the curriculum to identify what is working and what
improvements can be made.
For more information, go to www.yearup.org.
Email: rdubuisson@yearup.org
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
new website: The Institute for Language and
Education Policy is a newly formed, nonprofit organization
dedicated to promoting research-based policies in serving English and
heritage language learners. We are teachers, administrators,
researchers, professors, students, and others who believe that the time
for advocacy is now. Learn more
- http://www.elladvocates.org/
Science – online learning opportunities
TESOL virtual seminar, LOOKING
AT LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT IN CONTENT AREAS: FOCUS ON SCIENCE
Wednesday, December 6 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm EST Presenter: Deborah J. Short
This session presents sheltered instruction strategies that teachers
can use to develop English language learners' language and literacy
skills in science and to help them understand the content. The
presenter illustrates how to identify the language and literacy skills
students need for science and link those skills to TESOL's new ESL
standards, how to design lessons to promote second language
development, and how to assess students' knowledge of scientific
language. This session will be of particular interest to ESL and
science teachers, and it will provide a framework for collaboration in
the area of science literacy.
TESOL virtual seminars are 90-minute Web casts focused on key issues in
English language teaching.
TESOL Global, Global Individual, and Student members can participate
for free in TESOL virtual seminars (but still need to register). The
registration fee for TESOL Individual, Joint, or Retired Members is $25
for each seminar. For complete program and registration information, go
to http://www.tesol.org/s_tesol/sec_document.asp?CID=244&DID=7117
Contact at TESOL: edprograms@tesol.org or 703-518-2528
and
this site, designed for grades 6-8, may contain adaptable and useable
information and approaches for adults:
Doing Science: The Process
of Scientific Inquiry helps students understand the basics of
scientific inquiry.
Lessons progress from what students already know, or think they know
about scientific inquiry, toward a more complete and accurate
perspective. Activities include distinguishing questions that can be
tested by a scientific investigation from those that cannot and
participating in a computer-based scientific investigation as members
of a fictitious community health department. http://science.education.nih.gov/supplements/nih6/Inquiry/default.htm
Reflect 6, the magazine of the UK’s
National Research and Development Centre is now on-line.
http://www.nrdc.org.uk/publications_details.asp?ID=71
Articles of interest address numeracy, ESOL, work force learning and
practitioner-research.
Immigration's Impact on the Workforce
Volume 4, Issue 3 Commonwealth Corporation announces the
release of its Research and Evaluation Brief, Immigration's Impact on
the Workforce., which looks at the impact of new foreign
immigration on the population and labor force of Massachusetts, by
examining their demographic characteristics, educational attainment
levels, and English Language proficiency. It also discusses the
potential implications for workforce development in the state. To view
the brief please visit the CommCorp website at
http://www.commcorp.org/researchandevaluation/briefs.html
Radical Math is a resource for
educators interested in integrating issues of social, political, and
economic justice into math curriculum and classes… RadicalMath.org has
the goals of raising mathematic literacy and simultaneously developing
ways to address a range of community issues. The website supports
educators to teach many different types of math within the context of
studying social, political, and economic justice issues.
RadicalMath.org also contains teaching materials on important financial
topics for youth such as owning a credit card, paying for college, and
avoiding subprime lenders, as well as materials on Ethnomathematics.
Visit http://www.radicalmath.org/
for more or email info@radicalmath.org
Teacher's Guide to the Occupational Outlook
Handbook describes hundreds of jobs. For each job, it tells what
workers do, working conditions, the training and education needed,
earnings, and expected job prospects. Job search tips,
information about the job market in each state, articles about specific
occupations and industries, and additional career information are
included. http://www.bls.gov/oco/teachers_guide.htm
A new article in the
on-line journal Exploring Adult Literacy at http://literacy.kent.edu/cra/new.html,
Intergenerational Literacy Programs for Incarcerated Parents and Their
Families: A Review of the Literature by William R. Muth, Ph.D. The
article reviews what research has found out about the effects of family
literacy activities on incarcerated parents and their children.
