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LR/RI produces a bulletin roughly every two weeks in order to inform area practitioners of news, events, and calls for participation and also as a forum for posing questions, issues and discussion topics. The current bulletin is posted below. To read previous bulletins, go to Bulletin Archives.15 December, 1997 Bulletin #29 Dear Colleagues, Discussion group meetings and planning for advocacy around adult education across the state continue. This bulletin contains information about an international literacy survey and an open invitation for all of us to consider ways of pooling our knowledge, skills and energies to increase advocacy activity in the coming months. Best holiday wishes. And hopes.
Janet Isserlis ____________________________________________________________ NOTICES PRACTITIONER WRITING GROUP: Practitioners are invited to meet to write, share, and give feedback in a supportive environment at a second meeting, to be held on Wednesday, December 17 at 3:00 PM at the Swearer Center for Public Service, (25 George Street, Providence). We can use this session as a forum for sharing writing, generating writing ideas for ourselves/our learners, setting up email or other exchanges. Also, please see the new page, Writing from the Field, on LR/RI's website. Adult Literacy Council meeting - Tuesday, January 13 PM, Knight Memorial Library Elmwood Avenue, Providence. Please join us to continue the conversation about advocacy and adult education. Members of the Literacy Council and others in the adult education community are working to identify issues we need to focus upon, and strategies for finding a unified voice for taking our message to legislators and others invested in adult learning in the state. Please join us to make your voice heard and/or contact Louise Moulton (455-8041) or LR/RI for more information. ESOL Sharing/discussion group will be held on Thursday, December 18 from 4 to 6 PM, at the Genesis Center, 620 Potters Avenue, Providence. Please join us; bring ideas, questions and concerns around ESOL practice. The next PLANNING MEETING for the intergenerational learning conference, Connections through Literacy, will be held on Friday Jan 9 at 8:30 AM at the International Institute of RI. TUTORING OPPORTUNITY: Swiss National, working for an American firm is looking for a private tutor to improve conversational English and do some grammar. Call Alfred Beyeler, work: 463-6400, ext. 382, home, 886-4762. Tutoring sessions have been requested for twice a week, between 8 am and 5 pm, any day of the week is fine. ADULT LEARNER ORGANIZATION From The Highlander Adult Learner Planning Committee: From March 27th - 29th, 1998, a history-making event will take place at the Highlander Center in New Market, Tennessee; a group adult learner leaders from across the US. will gather to create a national adult literacy student organization. The Highlander Center has for years nurtured literacy, labor, civil rights and other social change movements in the South, and has attracted leaders from across the country who have returned to make a difference in their communities... A small group of adult learners and practitioners has been meeting by telephone to plan this three-day meeting, and application forms will be ready by mid-December. The applications will have a January 15th deadline; please tell potential adult learner applicants about this now. The adult learner-driven Highlander planning group is actively engaged in fundraising activities, seek ing grants from foundations and corporations, and contributions from individuals, to underwrite some of the costs of this event. We hope to cover partial costs for participants who could not otherwise at tend, but we also expect them to get help from state and local adult literacy agencies and organizations. (The planning committee consists of Archie Willard, Toni Cordell, Pat Blackwell, Ed Castor, John Zickefoose, Patsy Medina, David J. Rosen, Paul Jurmo, Brenda Bell, Meg Young, Dale Christianson and Leslie Shelton.) and this letter from Paul Jurmo: Dear Supporters of Adult Learner Leadership, A steering committee composed of adult learner leaders and adult education professionals is currently planning a meeting to be held at the Highlander Center in Tennessee in March, 1998. This committee was organized and is headed by adult learner leader (and former NIFL fellow) Archie Willard. Between 35 and 40 adult learners from around the US. will attend that meeting, along with a half dozen adult education professionals. These learners will represent a broad mix of programs, geo graphic locations, and demographics (race, gender, age, etc.), and will discuss...what the goals of a national adult learner organization should be, who might participate in the organization, what activities such an organization can provide for its members and for the adult education field, and how the organization should be structured and supported. The planning committee is seeking funding from individuals and organizations to help