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, please 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 January 28, 2008
Bulletin
#291 Dear
Colleagues, Calls for
participation, employment, funding,
and conference and workshop
opportunities, online
and other resources.
Janet Isserlis NOTICES -
– in
addition to events listed here, a recently updated list of events
(including workforce development workshops, new practitioner Offer VALUE membership opportunities to your students Student leadership organizations are a critical component of any education system. VALUE is a national student organization. VALUE is currently very active in making sure that student voices are heard. The Rhode Island Office of Adult and Career and Technical Education is very interested in supporting student and alumni organizations and has supported several in the career and technical education arena. As for adult education participants, EDP assessment candidates, and GED test takers and graduates, it is important to clarify that membership fees in reputable student leadership organization is an allowable expense. Please, feel free to review the membership materials contained in the link below and discuss with your students, alumni, test takers, and staff. http://valueusa.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=85&Itemid=104 ESOL share Tuesday, February 10th, 3 pm at the Genesis Center, 620 Potters Avenue, Providence. Jazz Chants – have you used them? Do you want to know more? Debby Venator, Michele Rajotte and others share ideas based on the work of Carolyn Graham's use of sound and rhythm in language learning. Join us each Thursday starting Jan. 22nd as The Genesis Center hosts one of the city's most interesting exhibits in 2009. Common Threads: From Vietnam to Iraq contrasts and compares displaced populations from the U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam to the potentially displaced populations occurring after the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq: Jan 29 @ 6:30pm - Documentary Peter O'Neil will present and discuss his 1982 documentary co-directed by Ralph Rugoff, titled, A Personal Story of The Hmong Refugees from Laos. Feb. 5 @ 6:30pm - Panel Discussion Experts will discuss the historical accounts of displaced populations from war-torn countries from Vietnam to Iraq. Feb 12 @ 6:30pm - Stories from Iraq RISD students will demonstrate and discuss their latest project, Navigating the Space between Home and Exhile. (free; donations gratefully accepted). To RSVP or for more information, contact Mike Ritz 401-781-6110 x28 or mike@gencenter.org Co-sponsors: Office of Public Engagement, RISD & Swearer Center for Public Service, Brown LOCATION OF EVENTS The Center for Integrative Technology at RISD 169 Weybosset St, Providence The follow up to Persistence Conference that had been scheduled for December 19th has been rescheduled to Thursday, January 29th at 3 PM; conference room 1154, CCRI, Providence Campus. The follow up still extends an open invitation to all interested practitioners, whether or not you’d attended the conference itself. As well, if you've not completed a work plan or evaluation, please contact Jessica Ortiz (jortiz@ric.edu) for an electronic copy of these documents. Transitions from ESOL to ABE – what do we need to know? A group of practitioners have been discussing what we need to learn and how we can help each other as more and more learners leave ESOL classes and move into ABE classes and programs. How can we support learners and one another in making these shifts? Please come to share ideas, questions and suggestions. We'll be meeting on January 29th, at 5 pm, conference room 1154, CCRI, Providence. You don't need to RSVP, but if you could send email to janet_isserlis@brown.edu if you plan to attend, it will help us determine where to meet. Location will be announced in early January. All are invited -- What if you had the chance to get a solution to that computer problem you've been having? On Sunday, February 8, Free Geek Providence and the SofT ICE club at Johnson & Wales University are hosting NewBCamp, an 'unconference' for the rest of us. Get answers to questions: Why start a blog?, How do I buy a quality computer?, Can I design my own business card?, How do I protect my online info? If you're a "newbie" to technology, connect with the geeks. If you're a geek, come teach a newbie! There is an optional $10 registration fee. When: Sunday, February 8, 9am-2pm, Pepsi Forum, 8 Abbott Place Park, Johnson & Wales University, Providence http://www.newbcamp.com Questions? Contact Sara at sara@freegeekpvd.org learning opportunities If you're interested in growing your skills in technology for the purpose of teaching ESL, consider participating in Becoming a Webhead, a free, well- structured online training opportunity offered by TESOL's CALL interest section (computer assisted language learning). http://www.call-is.org/moodle/ The session starts in January and is part of TESOL's Electronic Village Online. For six weeks, participants can engage with ESOL experts in collaborative, online discussion sessions or hands-on virtual workshops of professional and scholarly benefit. These sessions will bring together participants for a longer period of time than is permitted by the four-day land-based TESOL convention and will allow a fuller development of ideas and themes of the convention or of professional interest in general. The sessions are free and open to all interested parties. You do not need to be a TESOL member to participate. online learning opportunities: Trainer Tune-Up: Conducting the Training Event (10-hour course), February 9 – March 9 (Course