Contact LR/RI
| 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 August 11, 2008 Bulletin
#276 Dear Colleagues, Calls for
participation, employment, funding,
and conference and workshop
opportunities, online
and other resources.
Janet Isserlis
classes
this summer: ESOL share Tuesday, September 23rd 2:00 pm, Genesis Center, 620 Potters Avenue, Providence. Voting, civic participation. What are we doing to inform and prepare ourselves/learners for the elections and ongoing community participation? This is an open discussion group. All are invited to participate. Practitioner share August 25th, 3 - 5 p, Crossroads RI, 160 Broad Street Many practitioners struggle with helping adult learners stay engaged in learning. Family, work and other concerns can often make it difficult for learners to stay focused on educational programs. External constraints present challenges as well. Join classroom teachers and administrators considering these issues and share both concerns and possibilities. This month’s topic for discussion will address means of creating a safe space for learners while balancing our own high expectations, holding learners accountable for their participation, and considering our own accountability as well. Visitor parking is available in the YMCA parking lot. Light refreshments will be served. GED Testing The Education Exchange in Wakefield offers weekly GED Testing on Thursday and Friday mornings through the summer (with the exception of August 14th & 15th). For more information on registration call Candice Moretti at 783-0293. The Woonsocket GED Test Center has the following test dates available for the month of August. OFFICIAL GED TEST DATES – Woonsocket Learning Center, 191 Social St, 5th floor (401-762-3841) THURSDAY, AUGUST 21, FRIDAY, AUGUST 22, 2008 SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, MONDAY, AUGUST 25, 2008 and TUESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2008 All Testing (Excluding Saturday) will be at 9:30 am and 6:15 pm Saturday Testing will take place at 9:30am You must be at least 17 years of age to register for the GED tests. Any one who would like to register may go to the Woonsocket Learning Center, Mondays through Thursdays between 9am and 3pm. You must bring a picture identification and $55.00. If you are 17 years of age, you will need a letter of withdrawal from your high school at time of registration. If you are receiving public assistance, the $55.00 fee will be waived. You must bring your EBT Card or a letter from your caseworker verifying that you are on public assistance. other RI Adult Education PDC events: http://www.ric.edu/aepdc/calendar.php RIRAL's TRANSITION TO COLLEGE - INFORMATION AND ASSESSMENT SESSIONS Weekend session begins in October. CALL TODAY TO RESERVE YOUR PLACE AND CHANGE YOUR LIFE!  Transition to College is part of the Rhode Island State Transition Initiative in partnership with the Community College of Rhode. The program is held at 175 Main Street Pawtucket, RI. For more information, contact MarieCrecca-Romero@riral.org, Program Director at 401. 722.9800. Help students gain accuracy, speed, and prosody The WILSON Fluency™ Workshop will show you how to improve your students' word automaticity and rate-appropriate independent reading of connected text with ease and expression. This five-hour workshop will examine the important aspects of explicit fluency instruction and will provide hands-on practice conducting formalized fluency lessons with the WILSON Fluency / Basic program. This workshop is designed for teachers who are currently using (or considering) the WILSON Fluency / Basic Kit. August19, $225 * Oxford, MA WILSON Fluency / Basic is a supplemental fluency program appropriate for younger students with beginning reading skills or for older students who are not reading fluently due to decoding deficits. Although it specifically supplements Steps 1-3 of the Wilson Reading System®, it can be used with any reading curriculum that directly teaches closed syllable structure. To learn more about the Fluency/Basic program, about saving $50 when you register early, please go to : http://www.wilsonlanguage.com/frame_Wilson_Fluency_Basic.asp Wilson Language Training is a recognized leader for teacher professional development and is included in the National Staff Development Council’s (NSDC) initiative, What Works in K-12 Literacy Staff Development from OVAE's Thursday notes, August 7, 2008 Minnesota Conducts Three-Year Transition Initiative Minnesota's adult education system is investing state dollars to increase local capacity to transition adult education students to postsecondary education and training. Fifty-three consortia of local programs will receive a share of the $400,000 available this year. Programs will align student testing, curricula, and referral to expedite transition; expand co-location with providers of other services; integrate study skills into basic skills classes; and learn more about postsecondary transition strategies. The state adult education office is supporting local efforts with best practice models, workshops and technical assistance. The initiative, begun in 2007, runs through 2010. http://mnabe.themlc.org/Transition_to_Post-Secondary.html North Carolina Program Helps