Rhode Island Adult Education Professional Development Center



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The Rhode Island Adult Education Professional Development Center 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.

To learn more about professional development opportunities, please contact the RI AEPDC at (401) 456 -2838 or (401) 863-2839

November 1, 2007

Bulletin #254

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 the AEPDC or leave a message at (401-863-2839).
 

Janet Isserlis signature

Janet Isserlis



NOTICES

 

  ESOL  share  November 19th  at 3:00 pm, Genesis Center, 620 Potters Avenue, Providence.  Please bring ideas and questions. 
 This is an open discussion group – practitioners with an interest in adult ESOL are all welcome to attend.  The focus of this session will be on vocabulary and on pursuing our own professional development.
 Resources that may be useful: Professional Development for Adult ESL Practitioners: Building Capacity, a CAELA brief, http://www.cal.org/caela/esl_resources/briefs/profdev.html (as well as this bibliography: http://www.cal.org/caela/esl_resources/bibliographies/profdev.html).

 The next round of the New Practitioner Orientation sessions will be offered on November 30th and December 1st at the Genesis Center, from 9:30 to 4.
 In addition to readings before the orientation, participants will be asked to complete assignments between sessions, totaling approximately sixteen hours over the course of the two week period.
 To learn more, or to register for this round, please contact Janet Isserlis at 863-2839 or send email to janet_isserlis@brown.edu by November 23rd. All new program staff - teachers, administrators,
 directors - are encouraged to participate.  Additional sessions will be scheduled between January and June, 2008.

BEST Plus Training Workshop Description
BEST Plus is an individually administered, face-to-face oral interview designed to assess the English language proficiency of adult English language learners. It assesses interpersonal communication using everyday English.
 
The BEST Plus training workshop prepares participants to administer and score the test. The trainer will provide the workshop participants with an overview of the development and purpose of the BEST Plus. Participants will then be guided through scoring benchmarks and will practice scoring. Finally, participants will have opportunities to practice administering the test and scoring responses, and the trainer will clarify participants’ questions regarding test administration and scoring. Participants who successfully complete the training workshop will be approved by the trainer to administer BEST Plus to adults learning English, score their responses, and interpret their scores.
 
This training workshop is designed for individuals who intend to become BEST Plus test administrators. Individuals not intending to become test administrators may audit the training, provided that CAL is notified.
 
Training Workshop Materials and Technical Support
The training workshop includes: A 6-hour workshop (6 contact hours with time for breaks and lunch) and aterials for each participant:
                        BEST Plus Test Administrator Guide
Administrator Practice CD
Test CD (including the Administration Program and the Score Management Software)
BEST Plus Scoring Rubric
Access to ongoing user support
 
BEST Plus Refresher Training Workshop Description
Due to length of time between test administrations, lack of confidence in scoring accuracy, and other personnel and program-related factors, from time to time it is a good idea for BEST Plus test administrators to recalibrate, or realign, their scoring to the original scoring rubric and benchmarks (see BEST Plus Test Administrator Guide). A five-hour BEST Plus Scoring Refresher Training Workshop is designed for adult English as a second language (ESL) programs that use BEST Plus for assessing adult ESL students’ oral English language proficiency and would like to review and recalibrate the test administrators’ scoring skills in a group setting. The Refresher Training complements, but does not replace, the initial six-hour BEST Plus training that all test administrators must attend prior to using the test. All refresher training participants must have been previously trained to administer BEST Plus.
 
Refresher Training Workshop Materials and Technical Support
The training workshop includes A five-hour workshop (5 contact hours with time for breaks and lunch) including facilitated discussion of the Scoring Refresher Video and participant workbooks
 
For more information about these workshops, please contact Janet Isserlis at janet_isserlis@brown.edu, (863-2839) or BEST Plus User Support at the Center for Applied Linguistics at 1-866-845-2378 or via e-mail at best-plus@cal.org.              
 