info at: http://www.newreaderspress.com/Items.aspx?hierId=6560) Course topics include: · Collecting information about participants · Planning warm-up activities· Setting effective ground rules · Managing group processes, including problem behaviors · Questioning strategies, giving feedback, and active listening full listing of ProLiteracy and World Education facilitated and self-paced courses http://www.ProfessionalStudiesAE.org. from World Education: The fall/winter issue of Field Notes, with a focus on transitions from ABE to college, is now online, and includes articles such as "A Student's Perspective of a College Success Class" by Katie Shaw, "Technology Tools for College Success" by Pat Weisberger, and "Students Leading Students: An Interactive Campus Tour Model" by Karen Van Kirk. http://www.sabes.org/resources/publications/fieldnotes/index.htm New England Voter Education, Registration and Action Campaign - Final Report Thank you to everyone who participated in the New England Voter Education, Registration and Action campaign. VERA now has its final report posted online. Take a look at the statistics (over 17,000 adult learners participated), program highlights, and quotes from adult learners. http://www.nelrc.org/VERA/ transitions discussion online next week - from Marie Cora, moderator of the NIFL Assessment discussion list: I'm pleased to announce the following Guest Panel Discussion, which will be held during the week of February 2 though 6. Please read the introduction below and consider the information presented. What are your experiences, thoughts, and questions on transitioning adult students to higher levels of learning and/or employment? Strategies for Addressing Transitions in Adult Basic Education Guest Participants: Forrest Chisman, Council for Advancement of Adult Literacy (CAAL), NY Tom Mechem, GED State Chief Examiner, Commonwealth of MA Wendy Quinones, Community Learning Center, Cambridge, MA Cynthia Zafft, National College Transition Network, Boston, MA Transitioning adult students through the stages of their educational experience is a challenging process. In today’s society in particular, successful transition from adult literacy classes to community college and beyond, and on to the workforce, can mean the difference between achieving one’s potential and struggling to get by. Needless to say, for service providers, it’s clear that we must focus attention on the process of successful transition from one education program to another. This discussion focuses on several different efforts to address the thorny issues of transitions – ABE and ESOL students to GED, GED to post-secondary and/or job training. While we will concentrate on assessment-related issues such as measuring application and transfer of skills, we welcome discussing issues in general that affect, or are affected by, transitions. Collaboration among service providers is one such area that greatly affects the success or not of a transitions process. In his research on transitions, Forrest Chisman discovered how one community college worked toward better understanding and collaboration among ESL and ABE/ASE faculty; see the case study on Yakima Valley Community College listed below. As a college placement test, the ACCUPLACER has its plusses and minuses. Massachusetts Chief GED Examiner Tom Mechem has pinpointed that the correlations between the GED and the ACCUPLACER math scores are dubious at best, and that the tests’ purposes seem to be at odds. To address this issue, Tom is developing a curriculum that can be used with both the GED and the ACCUPLACER. See his story below. The National College Transition Network (NCTN) brings together the various efforts of educators, professional development providers, policy makers, and researchers concerned with effective college transitions to postsecondary education for GED, ASE, and ESOL graduates and other non-traditional learners (from the website, URL below). Cynthia Zafft’s work with NCTN led her to identify five models of college transition programs, which are outlined in the NCSALL Occasional Paper Transitioning adults to college: Adult Basic Education program models (URL below). Cynthia will discuss these program models with us. Wendy Quinones will give us an overview of the transitions program she is involved in at the Community Learning Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She has noted the often striking differences between ESOL and ABE students in terms of their strengths and weaknesses, and suggests some resources that have helped her navigate these turbulent waters, such as the Assessment Strategies and Reading Profiles website (URL below). In addition, Wendy notes the following observations from John Strucker’s work on patterns of reading (from What Silent Reading Tests Alone Can't Tell You: Two Case Studies in Adult Reading Differences; URL below): Native speakers tended to have relatively stronger "meaning-based skills" as compared to "print-based skills," while non-native speakers exhibited the opposite pattern. Chall (1991) reported similar findings. Many second-language speakers in ABE classes had surprisingly low levels of oral vocabulary in English (GE 2 to GE 4), despite their fluent levels of conversational English. Similarly low levels of oral vocabulary occurred among some inner-city young adults who were native speakers. resources: Torchlights in ESL: Five Community College Profiles http://caalusa.org/torchlights.pdf See Yakima Valley Community College for description of how the ESL and ABE/ASE faculty collaborate ACCUPLACER http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/accuplacer/ GED and ACCUPLACER by Tom Mechem I've spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to get more people to pass the GED tests and earn their GED diplomas, but of course it is now very clear that without at least some post-secondary education, we are still sentencing even our GED grads to a life of poverty. And the statistics (though they vary somewhat depending on whom you talk to) concerning the success of GED grads in college are alarming. To start with, only 7% of ABE students even obtain the GED diploma, so the ABE programs aren’t doing the job there (and I don’t like to lose sight of the importance of the GED: there is no “Post-Secondary” without “Secondary”). But then: · Only 12% of GED grads ever enroll in college Of those: · Less than 1 in 5 completes two years of college · 4% ever complete four years of college That's no good. In our state (and I know it's true everywhere) community college developmental courses are a major culprit: if someone has to take more than one developmental course, he or she almost certainly will never earn even an Associate’s degree. And 2/3 or more of GED grads end up in at least one developmental course. So the un-indicted co-conspirator is the college placement test, in our state the ACCUPLACER. GED grads in Massachusetts do fine on the Reading ACCUPLACER (better than the average incoming CC cohort) and well enough on the Writing (about the same). But on the Math ACCUPLACER, GED grads do much, much worse than the total incoming CC cohort. As it is on the GED test itself, Math is the problem on the ACCUPLACER. Furthermore, there is absolutely no correlation between a GED math score and an ACCUPLACER math score: the philosophies and purposes of the two tests are so different (as I document in detail in one of my presentations) that never the twain shall meet. I have taken the ACCUPLACER test many, many times, and I am trying to develop an ABE-GED curriculum that will prepare a student to pass the GED tests and also to do well enough on the ACCUPLACER to avoid developmental courses. I’ve been having some great meetings with all kinds of GED teachers, but we’re not there yet. National College Transition Network http://www.collegetransition.org/ Zafft, C., Kallenbach, S., & Spohn, J. (2006). Transitioning adults to college: Adult Basic Education program models. Occasional Paper. Cambridge, MA: National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy. http://www.ncsall.net/fileadmin/resources/research/op_collegetransitions.pdf Assessment Strategies and Reading Profiles (ASRP) http://www.nifl.gov/readingprofiles/ Strucker, John. (May 1997). What Silent Reading Tests Alone Can't Tell You: Two Case Studies in Adult Reading Differences. Focus on Basics, Volume 2, Issue A. Cambridge, MA: National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy. http://www.ncsall.net/?id=456> http://www.ncsall.net/?id=456 Challenges in Assessing for Post-Secondary Readiness http://www.caalusa.org/content/assessmentmellard.pdf Policy Brief by Daryl F. Mellard and Gretchen Anderson Division of Adult Studies, Center for Research on Learning, University of Kansas December 4, 2007 This Policy Brief examines the major assessments in use today to measure adult learning gains and determine student placements - e.g., BEST, CASAS, TABE, COMPASS, ASSET, and ACCUPLACER - in terms of their uses and how they well they align with postsecondary education entry requirements. Special attention is given to the GED. The authors identify several problems and challenges as well as recommendations to resolve them. Transitions: Linkages between Adult Education and Community Colleges http://www.caalusa.org/publications.html#trans Multiple resources from CAAL (Council for Advancement of Adult Literacy) Transitions to Post-Secondary Education http://www.ncsall.net/index.php?id=106 Multiple resources from NCSALL (National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy). Guest Bios: Forrest P. Chisman is Vice President of the Council for the Advancement of Adult Literacy and has been an independent consultant in the fields of human resource development, health care, and philanthropy. From 1988-1997, he was President of the Southport Institute for Policy Analysis, and prior to that he was Director of the Project on the Federal Social Role. From 1977-81, he was Deputy Administrator for Policy of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. Previously he was Director of The Aspen Institute's Program on Communications and Society, and Senior Program Officer of the John and Mary Markle Foundation. He received his BA from Harvard and his doctorate from Oxford. He is the author of numerous books, articles, and reports on a wide range of public policy issues. A lifelong teacher, Tom Mechem spent the 12 years prior to coming to the DOE as coordinator of and teacher in several highly-successful GED preparation programs in the Boston area, most recently at LARE training in Chelsea MA. Appointed GED State Chief Examiner in 2001, Tom has been charged with overseeing the operation of the 32 official GED test centers in Massachusetts and with improving the passing rate of GED testers. To this end he has developed and delivered workshops and presentations for teachers and program directors as to precisely what skill sets are needed to pass each of the five GED tests. These workshops are based on statistical information received from the GED Testing Service, on the profiles of Massachusetts non-passers, on input from teachers in the field, and on the latest research. Wendy Quinones teaches at the Community Learning Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts and at Urban College in Boston. In over 20 years of teaching ABE learners