Job Seekers At Campbell's Soup Career Readiness Certificates (CRCs) are helping adult learners get jobs in North Carolina. A Campbell's Soup manufacturing facility located there recently profiled about 20 jobs using WorkKeys assessments, according to Stephanie Deese, director of work force initiatives for the North Carolina Community College System. She said these profiles allowed the facility to waive a two-year prior work experience requirement for some jobs. Applicants with a proficient CRC may come to work for the company. Advocates say community college CRCs may increase an institution’s value and role in economic development as the availability of certificates attracts more students. http://www.insidehighered.com/layout/set/print/news/2008/07/09/certificate Online Math Resources For Teachers Evidence suggests that many adult education teachers may not have a strong background in teaching math, but math is an increasingly critical skill required for college entry and employment. Teachers can create more engaging math classes this fall using online math lesson plans from the Literacy Information and Communication System (LINCS) to help get basic concepts across to adult education students in fascinating ways. http://literacynet.org/sciencelincs/slnum-number.html (Ed. note - don't forget the wonderful resources from Project TIAN http://www.terc.edu/work/794.html) learning opportunities Webinar: Developing Fluent Readers August 14th, 2:00 p.m. MST (mountain standard time) Reading fluency is receiving increased visibility in classrooms around the world, yet many programs fail to understand how to fully integrate this essential reading skill into a reading curriculum. Likewise programs face challenges in knowing how to explicitly develop this important skill. Teachers and Program Administrators struggle with knowing how to balance both silent and oral reading fluency instruction. Most fluency assessments focus on oral fluency. Anderson maintains that if you want to develop strong, fluent oral readers you must first develop strong, fluent silent readers. Anderson defines reading fluency as reading at an appropriate rate with adequate comprehension. This webinar will focus on how this definition can be implemented in classrooms. He will review the pedagogical rationale for building reading fluency and suggest activities that teachers, especially those working with second language readers, can use for explicit classroom instruction on how to build and improve reading fluency. To attend this free presentation, you will need to register at https://www2.gotomeeting.com:443/island/webinar/registration.tmpl?id=314797198 <file://localhost/island/webinar/registration.tmpl> Neil J. Anderson is a Humanities Professor of Linguistics and English Language at Brigham Young University. He also serves as the Coordinator of the English Language Center. He teaches courses in the TESOL Master's program as well as language classes to second language learners. His research interests include second language reading, language learner strategies, and English Language Teaching leadership development. Professor Anderson is the author, co-author, or co-editor of over 40 books, book chapters, and professional articles, among them Exploring Second Language Reading: Issues and Strategies, ELT Advantage: Reading, ACTIVE Skills for Reading, and Practical English Language Teaching: Reading. Adult Literacy (ADTED 457) is a three-credit undergraduate/graduate level Penn State course offered online through Penn State's World Campus. It can be used as an elective for several Penn State graduate degree programs, as well as for undergraduate credit. The course examines recent research and issues, and bridges the gap between research and adult literacy practices. It explores best practices for developing instruction and teaching adult students, including contextualized instruction, scaffolding techniques to promote independent learning, and self-regulation strategies to support self-directed learning and for successful transition into postsecondary education and training. The course has been designed to provide practitioners with a professional development opportunity to focus on their own areas of interest within the field of adult basic and literacy education, including, but not limited to, family literacy, workplace literacy and workforce development, health literacy, financial literacy, and information literacy. There are no prerequisites, and a background in adult education is not necessary for successful completion of the course. The curriculum allows students to participate at their own level of experience and need, and begins September 3, and ends December 3, 2008. For more information, visit: http://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/FamilyLiteracyCertificate.shtml or contact Dr. Sheila Sherow at sms20@psu.edu To register contact: http://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/StudentServices_GettingStarted.shtml Adult Multiple Intelligences and Differentiated Instruction Course Dates: October 13–December 12, 2008; Online chats during Lessons 3, 4, and 5 Course Description Research conducted by the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy shows that instructional