Transition to College is designed to serve non-traditional adults returning to academic life.  This comprehensive program prepares students for college success with career exploration, instruction in reading, writing, math, and computer skills, and mentoring workshops.  In addition, the program provides academic advising and counseling and assistance with financial aid and college application preparation. Students experience the college environment by taking a class together at the Community College of Rhode Island; as needed, to ensure success, they receive support and tutoring from TTC instructors.  During success workshops, students learn to better understand themselves through the Myers-Briggs Personality Assessment and other activities designed to build confidence in their ability to succeed in college. Finally, they develop a personal, academic, and career life-plan. Upon completion of TTC, students who apply are matched with an individual mentor who guides them through their first semester of college, and often beyond. Two evening sessions and a new weekend program are offered in the spring and fall.  
This college preparation initiative is funded through the Nellie Mae Educational Foundation and the Rhode Island Department of Education.  The program meets at 175 Main Street Pawtucket, RI.  For more information, contact MarieCrecca-Romero@riral.org, Program Director at 401722.9800.

NEXT INFORMATION SESSION:  November 11 at 5:00 pm.  

New England Literacy Resource Center (NELRC) Board Vacancy: The NELRC's mission is to strengthen adult literacy services in the region by developing and facilitating collaborations and special projects among adult literacy practitioners, state literacy resource centers and policy makers. http://www.nelrc.org/

NELRC takes its direction from its diverse constituency groups. Each state has 4 representatives on the governing board: the State ABE director, the SLRC or staff development director and two practitioners.
In addition, NELRC convenes work groups composed of practitioners and board members who help plan and implement the organization’s work in the chosen priority areas. Board members help develop,
approve and monitor annual work plans; approve budgets; develop policy and operating principles for NELRC; serve as advocates for NELRC; help identify funding and support for NELRC projects and meet
quarterly in different locations in New England.

There is a vacancy on the board to represent Rhode Island. If you are interested in contributing to the work of the NELRC as a board member (for at least a two-year term), please send a letter of interest and a
resume briefly describing your experience in adult education and literacy to Johan Uvin, Dept. of Education, 255 Westminster Street, Providence RI 02903, by October 31. A selection committee of current board
members will be formed to determine the RI representative. The next NELRC board meeting will be held in Boston on December 10th.


  The Learning Disabilities Work Group is in the process of collecting ideas for the successful teaching of adults who have low literacy skills. We welcome your ideas for strategies, materials, lesson
  plans and resources that have been useful to you in teaching adults who are reading in the EFL levels 1 and 2. Please send your ideas to Nancy Fritz at Nancy@gencenter.org and she will share them
  with the LD group.
Call for Writings by Adult Basic/Literacy Education Students -- Writers must be adult literacy/basic education students attending classes or working with a tutor. Women's Perspectives #3 (2008) / Women & Money : http://www.litwomen.org/perspectives.html
Women's Perspectives #3: Women and Money will showcase writings by adult literacy/basic education students across all levels. Student writers are encouraged to reflect and to write on the theme of women and their experiences with finances, class, security, income, and other everyday issues related to women’s lives as affected by money.
 
Criteria for Selection: Originality, Creativity, Clarity, and Relevance to the theme.
All forms of writings accepted. Original artwork about this theme will also be accepted.
Lesson Planning Ideas & Worksheet also available: http://www.litwomen.org/perspectives.html
Why participate?
* Students have an opportunity to share their creativity, opinions, insights, and courage with a national audience.
* Student writings make a significant contribution to supporting student leadership and peer role modeling.
* Students whose writings are selected for publication, and their teachers, will receive a printed copy of Women's Perspectives.
* Some writings will be selected to receive Honors or Honorable Mention Awards. (Awards will include partial scholarships to attend the WE LEARN Conference and/or cash award.) All students who send writing will receive a certificate of participation. Deadline: January 18, 2008


Change Agent CALL FOR ARTICLES Theme: Voting and Advocacy


Voting is one of the most fundamental ways to participate in democracy. Even those who cannot vote can still be a part of elections in other ways. Speaking up about issues that matter to you is also an
important part of civic life. We are interested in hearing from teachers and adult learners about their experiences with voting or advocating to change public policy. The writings will be considered for a
non-partisan edition on Voting and Advocacy that aims to provide adult educators and learners with re-usable materials that encourage activism, advocacy, and informed voting.