defray some of the travel, room and board costs of those participating. The committee also hopes to be able to set aside some additional funds to serve as seed money for whatever new organization might emerge from this meeting. The committee has put together a detailed plan for three stages of adult learner leadership activities. The Highlander meeting would constitute the first of those three stages. This plan is avail able on request. Learning Partnerships, (a nonprofit organization) will serve as fiscal agent to manage funds donated for the meeting. If you/your organization are interested in supporting this meeting in even a small way, please send your tax-deductible donations to Learning Partnerships at the address below. Individuals are asked to consider donations of $25 to $100, and organizations might consider gifts between $500 and $1000. The steering committee welcomes donations of all sizes. Upon re quest, we can send you a letter acknowledging your donation for tax-reporting purposes. On behalf of the steering committee organizing this meeting, thank you for your support for adult learners and learning. Paul Jurmo, Learning Partnerships, 14 Griffin Street, East Brunswick, NJ 08816-4806 Tel. 732/254-2237
REMINDERS: Practitioner, Administrator, Learner Participation Sought for NCSALL Research The National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy seeks practitioner, learner and ad ministrator assistance in four of its current research projects. All projects offer financial compensation and the opportunity to learn about and help improve practice through research. Brief de scriptions of each of the four projects, ( Adult Diagnostic Reading Study, Learner Motivation Study, Learner Identified Impacts Study, and Literacy Practices of Adult Learners), their needs and compensation, offered appeared in bulletin #27 (on line, see bottom of this page). Additional information on the projects, including time requirements, time frames and contact information is available through the Practitioner Dissemination and Research Network. Contact David Hayes at (401) 331-9261 or PDRNRI@aol.com. HEALTH AND LITERACY: From the NIFL-FAMILY listserv, for agencies working in collaboration with health care agencies: Pfizer Inc. is inviting applications for two $50,000 grants. One will support research and the other will support programs to improve health literacy. Any individual or organization involved in health care delivery is eligible to apply, and the grants may be used to fund existing projects or programs. The application deadline is April 30, 1998. Information: contact Charlene Landis, Pfizer Inc. 235 E. 42nd St. New York, NY 10017; 1- 888-457-3033.
EMPLOYMENT SOUGHT: M. Ed. with a specialization in Learning Disabilities seeking a part time (ten to fifteen hours per week) teaching/tutoring opportunity working with young adults or adults in a GED/Adult Literacy Program. I am an effective communicator with a passion for education. Please call Robin Silva at (401) 433-4772. EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY: World Education (WE), a Boston based non-profit providing technical assistance and training in literacy, ABE, organizational and staff development, seeks a short term consultant to research and produce publications on the teacher leader/ catalyst teacher model. Catalyst teachers are teachers with expertise in a particular topic who provide leadership to other teachers in the field of ABE. This position is focused primarily on working with WE staff to document World Ed. and other ABE projects which have used the catalyst teacher model in the United States. Responsibilities: Research and literature review on catalyst teachers, leadership, mentors, instructional or peer coaches; review of other catalyst teacher programs/best practices in ABE; document WE work with catalyst teacher model through interviewing WE staff to develop a clear plan for fundraising to promote catalyst teacher projects; produce 1) a comprehensive report (including lit. review, review of WE and other best practices, and implications for future practice, 2)fundraising plan, 3)draft concept papers, and 4) concept and text for a brochure highlighting how the catalyst teacher model is used in WE project. Qualifications: Teaching or other experience in ABE, literature review or other library research experience, interview skills, good writing skills, publication experiences, familiarity with participatory education, staff development and leadership models, ability to develop a clear, realistic fundraising plan, ability to develop reports, concept paper and brochure text, publication layout/design skills a plus. Consultant will work from home, but must be able to come to Boston for meetings, etc. This is a 300 hour position (roughly 2 days/wk for 5 months, 1/98 - 6/98. Pay is $9,000 inclusive, payable upon receipt of deliverables. Submit resume, cover letter and writing sample to Kate Ellison, Staff Associate, World Education, 44 Farnsworth Street, Boston, MA 02210, by 1/5/97. No phone calls please.