practices inspired by Multiple Intelligences (MI) theory resulted in high levels of authentic instruction and student engagement. Integrate your understanding of Multiple Intelligences (MI) theory with the power of differentiated instruction in this facilitated, eight-session course. You’ll learn how to apply MI theory and differentiate instruction for all levels of adult basic education and English for speakers of other languages. The facilitator will guide you as you develop your own MI-based lessons. Objectives Upon completion of this course you will be able to: *Apply the theory of multiple intelligences (MI) to design learning activities that match your learning objectives *Use varying methods of differentiated instruction (DI) that address the different skills and interests of your learners *Apply knowledge of your own MI profile to your classroom teaching *Produce and reflect on a lesson or unit using both MI and DI Required Text: Viens, Julie and Silja Kallenbach. Multiple Intelligences and Adult Literacy: A Sourcebook for Practitioners. (New York: Teachers College Press, 2004. Copies of the required textbook can be obtained from the publisher, Teachers College Press (TCP), the publisher at http://store.tcpress.com/0807743461.shtml. The cost is $27.95 per copy. Bottom of Form Course Format and Schedule: facilitated, online During this eight-week course, you will engage in self-paced activities and readings, as well as asynchronous discussions with the facilitators and course participants. Three synchronous chats will be scheduled during Lessons 3, 4, and 5. Course Overview: Download at http://professionalstudiesae.worlded.org/pdf/midi_overview.pdf. Course Facilitator: Wendy Quiñones Estimated Completion Time: 40 hours Fee: $249.00 (negotiated group rates available) Registration: Complete and return the registration form, which you can download at http://professionalstudiesae.worlded.org/pdf/midi_reg.pdf. Payment must be received prior to enrollment. Registration is limited to 20 participants. Cancellation policy: World Education reserves the right to cancel the course if the minimum number of registrants is not met by September 29, 2008 Study Circle: Research-based Adult Reading Instruction Course Dates: September 25–November 19, 2008; chats on October 8 and October 29 at 12:30 or 1:30 pm EDT and November 19 at 12:30 pm or 1:30 pm EST Course Description The Research-based Adult Reading Instruction Study Circle is designed to engage practitioners of adult basic education (ABE), adult secondary education (ASE), and English-for-speakers-of‐other-languages (ESOL) in discussing theories and concepts related to reading instruction. Questions about what research says about teaching adults how to read are particularly relevant as programs and teachers struggle with choosing the most effective ways to develop adults’ reading skills. Objectives During this study circle, you will: • Think about and share your own perspectives on teaching reading and discuss the research on reading with others. • Then look more in-depth at the reading research, who adult readers are, and how reading research can be applied to reading instruction. • Identify how to assess adults’ reading skills and what adult students should know about the reading process. • Develop an action plan for using what you learn in your own practice. Course Format and Schedule: facilitated, online During this eight-week course, you will work on team projects, engage in self-paced activities and readings, as well as asynchronous discussions with the facilitator and course participants. Chats are scheduled for October 8 and October 29 at 12:30 or 1:30 pm EDT and November 19 at 12:30 pm or 1:30 pm EST. Course Overview: Download at http://professionalstudiesae.worlded.org/pdf/reading_sc_overview.pdf Course Facilitator: Kaye Beall Estimated Completion Time: 20–24 hours Fee: $249.00 (negotiated group rates available) Registration: Complete and return the registration form, which you can download at http://professionalstudiesae.worlded.org/pdf/reading_reg.pdf. Payment must be received prior to enrollment. Registration is limited to 20 participants. Cancellation policy: World Education reserves the right to cancel the course if the minimum number of registrants is not met by September 10, 2008. more online courses - ProfessionalStudiesAE.org Offers Three New Courses on Student Assessment What Every Teacher Should Know About Assessment (September 15 - 29; Webinars at 2 pm, Sept. 15 & 29) Your guide to basic concepts in student assessment - learn how to use standardized assessments effectively and develop better in-class assessments. Documentation: Certificate of Completion will document 6 hours as completion time. Facilitator: Carey Reid, World Education, Inc. Course fee: $89 per participant The following two courses help you apply what you learn in "What Every Teacher Should Know About Assessment" to your classroom. Understanding and Using Published Assessments with Adult Learners (October 6 - 27; Webinars at 2 p.m. EST, Oct. 7 & 27) Published tests - standardized and non-standardized - are fixtures in adult basic education, but we rarely give much thought about their design, their intent, or their strengths and limitations. In this