Questions for students and teachers to think about (please choose one question to write on):
-   Have you recently voted in an election? What motivated you to do so? Why vote?
-   Have you ever been involved in calling, writing or visiting your elected representatives? What was the situation? How did you feel? What difference did it make?
-   If you can’t vote but you’re politically active, tell us what you do to get involved in elections or support candidates or campaigns?
-   Have you ever spoken up for something you believe in? What was it? What was your experience? What other channels (besides voting) have you used to make your voice heard?
-   What do you think about the U.S. electoral system? Feel free to comment on any relevant elements, such as representative democracy, the electoral college, the two-party system, etc.
-   Some people are not allowed to vote, such as those who are under 18, those who do not have citizenship, and (in some states) those who have committed felonies. What do you think about this?
-   Teachers, are you organizing your students to vote or advocate for changes in the program, the community, the state, or the nation? Tell us what you are doing, what progress you’re making, and how students are responding to these activities.
-   Write to us about successful lessons you’ve used in your classroom on voting or advocacy.
Send us a lesson plan or lesson description that other teachers could use. All articles must be received by November 12, 2007.

All articles will be considered. Suggested length is 500-1,200 words. Final decisions are made by The Change Agent editorial board.
A stipend of $50 will be paid to each adult education student whose work is accepted for publication in this issue. Please send material (preferably by email) to:
Cynthia Peters, Editor New England Literacy Resource Center/World Education 44 Farnsworth St., Boston, MA 02210 Phone: 617-482-9485 fax: 617-482-0617; email: cpeters@worlded.org 
The mission of The Change Agent is to provide news, issues, ideas, and other teaching resources that inspire and enable adult educators and learners to make civic participation and social justice concerns part
of their teaching and learning. It is published by the New England Literacy Resource Center at World Education. http://www.nelrc.org/changeagent

Are you an Adult Education Student who is also an Artist Illustrator Cartoonist Graffiti Artist Computer Graphic Artist or Calligrapher ? The Change Agent iss looking for artwork, illustrations, and innovative designs to accompany articles in upcoming issues. Please submit a sample of your work. We will keep your name and work on file and we will call you to solicit your help with designing and illustrating future articles. If we use your work, we will pay a stipend of $50. Contact Cynthia Peters at cpeters@worlded.org or 617-482-9485. Send your samples to The Change Agent, 44 Farnsworth St., Boston, MA 02210. Learn more about The Change Agent at http://www.nelrc.org/changeagent


ANNOUNCING -- A new issue of The Change Agent -- Taking Action to Stay in School
How do students support each other to stay in school? How do they work together to find personal and collective solutions to the problems that make it hard for them to stay in school?
How do they inspire, motivate, and encourage each other to balance a multitude of demands so that they can stay in school? In this issue, you'll find powerful writings by students and teachers,
ready-to-use lesson plans, poetry, math, policy analysis, hands-on activities, and more. There are several cartoons that are great to use at any level but are especially helpful in the ESOL classroom.

SUBSCRIBE NOW by visiting our web site (http://www.nelrc.org/changeagent) or calling 617-482-9485 ext. 491.

SUPPORT THE ONGOING WORK of The Change Agent to make social justice part of the adult education classroom. - Thank you. Cynthia Peters, cpeters@worlded.org  617-482-9485


  learning opportunities

ProLiteracy America is hosting five short, facilitated, online courses in November/December that may be of interest :
Young Adult Education: Strategies and Materials (November 5-16)
Young Adult Education: Program Design (November 26-December 3)
Applying What We Know About Student Persistence to Your Classroom (November 12 - December 7)
Facilitating Adult Learning: Conducting the Training Event (November 12 - December 7)
Managing the Multilevel ESL Classroom (November 12-December 17)
Complete course information is included below. Registration for these courses will be availiable Friday, October 12.   more information: http://www.newreaderspress.com/default_prolit.aspx


 Rhode Island Family Literacy Initiative (RIFLI) 2007-08 schedule of classes.  An English version and a Spanish version of the schedules are available at http://www.rifli.org
 Classes are offered in Cranston, East Providence, Pawtucket and Providence. 
 