at levels from intermediate through college, she has continually faced the issues of students transitioning from ESOL into ABE. She was a teacher-researcher in the three-year Adult Multiple Intelligences study through NCSALL and has given many trainings on this topic. She is also very interested in using distance learning for professional development in ABE. Wendy holds the Massachusetts ABE Teacher License. Cynthia Zafft is the Senior Advisor and former director of the National College Transition Network (NCTN) at World Education in Boston. The NCTN was created in 2004 to connect practitioners, researchers, and policy-makers interested in developing and supporting the emerging field of transition-to-college and postsecondary education for learners in adult education. Currently, Cynthia is the Curriculum Director for the Health Care Learning Network (HCLN; http://www.hcln.org <http://www.hcln.org/> ), an online curriculum for frontline workers and community members interested in preparing for one of the many challenging health care career college programs. As part of a model of support, online course work in reading, writing, math, and science is combined with tutoring and career coaching to help employers “grow their own” nurses and other health care professionals. Cynthia is currently completing her doctoral education in Higher Education Administration at the University of Massachusetts at Boston. Her dissertation topic is transition to postsecondary education, particularly focusing on “college readiness” for adults. 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 Mini-Grant Opportunity Access for All Abilities (AAA) Businesses Community Organizations Recreation, Social & Cultural Centers Expand your membership or customer base. Apply for up to $2500 to increase access for people with disabilities to your services, events or activities. Application Deadline – March 2, 2009 - details and application are available at http://www.sherlockcenter.org Click on AAA Mini-Grants or Call (401) 456-8072 (v), (401) 456-8773 (TDD) Sponsored by: Paul V. Sherlock Center @ RI College Accessible Rhode Island VSA Arts of Rhode Island - 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.
online / resources available On January 8, The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) released a new literacy report, National Assessment of Adult Literacy: Indirect County and State Estimates of the Percentage of Adults at the Lowest Literacy Level for 1992 and 2003, from the National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL). The report provides the only available snapshot of adult literacy rates for individual states and counties. The report, based on the 2003 NAAL and the 1992 National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS), will serve as an important source of literacy information for policymakers and researchers. The report will be accompanied by an interactive web tool, which will show data for all states and counties. The tool will also provide the ability to compare states, counties, and progress in states and counties over time. http://nces.ed.gov/naal/estimates/index.aspx (estimates) and http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2009482 The Children's Defense Fund has released its State of America's Children 2008 report, a compilation of the most recent and reliable national and state-by-state data on poverty, health, child welfare, youth at risk, early childhood development, education, nutrition and housing. The report provides a statistical compendium of key child data showing epidemic numbers of children at risk: the number of poor children has increased nearly 500,000 to 13.3 million, with 5.8 million of them living in extreme poverty, and nearly 9 million children lack health coverage―with both numbers likely to increase during the recession. The number of children and teens killed by firearms also increased after years of decline. Learn more and download the report. http://www.childrensdefense.org/site/R?i=WbbK8L5jVXMEyaKyJpBUNg The CAELA Network quarterly newsletter, Network News, is completed and posted on the CAELA Network Web site; it can be downloaded at http://www.cal.org/caelanetwork/news/dec08.html The issue includes articles on an online EL/Civics course, a checklist for students and other stakeholders to use when selecting an ESL instructional program, and projects on immigrant road safety. There are also links to CAELA Network briefs on using data to plan professional development for pracitioners working with adult English langugage learners and reflective practice for pracitioners working with adult English language learners. Finally, there is information about the CAELA Network technical work group meeting held this past October. Democracy At Risk: The Need for a New Federal Policy in Education http://www.forumforeducation.org/upload_files/files/FED_ReportRevised415.pdf Refugees From Iraq Now Available his publication provides in-depth information about refugee groups from Iraq, describing the various ethnic and religious communities of Iraqi Arabs (both Sunni and Shi’a), Iraqi Christians, and others. Topics include history, conditions in countries of asylum, characteristics of the refugee population, cultural features of each of the different communities, religion, language, education, and resettlement considerations. http://www.cal.org/topics/ri/backgrounders.html Moving research about violence and learning into practice - How do we move the research about violence and learning into practice? This question was a starting point for research projects by 11 practitioners. In this publication they share their research process and what they