course, you will explore the main types of published reading assessments in use in ABE, the advantages and disadvantages of reading tests, and how the NRS uses the results of standardized testing. Prerequisite: What Every Teacher Should Know About Assessment or equivalent experience Documentation: Certificate of Completion will document 12 hours as completion time. Facilitator: Carey Reid, World Education, Inc. Course fee: $179 per participant Assessments Developed by Teachers and Students (Nov. 10 - Dec. 12; Webinars at 2 p.m. EST, Nov. 10 & Dec. 8) Expand your assessment toolkit! Learn about tools to check day-to-day student progress, dynamic forms of assessment, and how to involve your students in assessment design. You'll learn how assessments can guide and inform instruction by focusing on learning objectives, assessment design, and lesson activities. And you'll be able to use rubrics and other tools to share assessment criteria and expectations with students. Prerequisite: What Every Teacher Should Know About Assessment or equivalent experience Documentation: Certificate of Completion will document 12 hours as completion time. Facilitator: Carey Reid, World Education, Inc. Course fee: $179 per participant These courses combine top-quality content on student assessment in adult education and literacy with an easy-to-use online format. In these courses you'll explore assessment concepts and strategies in-depth through online activities, readings, and discussion boards, all with an expert facilitator and adult education colleagues across the country. Register by calling (315) 422-9121 ext. 367. Online registration open at http://www.ProfessionalStudiesAE.org beginning August 25th. Questions? Call 315-422-9121 ext. 283, or e-mail prodev@proliteracy.org MEMBERSHIP DISCOUNT ProLiteracy members receive a 15% discount on all professional development courses - http://www.proliteracy.org/proliteracy_america/membership GROUP DISCOUNTS are available for organizations registering 5 or more course participants. Please call 315-422-9121, ext. 283, or e-mail prodev@proliteracy.org for more information. National Priorities Project analyzes and clarifies federal data so that people can understand and influence how their tax dollars are spent. Numeracy, critical thinking and technology: have a look http://www.nationalpriorities.org/costofwar_home funding opportunities - large and less large Grants from the Juanita Sanchez Community Fund may support human service organizations, community centers, art institutions—any nonprofit that works toward enriching or improving the lives of Latinos in Rhode Island. Several grants will be awarded each year in the range of $500 to $1,500. For consideration in the upcoming grant cycle, grant applications must be completed and submitted to The Rhode Island Foundation, One Union Station, Providence, RI 02903 by October 1. The Juanita Sanchez Community Fund will accept no more than one application per organization in any given year; however, applying to the Sanchez Fund does not restrict an organization from applying for a grant from another fund administered by The Rhode Island Foundation. For more information, contact Inés Merchán, Community Philanthropy Associate, at imerchan@rifoundation.org or (401) 274-4564, and/or learn more at http://www.rifoundation.org/matriarch/documents/SanchezRFP.pdf Verizon Foundation -- Education, Literacy and Health Grants The Verizon Foundation aims to help people increase their literacy and educational achievement; avoid being an abuser or a victim of domestic violence; and achieve and sustain their health and safety. To achieve this goal, the Foundation funds programs in the following areas of interest: education, literacy, domestic violence prevention, healthcare and accessibility and Internet safety. Eligible applicants are nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status. Proposals will also be considered from elementary and secondary schools that are registered with the National Center for Education Statistics. Deadline: November 1, 2008 Contact the Verizon Foundation directly for complete program information and application guidelines: http://foundation.verizon.com/grant/guidelines.shtml The Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy Announces the 2009 National Grant Competition http://www.barbarabushfoundation.com/nga.html The Foundation's grant-making program seeks to develop or expand projects that are designed to support the development of literacy skills for adult primary care givers and their children. A total of approximately $650,000 will be awarded; no grant request should exceed $65,000. Family Literacy programs funded through the Foundation's National Grant Program must include all of the following components: Reading instruction for parents or primary care-givers (pre-GED/GED/ESL etc.); literacy or pre-literacy instruction for children, and Intergenerational activities where the parents/primary caregivers and children come together to learn and to read. Programs can also include additional components such as parent support groups, parent involvement, home visits, job training etc.  - 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 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.