 Questions?  Please contact Karisa Tashjian, Literacy Program Coordinator  401-455-8185

funding opportunities - large and less large
Building More Literate Communities  - Verizon Foundation Literacy grants are available to organizations committed to basic literary skills in the United States.
Verizon has invested in a network of collaborative literacy partners, offering programs with a focus on e-learning. Verizon's leadership in technology and communications provides the distribution network.
Maximum Award: varies. Eligibility: 501(c)3 organizations. Deadline: November 30. http://foundation.verizon.com/02008.shtml

- 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
employment opportunities are generally sent as they arrive via email; if you would like to receive this bulletin, and those updates by email please contact
janet_isserlis@brown.edu.

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
online training website, http://GCFLearnFree.org - a free program, funded by Goodwill Industries of Eastern NC, designed to provide learning opportunities for people so they can acquire the skills they need to be succeed.
This training includes topics such as Open Office, Computer Basics, Internet Basics, and Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Publisher. We’re currently in the process of revitalizing our computer training curriculum to include video lessons along with our text-based lessons. Just this week we launched a new project, which we call Everyday Life, geared toward adult basic education, ESL students, and learners that need to acquire functional literacy skills. Some initial lessons include how to use an ATM, complete a bank deposit slip, use bus maps, and complete a job application.  Our interactive lessons are not intended to teach vocabulary and reading skills, but rather to provide learners with a safe environment where they can practice new skills without real-world consequences and the fear of failure. Our goal with these lessons was to create a  realistic environment that learners would relate to. Some of the lessons are intentionally easy, and we will be adding lessons in the future to increase the difficulty level.  So far, we’ve used local literacy centers as a resource and as a source of user testing. If you have a moment, please take a look at our Everyday Life curriculum and let me know what you think. You do have to create an account on our website to view the lessons; however, it is free and the only personal information we ask is your email address. We don’t share your information with others and only send information about the site if you opt-in for the newsletter.  I’m interested in any feedback you have about our Everyday Life project and hope that it will be a resource you can use with your learners. - Kelly Potter at kelly@gcflearnfree.org
 


The CAELA Guide for Adult ESL Trainers was prepared for professional developers and training staff to use in training novice and experienced teachers of adult English language learners.
This guide contains resources for preparing and implementing professional development activities such as coaching, peer mentoring, study circles and workshop for local program staff. It also
provides information on using the CAELA Web site as a resource for professional development activities; and references for additional training materials.
 
Topics selected for inclusion in the CAELA Guide are based on the needs articulated by the 24 states that participated in the CAELA initiative – funded by the U.S. Department of Education,
Office of Vocational and Adult Education -  to increase state capacity for providing professional development to local adult ESL program staff. The materials were developed, piloted, and revised
over a 3-year period (2004–2007). To access the complete guide in pdf format, go to  http://www.cal.org/caela/scb/CAELAGuide.pdf  To access sections of the guide in pdf format, go to
http://www.cal.org/caela/scb/guide.html 
Finally, the focus of the guide is on providing technical assistance on the content and strategies practitioners need when teaching adult English language learners, rather than all adult learners.  
- Miriam Burt Center for Adult English Language Acquisition
 

The California Adult Education Learner Persistence Project - produced by CALPRO, under funding from the California Department of Education (CDE), presents the outcomes of a multi-year initiative on enhancing adult learner persistence. It addresses three distinct but related efforts on learner persistence: (1) the adult learner persistence Web site developed by the CDE, (2) a field-based research initiative (FBRI) on learner persistence, and (3) site-based study circles on learner persistence. The purpose of each of these efforts was the same: to make available to California adult educators information about current research findings on learner persistence and to invite them to use the findings to design and implement interventions to enhance the persistence of their adult learners. Together, the three efforts make up the Adult Learner Persistence Project, which is part of a larger effort—the California Research-to-Practice Initiative.An announcement of the publication is on the CALPRO Web site at http://www.calpro-online.org.
To access the full document on the CALPRO Web site, click on Resources, then Publications, or to access the document directly, go to http://www.calpro-online.org/documents/PersistencePub10012007.pdf
- Amy Park, CA Adult Literacy Professional Development Project (CALPRO), American Institutes for Research

New Online Resources For EL/Civics English Literacy/Civics education (EL/C) teachers have an online opportunity  that helps them use U.S. history to teach English language literacy to adults.  The course was created with funding from OVAE and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Office of Citizenship, and features tutorials on lesson planning and adapting materials. 
Online courses in U.S. government, naturalization, and rights and responsibilities of citizens are expected this spring. http://www.elcivicsonline.org/
 

News and Notes from NIFL Director, Sandra Baxter: The National Institute for Literacy's Advisory Board, a10-member, presidentially appointed Board, met in Washington, DC on October 23 and 24. The Director’s Report is available at: http://www.nifl.gov/nifl/publications/directors_report07.pdf.