NCSALL by Role http://www.ncsall.net/?id=787
This new section of NCSALL's Web site offers a variety of professional
development ideas on: adult multiple intelligences, adult student
persistence, authentic context, General Educational Development (GED),
and reading
Professional developers and program administrators access guides for
facilitating half-day seminars and multi-session study
circles. Policymakers read relevant research articles and
reflect on policy-related questions.
Teachers and tutors access self-studies that invite them to (1) read
the related research, (2) reflect on this research and their practice,
and (3) focus on an aspect of their practice. - Kaye Beall, Outreach
Coordinator/ NCSALL Dissemination Project, World Education, 4401 S.
Madison St., Muncie, IN 47302, Tel: 765-717-3942 Fax:
208-694-8262 kaye_beall@worlded.org
from MaryAnn Florez, Chair,
TESOL Adult Education Interest Section:
John Segota, TESOL's Advocacy and Communications Manager, recently
shared that at its recent meeting, the TESOL Board of Directors
approved two new position statements:
Statement of Principles and Preliminary Recommendations for the
Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
(ESEA) http://www.tesol.org/s_tesol/bin.asp?CID=32&DID=7211&DOC=FILE.PDF
and,
a statement on the diversity of English Language Learners in the
US http://www.tesol.org/s_tesol/bin.asp?CID=32&DID=7212&DOC=FILE.PDF
The International Classroom and School Virtual
Visit (Virtual School) project is beginning its eighth
year, linking classrooms across the world to enable students to meet
each other virtually, share information about their cultures,
classrooms, and communities, and to build cultural understanding.
Classes can include English as a Second or Other Language (ESOL/ESL),
Adult Basic Education (ABE, GED), elementary or secondary
education, or family literacy., students from age 7 to adult. As
in past years, we hope classes will engage in lively written
discussion, and possibly choose a film, book or current event to
discuss. This year we have set up a free wiki, so classes don't
have to create their own web pages, and we will help teachers to
use free Internet telephony so their classes can talk to each
other if they can find a time that works to do that.
If you would like to participate in this year's project,
1. Sign up on the I.C.V.V. e-list by going to: http://lists.literacytent.org/mailman/listinfo/icvv
Scroll down the page to choose an ID and password. That's
it, easy and free.
2. Once you receive confirmation that you are on the ICVV e-list,
send an e-mail to icvv@lists.literacytent.org
indicating your interest in participating this year.
Be sure to describe your class, when it will begin, and what age
group or nationality you would prefer to partner with. If you
would like to look at classroom virtual visit projects from
previous years go to: http://www.otan.us/webfarm/emailproject/school.htm
and then choose
http://www.otan.us/webfarm/emailproject/school2003.htm
We look forward to your joining the project. Let one of us know
if you have questions. All the best,
David J. Rosen djrosen@comcast.net and Susan Gaer sgaer@yahoo.com
[and] ....for those interested in the International Classroom Virtual
Visit Project. One of the new project features this year is that
participants in one class, matched with participants in another class
(usually in a different country) can use Wikimapia. Each class
could label the important buildings and geographic features of their
community on a wikimap -- including writing about each feature in the
wikimap label window, and maybe linking to a digital photograph they
take of that feature. (They could in some cases label their own house,
and in the window include a link to a photo of their family, although
not everyone will want to put a family photo on the web. In other
cases they could label an historical feature which is important to
their community, and include a photo and even an historical
essay.) The 2 matched classes will then share their
community maps and talk about their communities. The community
maps -- especially if bilingual -- could also be used for other
education-related purposes. The ICVV project includes in-school
classes, too, so there could be a cross-generational match.
It will be interesting to see what adults think is important and what
kids think is important in their communities. To see - and,
if you like, label -your neighborhood, go to
http://www.wikimapia.org Zoom in to your community, and add labels.
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. http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/Main_Page
ALE Wiki soon to be two years old To improve practice in our
field, teachers need to quickly and easily find the results of
research and professional wisdom. This is a practical, everyday
concern.