INTERNATIONAL ADULT LITERACY SURVEY: Highlights of the Highlights From David Rosen: Curious to know more about the recently released IALS study, I went to the (Canadian) National Adult Literacy Database... and found the highlights of the study ... Please note the policy recommendations at the end. Highlights from the Second Report of the International Adult Literacy Survey: Literacy Skills for the Knowledge Society (Released November 7, 1997). (I1ve pulled out highlights of David1s highlights,full report is online athese two sites: http://www.nald.ca/nls/ials/ialsreps/ialsrpt2/ials2/tocials2.htmhttp://www.nald.ca/nls/ials/ialsreps/ialsrpt2/ials2/high1e.htm) "Literacy Skills for the Knowledge Society" is a comparative study of literacy skills in 12 countries, Australia, Belgium (Flanders), Canada, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland (French and German-speaking) the United Kingdom and the US, published by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in cooperation with Statistics Canada and the National Literacy Secretariat, the Applied Research Branch, both of Human Resources Development Canada. It contains important insights into issues related to literacy. One should not take the report ... as the last word on literacy, but as a contribution to an evolving body of work." Productivity and earnings: OECD countries receive measurable and substantial positive economic returns as a result of strong literacy skills. Data clearly show that the percentage of people with relatively high incomes grows with increasing levels of literacy proficiency. The impact of peo ple's levels of literacy skill on their wages is greatest the more open and flexible the economy, such as Canada and the US. The wage penalty associated with low performance is large across all countries." "Higher income generated through improved literacy skills and greater productivity will contribute to higher government revenues. Even a relatively small increase in national productivity through im proved literacy will have a relatively large impact on public revenues. For example, a 2% increase in wages and earnings from improvements in national literacy would provide approximately a 1.8% in crease in revenue in a country that is dependent primarily on value-added tax." Labour force participation and unemployment: Employment and unemployment are strongly related to levels of literacy proficiency. Persons who are more literate are likely to have better jobs, have higher levels of productivity and earnings, and are less vulnerable to long-term unemployment. Higher levels of literacy allow for efficient learning and thus allow workers to adapt easily to new technologies and changing job requirements. "Low skilled adults have a greater chance of being unemployed than those possessing higher literacy skills, and the duration of unemployment for those with low skills may also be greater. Those with low literacy skills are clearly at a serious disadvantage with respect to access to the labour market. This holds true in all the countries studied despite the differences in economic structures and the distribution of literacy skill." Wider social benefits: Low levels of literacy can be equated with lower wages and more frequent spells of unemployment, thus contributing to poverty. In fact, the IALS report indicates that a high percentage of people on public assistance and those in prisons have lower than average basic skills." "Literacy is also related to health. Persons with higher skill may maintain better health through their ability to understand and interpret health information. They may also be better able to exercise preventive health practices and detect problems so that they can be treated earlier, or make appropriate choices amongst health care options." Adults' readiness to learn: In the majority of countries surveyed, around 40% of the population participates in adult education and training. In each country, however, there are still large groups that are not involved. Even so, adult training is on the rise influenced, in part, by the job market which has recognized the increased importance of adult education and training as an investment. In all countries, roughly half of the participants in adult education and training attend an employer-supported activity. The data shows, however, that adult education and training programmes are less likely to involve those with low literacy skills, the very people who need them the most. Given that literacy is a prerequisite for an adult's readiness to engage in learning, the lack of strong literacy skills can be a critical factor that deters these adults from participating in training. The rates of participation in adult education and training increase gradually with increasing levels of literacy skill. OECD economies cannot rely completely on the educational system to provide skilled workers, they need to target adult education and training for low skilled adults, the majority of whom are currently employed." Policy directions: Earlier IALS work demonstrated that literacy is policy sensitive... IALS findings suggest that the coordination of policies over a wide range of different policy domains can have a significant impact, directly or indirectly, on adult literacy levels. Approaches to developing strategies for lifelong learning need to be broad and to build on the efforts of different policy sectors and different constituents. A fruitful strategy depends as much on labour market policy as on education policy. The distinction between adult education for personal develop ment and job-related training is dissolving; each contributes to the other, a fact that must be reflected in adult education and training policies." "Governments will have to develop policies to respond to the need for literacy programmes targeting lower-skilled workers 45 years and older, many of whom may reasonably expect to continue working for many years [and] may also need to consider earmarking funds for outreach activities at work and in the community, and for study assistance for courses of differing durations." "Although literacy is not the only determinant of employment levels, strong literacy rates make a labour force more productive and employable over the long run, providing incentives to attract capital invest ment and job creation. Continuously upgrading the skills of populations and workforces through strategies for lifelong learning should be part of the policy responses to tackle poor, low-wage jobs and persistent unemployment. But the search for solutions requires a commitment to concerted action by a variety of players. Governments cannot do it alone; they can formulate strategies for improve ments, but delivering those strategies requires partnerships. Employers, workers, national and com munity organizations, different levels of government, and individuals all have a role to play in encour aging strong literacy skills within a society. What is needed in the end is the development of a culture committed to learning. That cannot be legislated, but requires changes in behaviour by individuals as well as institutions, leading toward a convergence of policy and practice which encourages lifelong learning for all." David adds: What do you think of these findings and of the policy recommendations? How can we publicize these findings so that legislators understand their significance?