WHAT'S NEW AT THE INSTITUTE
Now Available-Adolescent Literacy Report: On October 23, the Institute issued What Content-Area Teachers Should Know About Adolescent Literacy,  a 61-page report developed by an Interagency working group comprised of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Vocational and Adult Education, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and the National Institute for Literacy. The report is designed to support the needs of middle and high school classroom teachers, administrators and parents in search of basic information about how to build the reading and writing skills of adolescents.
To download the report: http://www.nifl.gov/nifl/publications/adolescent_literacy07.pdf.

- Take part in a Survey on PD: The Institute's Regional Resource Center grantees are conducting an online survey on the professional development needs of adult education practitioners across the country. The Professional Development Needs Assessment survey was released in August 2007 and will conclude on November 9. Survey results will help inform the Institute and its Literacy Information and Communications System (LINCS) Regional Resource Centers about the dissemination of materials and training products it produces; and help identify new professional development resources needed in the field.  To access the survey: http://www.nifl.gov/nifl/news_events/PDsurvey07.html
 
National Ad Placement: Look for NIFL's Literacy Begins at Home advertisement in the November issue of Essence magazine. Through its partnership with Essence and the ESSENCE CARES national mentoring initiative, NIFL is creating literacy awareness and providing expert resources to parents and the magazine’s 1.5 million subscribers. This national ad placement, a first for the Institute, carries the slogan— Literacy Begins at Home: Give Your Children the Gift of a Lifetime…. Teach them to Read. The Institute’s insert for parents, released in time for the start of the school year, was also distributed in Essence. The insert, a checklist for parents of toddlers through third graders, provides information about literacy, reading, and the Institute. To download a copy of the insert: http://www.nifl.gov/nifl/news_events/essence_insert.html.
 
NOTE: For the latest news, updates and publications, subscribe to the National Institute for Literacy's Announcement List: http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/announce  As of October 24, the Institute has started a new list to share information about new and on-going programs and projects, we invite you to subscribe to subscribe to this list.  If you have any questions or comments, please email info@nifl.gov. Thank you.



Research Utilization in the Field of Adult Learning and Literacy: Lessons Learned by NCSALL About Connecting Practice, Policy, and Research By Cristine Smith, Beth
Bingman, and Kaye Beall

This occasional paper is a summary of what the staff of the NCSALL Dissemination Initiative learned about how to connect research, policy and practice in ways that
promote evidence-based practice in the field of adult learning and literacy. Go to http://www.ncsall.net/?id=26#utilization to download the paper.

google literacy site: http://www.google.com/literacy/

outstanding resource: http://www.youthliteracy.ca/ - Youth Literacy work in Canada

Shannon Gavin, a senior graduating from Brown this year, has developed a new website, as her capstone project in Middle East Studies,  called Arab Perceptions of the United States:
Video Interviews from Amman, Jordan and Damascus, Syria.You can view them, and supporting text at  http://arabperceptions.wordpress.com


Journal of Online Mathematics and its Applications offers articles, learning modules, "mathlets" (single-purpose learning tools), reviews of online resources, and a developers' area.  Search contents of the journal by type of
resource (e.g., article), by subject (e.g., number concepts, data presentation, plane geometry), or both.  The journal makes extensive use of graphics, animations, video clips, and other media.  Articles and other materials are peer reviewed. (Mathematical Association of America, National ScienceFoundation)
http://free.ed.gov/resource.cfm?resource_id=1875


The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) - The  U.S. Civics and Citizenship Online: Resource Center for Instructors is available online at: http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=b36e663784bcd010VgnVCM100000d1f1d6a1RCRD&vgnextchannel=b36e663784bcd010VgnVCM100000d1f1d6a1RCRD


The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI), Assisting Refugees with Disabilities Program has produced a Resource Guide for Serving Refugees with Disabilities
- available at http://www.refugees.org/DisabilityGuide

 The guide, written for refugee case managers and those serving refugees with disabilities, includes 139 pages of information about resources for serving adults and children with disabilities,
 housing for refugees with disabilities, assistive technology, medical resources, citizenship and disability, benefits for refugees with disabilities and more. 
 If you have any questions or technical assistance needs, please contact Xuan Nguyen, Director of USCRI Health and Human Services at xnguyen@uscridc.org or at 202-347-3507 ext 3056.
 