A teacher has a question that needs an answer, such as What are
effective ways to increase student persistence?. How do you
handle a multilevel classroom? What is the optimum class size for
beginning ESOL or basic literacy? What assessments are used in
our field? Does my state offer free professional development or
training? Does getting a GED lead to increased earnings? or How
can I be an effective advocate for adult literacy? Suppose there
were one place to find answers to these questions,
organized by topic -- and within each topic by teachers'
questions -- and with lists of web-accessible research and professional
wisdom sources. Suppose the topic area included some of the
best discussions in the field. Suppose that this gold mine of
professional development, designed to be accessed "just-in-time", were
free. That's what the Adult Literacy Education Wiki is
becoming. Some topics are nearly there, while others have
just scratched the surface. Increasingly, it is becoming
the "go to" place for teachers, researchers, administrators, and
grant writers, both those new to the field and old hands.
Launched in December, 2004, at the Meeting of the Minds I
practitioner-researcher Symposium in Sacramento,
California, it will have is second birthday this year at Meeting
of the Minds II, November 30- December 2.
The ALE Wiki now has 31 topics, 14 topic leaders, over 700 registered
users -- 65 of whom have posted a brief bio statement,
and nearly 800 pages of text. It was presented at an
international conference on Wikis at Harvard this year. A
chapter of a new book on communities of practice will be
devoted to the ALE Wiki. It includes the work and the writing, or links
to writing of many of the top people in our field from across the
world. Not bad for a two year old, especially one that was
created and raised entirely by volunteers. You can use the ALE Wiki.
http://wiki.literacytent.org You can contribute to it -- it's
easy! Go to:
http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/New_Here%3F
You might want to be a Topic Leader.
http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/Topic_Leaders If so,
e-mail me. (djrosen@comcast.net) And, of course, the
volunteer "wikiteers" appreciate your comments.
What is useful? What would you like to see to be added or changed?
David J. Rosen
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.
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 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 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
Call for Presenters for the 4th Annual
(Net)Working Conference on Women & Literacy now available.
WE LEARN seeks presentations in all educational areas serving women
students in adult literacy/ basic education. We encourage students and
program groups to apply. To download the details and an
application
form, go to: http://www.litwomen.org/conference.html The
conference
theme for this year is Threads of Experience: Creative Spaces for
Women's Learning.
DEADLINE for Proposals: December 1, 2006
March 9 – March 10, 2007
Northeastern University Boston,
Massachusetts Keynote Speaker: Antonia Darder
Pre-Conference Seminar
The Impact of Violence on Learning: Building Connections to Deepen
Understanding March 8, 2007 9:30 – 4:30 Co-Sponsored
by WE LEARN
& Northeastern University School of Professional and Continuing
Studies. If you have questions or need more information, please
contact: Mev Miller welearn@litwomen.org
401-383-4374.
The
56th Annual Conference of the New York Association for
Continuing/Community Education will be held May 6-8, 2007 in
Albany,
NY. The conference brings teachers, tutors, administrators and others
from across New York State together for professional development and
networking. Presentation topics span the entire range of adult
education, from ABE/GED/ESOL programming to Community Education to
Workforce Education. NYACCE has issued a Call for Presenters, which is
available at our website – http://www.nyacce.org We invite you to
submit a proposal. The deadline is
December 8, 2006. Questions can be
directed to the Program Chair. Cathy DiRolf at cdirolf@cves.org
-Sue
Licata, NYACCE Past President Director, Maryvale Community
Education
The Commission on Adult Basic Education
(COABE) and the Pennsylvania Association for Adult Continuing Education
invite you to submit a proposal for presentation at the 2007 COABE National Conference to
be held in Philadelphia March 25-28, 2007.
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
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.
To register online: http://www.researchtopractice.org.
Registration is limited to the first 300 people. - Mary Ann
Corley, Ph.D. CALPRO Director and Symposium Coordinator
American Institutes for Research
call for proposals: MATSOL 2007 Conference - http://www.matsol.org/ - Click on
Conference 2007; conference will be held March 8-9; proposals are due
on December 15.
The National Center
for Family Literacy 16th Annual National Conference on Family
Literacy,
March 4 - 6, 2007, Orlando, Florida. For further
information,
please visit http://www.famlit.org/Conference/index.cfm
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.
back to LR/RI
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