from previous bulletins:
Information exchanges: Is your program taking on a new project or direction? Do you want to ask other practitioners/programs about their work? The bulletin is a vehicle for disseminating information, asking questions, sharing resources. Please utilize it . Call, write, fax or email to send information, questionnaires, calls for resources, whatever.
Practitioner, Administrator, Learner Participation Sought for NCSALL Research The Natitional Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy seeks practitioner, learner and ad ministrator assistance in four of its current research projects. All projects offer financial compensation and the opportunity to learn about and help improve practice through research. Following is a brief de scription of each of the four projects, their needs and compensation offered. Additional information on the projects, including time requirements , timeframes and contact information is available through the Practitioner Dissemination and Research Network. Contact David Hayes at (401) 331-9261 or PDRNRI@aol.com.
LEGISLATIVE INFORMATION ON-LINE (from Fran Keenan at the Center for Applied Linguistics): http://www.StateServ.hpts.org provides current and exclusive state legislative information on welfare reform & immigrants. The 1996 welfare law rewrote the rules for immigrants, originally cutting $24 billion in cash, medical, and food stamp benefits. Although $12 billion in SSI benefits were restored in 1997, states are still challenged by the cost shifts from federal to state and local safety net programs, and are determining whether and how to serve particularly vulnerable immigrant populations. State legislation is summarized by cash assistance, medical assistance, nutritional assistance, and naturalization. Also available on-line are the Project's popular new series of issue briefs "Welfare Reform & Immigrants." Currently posted are briefs on: State Trends, Nutritional Assistance, and TANF. The website was launched by the Health Policy Tracking Service at NCSL. StateServ also provides information on state policies and legislation in the areas of adolescent health, HIV/AIDS, and youth access to alcohol. The website is supported with grants from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Ford Foundation. For more information on StateServ, call The Health Policy Tracking Service at 202-624-3567 or e-mail them at: info@hpts.org. For more information on Welfare Reform & Immigrants, contact Ann Morse, Immigrant Policy Project, (ann.morse@ncsl.org) or Jeremy Meadows (jeremy.meadows@ncsl.org). We welcome your comments. (The IMMIGRANT-NEWS-L distribution list is a service of NCSLnet, the Electronic Information Network for State Legislatures. National Conference of State Legislatures. For information on NCSLnet services send a blank e-mail message to: NCSLnet-Info@ncsl.org).
AIDS RESOURCES ONLINE The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention1s national AIDS clearinghouse is located at http://www.cdcnac.org. It's Up to Us: An AIDS Education Curriculum for ESL Students and Other English Language Learners, by Henry Lesnick, is available on line at http://www.hostos.cuny.edu/homepages/lesnick/AIDS. AVERT, AIDS Education and Research Trust, a British site, is at http://www.avert.org/ World AIDS Day is observed on December 1st, but the need to work on appropriate educational strategies around HIV and AIDS prevention education persists year round.