Resources from EdChange family of Web sites:
A new Classism and Poverty Awareness Quiz http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/quizzes.html ;
Newly designed Social Justice News Service site http://mail.socialjusticenews.net/mailman/listinfo/news_socialjusticenews.net- email-based news service, periodic email digests of links to articles related to equity,
social justice, and multiculturalism from sources all over the world. 
New essays and links to essays http://www.edchange.org/publications.html
New essays in the Multicultural Education Research Room  http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/papers.html


CAELA's online resource collection,Working with Literacy-Level Adult English Language Learners. is now available at http://www.cal.org/caela/esl_resources/collections/literacy.html    The collection
includes links and annotations to many resources related to working with adult English language learners, who have had limited access to formal education. - Lynda Terrill, Center for Adult English Language Acquisition, Center for Applied Linguistics, 4646 40th St, NW, Washington, DC 20016  lterrill@cal.org

 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

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

17th Annual National Conference on Family Literacy Call for Proposals
Literacy Grows Families and Communities, March 30/April 1, 2008,  Louisville, KY  
The National Center for Family Literacy invites proposals for presentation at the  National Conference on Family Literacy. NCFL is interested in session presentations that share successful, specific outcomes and strategies that work well for the diverse populations family literacy serves. Proposals (accepted online only) hare welcome from literacy practitioners and are encouraged from professionals in administration, policy and research.. NCFL encourages presenters to carefully read the criteria and guidelines before submitting proposals. Deadline for submission of concurrent proposals is October 26;
deadline for submissions for literacy showcase poster session is December 7.
information http://www.famlit.org/Conference 

COABE and the Missouri Association for Adult, Continuing and Community Education (MAACCE) invite you to submit a proposal for presentation at the 2008 COABE National Conference in St. Louis, Missouri, April 28 - May 1, 2008 at the Adam's Mark Hotel.
The conference committee is interested in outstanding and innovative practices in all aspects of adult education including basic literacy, basic numeracy, workforce development, family literacy, English as a Second Language, volunteer/community-based literacy, correctional education, and all other areas.  The program committee is looking for presentations based on successful implementation, current research, and sound practice. Access further information and the Call for Presenters form online at http://www.coabeconference.org/call_for_presenters.html
Proposals are due no later than October 31, 2007. Presentation Co-Chairs: Janet Geary - 816.413.5461 | jgeary@coabeconference.org Ramona George - 417.447.8861 | rgeorge@coabeconference.org

Join us for two days of workshops on Effective Transitions in Adult Education, November 8-9, 2007 in Providence, RI.  Our keynote speaker, Dr. JoAnn Crandall, will kick off the event with a discussion of transition for English language learners.  For more details, http://www.collegetransition.org/novconference.html
Cynthia Zafft, Director, National College Transition Network at World Education nctn@worlded.org

WE LEARN invites your program -- students, teachers, tutors -- to  participate in an exciting and innovative writing workshop. Undoing the Silence: Bringing New Writers to Powerful Voice.
Facilitated by Boston-based author and teacher,  Louise Dunlap will  base this workshop on her newly published book: Undoing the Silence:  Six Tools for Social Change Writing.
Friday, Nov. 2, 9:30 - 3:00 pm, Lunch provided. Simmons College, 300 The Fenway, Kotzen Room, Boston Space is limited; pre-registration is required.
 
This writing workshop has been adapted especially for adult basic/literacy education student writers and will support their preparation  to write for Women's Perspectives #3 on Women and Money.
The Call for Writing will be released in late October. Because we know that classes for many literacy programs end on or  before 2:30, Louise has planned the workshop so that those who must  
leave early can still benefit from the key components of the day.
 