online / resources available resources available from CAELA Facilitating Adult Learner Interactions to Build Listening and Speaking Skills Sharon McKay and Kirsten Schaetzel July 2008 http://www.cal.org/caelanetwork/pd_resources/learnerinteractions.html Working with Adult English Language Learners with Limited Literacy: Research, Practice, and Professional Development Miriam Burt, Joy Kreeft Peyton, and Kirsten Schaetzel July 2008 available in html at http://www.cal.org/caelanetwork/pd_resources/literacy.html One longer paper: Education for Adult English Language Learners in the US: Trends, Research, and Promising Practices at http://www.cal.org/caelanetwork/pd_resources/AdultESLInstruction.html RI DLT's Rhode Island Red job search feature is now drawing job postings from ALL local jobs boards (except Monster.com). To access this resource visit RI RED http://www.dlt.ri.gov/rired/ -- under quick menu click job search; choose location search criteria, provide job title or other criteria. Source codes are listed at the bottom of the page The Media Library of Teaching Skills (http://www.mlots.org) now has eight, original adult literacy education classroom videos, and links to 25 adult literacy education videos on other web sites. The MLoTS videos include ESOL/ESL, reading, writing, numeracy/mathematics, and adult secondary education. The latest addition is an ESOL class in a neighborhood in Boston. The lesson focuses on food vocabulary and verb tenses. All the videos are free and stream online, and are based on state curriculum standards or frameworks or on other best practices. They are intended for teacher professional development. They can be used as part of face-to-face or online courses, workshops, or study circles, and can also be accessed by individual teachers who on their own want a "window" to look in on other teaching colleagues' classrooms and teachin g practices. If you look at or use these videos we would like to hear what you think. If you are interested in making classroom videos in your state, please let us hear from you. -David J. Rosen, Media Library of Teaching Skills djrosen@mlots.org Office of Disability Employment Policy Releases three new Publications Soft Skills: The Competitive Edge http://www.dol.gov/odep/pubs/fact/softskills.htm Tips on How Parents Can Put Their Children with Disabilities on the Path to Future Employment http://www.dol.gov/odep/pubs/fact/parenttips.htm Recruiting Young People with Disabilities: A Hiring Strategy with Bottom Line Benefits http://www.dol.gov/odep/pubs/fact/rypwd.htm Assessing the nation's health literacy: Key concepts and findings of the National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL) describes health literacy results from the landmark 2003 NAAL, the nation's most comprehensive measure of adult literacy in more than a decade. Published by the American Medical Association Foundation and written by Sheida White, PhD, NAAL Project Officer, this 100-page report will be of interest to clinicians, researchers, educators, insurers, and policy makers in both the health and education fields. Assessing the nation’s health literacy can be downloaded as a PDF at http://www.amafoundation.org/go/healthliteracy. Hard copies can be purchased for $20 through the AMA Bookstore (http://www.amabookstore.com/) or call (800) 621-8335 and ask for Item #OP423908. - Jaleh Behroozi Soroui and from the National Health Law Program's June 2008 Policy Briefing: Addressing Language Barriers That Impact Health Care for Millions http://www.healthlaw.org/library/folder.198370 Guidance documents from the UK’s Skills for Life – http://excellence.qia.org.uk/page.aspx?o=Guidance – contextualizing work for those with clearly identified learning difficulties (defined as): physical and sensory impairments – for example those with mobility difficulties or hearing or visual impairments; unseen disabilities such as health conditions, mental health difficulties and dyslexia; those whose disrupted learning experiences (for example those in offender establishments) and difficulties with learning have led them to work at a significantly lower level than the majority of their peers. numeracy resources: The Problem Solver, Massachusetts math newsletter, online at http://www.sabes.org/resources/publications/problemsolver/index.htm; Massachusetts also produces a math newsletter that focuses on research: the SABES Math Bulletin. You can access copies of that publication at: http://sabes.org/resources/publications/mathbulletin/index.htm interesting idea -from the MIRA July 9 Bulletin (sohno@miracoalition.org): Welcoming MA, The Welcoming Massachusetts Launch was a great success! On the Grand Staircase