PROJECT BASED LEARNING AND ACCESS TO THE INTERNET How is the internet being used in adult education? What are some helpful uses, and how do we sort through the huge amount of material available on line? Susan Gaer is interested in helping programs link to one another, and has been doing so through an email project homepage on-line, at http://www.otan.dni.us/webfarm/emailproject/email.htm. If you have or know of similar learner work on line, please contact Susan at SusanG2@aol.com. As well, David Rosen (who in addition to advocacy work, has done a great deal of work on and research into using the internet) has asked that we have a look at the inquiry maps on the Adult Literacy Resource Institute1s home page. As he explains, "[a]n Inquiry Map is a group participatory research process on a topic of high interest to the group. Participants (in this case, adult learners) make their own questions, and then set about finding answers to them. The Inquiry map is a process which is never finished. Many of the questions go unanswered, are only partially answered, or have only one answer given where other points of view are possible. So, there is room for other participants to join in the process at any time, to add their answers, their comments on the answers already given, and questions which they might also choose to research." Questions, answers and comments can be posted to David Rosen <DJRosen@world.std.com>, and he'll add them to the inquiry map. So, it keeps on being an inquiry process with each new person who reads and adds to it. He welcomes additions of questions and answers; as you may know, many internet sites run threaded conversations on a variety of topics. The ALRI sites are: http://www2.wgbh.org/MBCWEIS/LTC/ALRI/I.M.html and http://www2.wgbh.org/MBCWEIS/LTC/ALRI/IM3.html (How to make inquiry maps). The LR/RI website has added a page about technology and learning as well. The page consists of the beginning of a discussion about the ways in which technology can be used interactively -- is the screen just a big flashy workbook, or is there more to it? Your comments can be sent by email, fax or regular mail, and will be added to the page to continue the conversation.
NCSALL Practitioner Dissemination and Research Network Now Scheduling On -Site Introductions The National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy's Practitioner Dissemination and Research Network / Rhode Island is now scheduling on-site introductory meetings with practitioners and administrators as part of its ongoing effort to facilitate the development and strengthening of ties between researchers and practitioners. The sessions will highlight current NCSALL research and its connection to Rhode Island adult ed practice, introduce Focus On Basics - an adult ed pulication aimed at addressing practitioners' needs - and encourage discussion on practitioners' roles in research, ways in which research results can be applied to practice, and the utility of the PDRN to the Rhode Island adult ed community. Meetings will be tailored to suit a group or program's time restrictions and can be made to run anywhere between 30 and 60 minutes. Adminstrators and practitioners interested in learning more about or scheduling an on -site meeting should contact David Hayes, PDRN / RI Practitioner Leader, at (401) 331 - 9261 or by email to PDRNRI@aol.com.
and also from previous issues:
Workshops available - During the past few years I've worked with a team of women from around Canada, through the Canadian Congress for Learning Opportunities for Women, on Making Connections: Literacy and EAL Curriculum from a Feminist Perspective. The curriculum was developed for learners in basic education and English language programs. A series of workshops have been developed and are available to anyone in the area with an interest in learning more about incorporating the curriculum and its approaches into their own work. Please contact me (Janet) at LR/RI for more information and/or to schedule a workshop. Information about the curriculum is also available online at http://www.nald.ca/canorg/cclow/EAL.HTM. While the cost of the curriculum document itself is $20, there is no charge for the workshops.
For the teacher sharing session on Thursday, July 10, these brief articles were reviewed: Cross-Cultural Issues in Adult ESL Literacy Classrooms, (http://www.cal.org/ncle/digests/CROSS_CULTURAL.HTML) Race and Gender in Adult Education, http://coe.ohio-state.edu/cete/ericacve/docs/race-gen.htm and Adult Eduction: Social Change or Status Quo? http://coe.ohio-state.edu/cete/ericacve/docs/dig176.htm You can link to the articles at the URLs above, or contact LR/RI for hardcopies.
Materials are evaluated by subject specialists according to the following criteria: significance, relevance, timeliness, applicability, authority of author, comprehensiveness, clarity of presentation, reflection of emerging trends, capability of meeting users' needs, and generalizability. Every item submitted is given careful consideration. If an item is not selected for ERIC, the author is given an explanation of why it did not meet the selection criteria.
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