Louise will share practical writing tools to help reluctant writers to get past their internal censors. This “You Can Do It” approach makes social-action writing achievable for everyone.
Since this event is open both to ABE students and teachers AND the local community, students will also have the added learning opportunity to enhance  their writing and ideas with
supports from experienced writers in the  community.In this workshop, students, teachers, and writers will:
-  Learn about pre-writing activities to establish safe space and discover authentic voice;
-  Hear from a “Panel of Experts” — Boston-based writers, educators, and activists providing important information and perspectives related to women and money;
-  Develop support through writing and discussion in small groups; and
-  Leave with a draft and a plan to continue the process after the workshop. Tools like talking, rewriting, and working with others will bring your draft to completion.
If students are unable to attend, we invite teachers to participate in this event as professional development to enhance your  teaching of writing.
 
Cost: ABE Programs -- $50 for 1 teacher and 5 students (or $10 each person);10% discount for WE LEARN member organizations (yes, you may become a member to get benefit of the discount - http://www.litwomen.org/membership.html   Purchase Orders Accepted
 
WE LEARN is working to do some fundraising for this event. If your program is not able to meet the full registration cost, please  contact Mev Miller, Director, WE LEARN.
Co-sponsored by Simmons Institute for Leadership and Change; Gustavus Myers Center  for the Study of Bigotry and Human Rights; Cooperative Economics for Women; Survival News - Mev Miller, Ed.D., Director
WE LEARN Women Expanding: Literacy Education Action Resource Network http://www.litwomen.org/welearn.html
email: welearn@litwomen.org

Lexia Learning Systems is hosting an education event entitled Best Practices in Reading Improvement on December 6 in Seekonk, MA.
 Speakers and topics will include theory and practice of reading acquisition including software designed to supplement instruction. Lexia will demonstrate their new web-enabled software
and a panel of local educators will discuss how they have successfully integrated Lexia into their daily classroom activity. There is no charge for the event, but registration is required.
Please call 800-435-3942 (x228) or register online at http://www.lexialearning.com/go/ugsk
 

Learning Disabilities Association of America's 45th Annual International Conference, Hilton Chicago February 27 – March 1, focusing on research and findings in learning disabilities including
 workshops on Adults, Adult Education/GED, Transition, ESL, Corrections, Medical, Mental Health, Professional Preparation, Public Policy, and much more.  Featured speakers include Dale Brown,
 Andy Imparato, Nancie Payne, Anne Ford and Harry Sylvester. Please log on http://www.ldaamerica.org/ for additional information and to view the entire program. 
 Or contact us via email (info@LDAAmerica.org) or phone (888-300-6710) to receive the advance registration book.  Multiple copies of the book are also available for distribution.


WE LEARN 5th Annual (Net)Working Gathering & Conference on Women & Literacy Building Alliances / Construyendo Alianzas
http://www.litwomen.org/conference.html March 7- 8,  Fordham Univ. at Lincoln Center, New York, NY Co-Sponsored with WE LEARN by Fordham Graduate School of Education

WE LEARN seeks presentation proposals from students (at all levels), teachers, researchers, and community activists addressing related theme issues & topics.
Women continue to be separated by culture, language, literacy, geography; our differences are profound. The daily lives of women in adult basic/literacy education remain especially complex
due to inequities based on race, class, gender, and other diversities. This year’s conference will explore the differences that divide women and look to ways of building alliances across those differences. DEADLINE: Nov. 30
Please apply using the Internet form. http://www.litwomen.org/conferences/2008/props08.html Sponsorship, advertiser, and exhibitor information also available: 
http://www.litwomen.org/conferences/2008/sponsors.pdf
Registration and hotel information will be available by the end of November. Thanks. We look forward to your participation. - Mev Miller, Ed.D., Director
 

Read, Rattle and Roll: National Community literacy Leadership Conference, Memphis, March 12-14.  Conference goals: to build on the national community literacy discourse that is uniting communities and promoting the vision of 100% literacy through 100% community engagement; to demonstrate strategies that business, local government, funders and educational stakeholders can use to support the creation of highly literate communities; to share models, resources and success stories from a diverse group of coalitions, and to
inspire community leaders and coalition board members through a process of enquiry and education to build the capacity of collaborative community efforts through literacy infusion. http://www.literacypowerline.com/details2008.html


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



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



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