inside of the Statehouse, at least 200 people representing diverse immigrant communities, faith, and labor came together and spoke about the need and importance of respecting the dignity of all communities across Massachusetts. In a beautiful embodiment of what it means to be welcoming, attendees stood together to form the shape of a heart on the staircase. They later broke bread together in an age-old tradition symbolizing welcoming and empathy. The group of at least 200 issued a call to action that manifested the collective power and intention of Massachusetts residents in their desire to create a more human, welcoming, and respectful environment for immigrants in the state. For more information about the Welcoming Massachusetts Campaign, please contact Ellen Gallagher <mailto:egallagher@miracoalition.org>, at 617-350-5480 x217. To endorse the Welcoming Massachusetts campaign, please click here http://www.welcomingma.org/ Lots to do at the library Providence Public Library's calendar of events: http://www.provlib.org/calendar.asp online, from Rethinking Schools, Spring 2008: Queer Matters - Educating educators about Homophobia by William DeJean and Anne René Elsebree. Educators consider social justice and topics such as homophobia not so much as issues, but as matters affecting learners and practitioners. http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/22_03/quee223.shtml  online: from ETS on the issues: Adult Education in America. An issue of ETS Policy Notes (Volume 16, No.1) briefly summarizing results of the Adult Education Program Survey sponsored by the US Dept of Education and conducted by ETS. http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/menuitem.c988ba0e5dd572bada20bc47c3921509/?vgnextoid=9b90b8dc9e258110VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD&vgnextchannel=3f85be3a864f4010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD  What's new at NIFL? http://www.nifl.gov/nifl/whats_new.html Educating the Public and Elected Officials about Adult Education: Report on Adult Education Advocacy Efforts in New England by the New England Literacy Resource Center at World Education This new report takes stock of the program, policy and legislative context for adult education in each of the six New England states. It discusses local and statewide advocacy strategies by adult educators. The findings show that adult education advocacy efforts in New England are multi-faceted, and growing in sophistication and reach. The report discusses the principal challenges and related promising strategies revealed through interviews with leading adult education advocates in New England. They are grouped into four areas: 1) Visibility; 2) Framing the Message; 3) Student Involvement; and 4) Increasing and Sustaining Advocacy Efforts. Available for downloading (as a PDF file): http://www.nelrc.org/expertise/civic.html#educating (For a word doc version, please contact janet_isserlis@brown.edu) Seven habits and more: a recent online discussion about reading and ESOL (and English speaking) learners, led to a number of resources being shared, including Heide Spruck Wrigley's Seven Habits of Successful Readers, http://www.cal.org/caela/esl_resources/7Habits.pdf. To follow the entire conversation, go to http://www.nifl.gov/pipermail/englishlanguage/2008/date.html and follow the conversation thread that begins on May 12th (you’ll need to scroll down the page). The UK's Open University course, 'Who counts as a refugee' considers the interrelationships between citizenship, identity and belonging, personal lives and social policy for people who have fled their country of origin seeking asylum in the UK, and includes useful information about refugee status and related issues for those living in other countries: http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=3490 UK National Curricula for ESOL, Literacy and Numeracy, with associated material and support for teachers, including the competencies for each skill at each level. As well, a significant number of resources for working with people with a range of disabilities. (See, for example): http://www.dfes.gov.uk/curriculum_literacy/access/workwith/principles/ http://www.dfes.gov.uk/curriculum_esol/ http://www.dfes.gov.uk/curriculum_literacy/ http://www.dfes.gov.uk/curriculum_numeracy/ Workplace Essential Skills and GED Connection series Now Available Through VIDEO-ON-DEMAND The adult learning series Workplace Essential Skills and GED Connection are available online through the Rhode Island PBS video streaming portal. In 25 half-hour segments, the Workplace Essential Skills series presents refreshers in fundamental reading, writing, and math skills as they relate to getting, keeping, or advancing in a job. Lessons also cover job applications, resume writing, and job interviews. An orientation segment touches upon the use of the different components included in this series. Lessons are written at a pre-GED level, and can help prepare adults for the GED tests. Four workbooks accompany the series. In 39 half-hour programs, the GED Connection helps learners prepare for the GED exam. Episodes cover subjects and skills related to work, community, and home life. Practice tests help learners know what to expect, see which skills they need to strengthen, and build confidence. Access to Workplace Essential Skills and GED Connection series through RI PBS video streaming is free. Users access VOD through an account and passcode, available by email request to Education@ RIpbs.org or by calling Education Services at 401-222-3636 x 211. Video streaming, also known as video on demand (VOD), allows users the convenience of watching lessons at any time from an Internet-connected computer. VOD is also flexible, allowing users to watch several episodes in one sitting, or repeat lessons as often as desired. Both the Workplace Essential Skills and the GED Connection series are also broadcast on RI PBS LEARN, digital 36.2 and Verizon 787. The Workplace Essential Skills broadcasts Fridays at 12:30 PM and the GED Connection series broadcasts Mondays, Tuesdays, and Sundays at 12:30 PM. For Workplace Essential Skills and the GED Connection broadcast dates please visit: http://www.pbs.org/tvschedules/ For information about RIPBS Education Services please visit out web pages at http://www.ripbs.org/Education/ - Dr. María D. Velásquez de Tondreau Education Director Rhode Island PBS 50 Park Lane Providence, RI 02907 Phone: (401) 222-3636, ext. 211 Fax: (401) 222-3407 Education@RIpbs.org great online resource: http://www.nrdc.org.uk/index.asp National Research and Development Centre for Adult Literacy and Numeracy, dedicated to conducting research and development projects to improve literacy, numeracy, language and related skills and knowledge. On this site you will find information on all our activities, including: Research and development projects <http://www.nrdc.org.uk/projects.asp> Creative routes to specialist teacher qualifications <http://www.nrdc.org.uk/creativeroutes> The Voices on the Page storybank is now live! Read all of the 640 stories here <http://www.nrdc.org.uk/voicesonthepage.asp> Research reports and reviews <http://www.nrdc.org.uk/content.asp?CategoryID=329> Latest e- newsletter <http://www.nrdc.org.uk/content.asp?CategoryID=671> News and events <http://www.nrdc.org.uk/news.asp> While the work originates in the U.K., much of it has usefulness and validity for work in this country. 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 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 : 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 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 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 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 Effective Transitions in Adult Education to be held on November 17-18, 2008 in Providence, RI Registration for the conference in now open: http://collegetransition.org/conference08/registration.html For more information, contact Priyanka Sharma psharma@worlded.org or call (617) 385-3788. – 2008 National Refugee and Immigrant Conference: Issues and Innovations September 25-26, Chicago, IL The 2008 Refugee and Immigrant Conference offers groups and individuals assisting refugee and immigrant children and their families an opportunity to network and learn about issues affecting refugee and immigrant children and their families, schools, health, and health care, along with the challenges of cultural adjustment. http://www.thecenterweb.org/alrc/refugee.html - questions, please contact Lynn Osheff (losheff@thecenterweb.org). ProLiteracyWorldwide's 2008 annual conference at the Peabody, Little Rock, AR October 2 - 4: http://www.proliteracy.org/conference/ Eleventh Annual Multicultural Conference and Curriculum Resource Fair Presented by the RIC Dialogue on Diversity Committee November 1st, theme: Teaching for Change: Privilege, Power and Possibilities Program includes: Workshops on promising practices in multicultural education; A curriculum fair, including curriculum resources, books, software, and videos; Keynote address by Dr. Peggy McIntosh, "Youth Hour" - a round table dialogue with keynote speaker and college and high school students. http://www.ric.edu/promisingPractices/workshops.php  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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