learned. Topics explored included the effects of systemic violence; power relationships; mind-body learning; arts based approaches in literacy education; what literacy practitioners know about violence and learning; what people learn and apply from workshops on violence and learning; and a research model. http://www.learningandviolence.net/changing/ElevenResearchers/ElevenResearchers.htm and Move the body. Stretch the mind: Open yourself to learning through breathwork, movement and meditation, by Judy Murphy: Windsound Learning Society. sample page: http://www.learningandviolence.net/helpself/breathe.pdf To order: http://www.windsoundlearning.ca/pdf/MoveTheBody.pdf online: LessonWriter.com is a free website where teachers can copy, paste and submit any text (an article, essay, story, etc.) and create comprehensive, standards -based lesson plans and student materials in minutes. LessonWriter is a simple, fast and free way to use authentic, high-interest content to motivate students while delivering the explicit language instruction that ELL's need in both English and content-area classes. There are advanced features that can differentiate instruction for multilevel classes and class tracking features that will automatically scaffold lessons. http://www.lessonwriter.com 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 Lots to do at the library Providence Public Library's calendar of events: http://www.provlib.org/calendar.asp from Thursday Notes, January 15, 2009: Is a College Degree A Buffer Against Unemployment? Adults with college degrees appear less likely than those lacking a high school credential to become unemployed, according to the Washington Post. November 2008’s unemployment rate of 3.1 percent among adults holding a college degree or higher was lower than the 6.7 percent rate for the general population that month–and far below the 10.5 percent rate for adults without a high school diploma. College-educated workers may have been more vulnerable to job loss in previous economic downturns, but they found jobs more quickly than workers who lacked a college degree, the Post reports. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/03/AR2009010302143_pf.html States Met on Performance-based Funding Options 15 states participated in OVAE's National Training Workshop on Performance-based Funding earlier this month. States participating in the technical assistance workshop included Alabama, FL, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, NJ, NM, NY, North Carolina, RI, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin. Sessions provided a summary of how performance-based funding (PBF) systems operate in adult education, what guiding principles support PBF, and how to develop statewide PBF systems. in print: Tracking Adult Literacy and Numeracy Skills Findings from Longitudinal Research. Edited by Stephen Reder and John Bynner Published by: Routledge 2008 Understanding the origins of poor literacy and numeracy skills in adulthood and how to improve them is of major importance when society places a high premium on proficiency in these basic skills. This edited collection brings together the results of recent longitudinal studies that greatly extend our knowledge of what works in raising skill levels, as well as the social and economic returns to improvement. Many fundamental research questions in adult education involve change over time: how adults learn, how program participation influences their acquisition of skills and knowledge, and how their educational development interacts with their social and economic performance. Although a growing number of longitudinal studies in adult basic education have recently been completed, this book is the first systematic compilation of findings and methods. Overview and table of contents: http://www.routledgeeducation.com/books/Tracking-Adult-Literacy-and-Numeracy-Skills-isbn9780415958585 Thursday, January 22: Experts Work to Identify TELL Sites for Research Experts in transitioning adult English language learners to adult basic education and high school completion programs met in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6–7. Their task was to assist OVAE in identifying 10 local program sites for its two-year Transitioning English Language Learners (TELL) project that is gathering instructional and programmatic techniques used for this transition in a number of states. Announcement of programs selected for TELL participation is slated for this spring. Experts participating included: Phil Anderson, Florida Department of Education; Sandra Belitza-Vazquez, New York State Education Department; Debra Jones, California Department of Education; Brigitte Marshall, Oakland, Calif., Unified School District; Paul Kei Matsuda, Arizona State University; Joanie Rethlake, Texas Learns; and Leslee Oppenheim, City University of New York. 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 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. 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 TESOL Conference on Building a Culture of Peace – Saturday, February 7, 2009, 9:00 am—5:00 pm, George Mason University. Fairfax, Virginia (Fairfax Campus) Early Registration Deadline: January 30. Building on two previous successful TESOL peace conferences, this is a professional development conference for K–12, adult, and higher education ESL teachers, teacher trainers, administrators, and other educators who work extensively with English language learners. Participants will learn about educational initiatives, curricular resources, teaching methods, and language learning processes that build, enhance, and sustain understanding between persons, groups, cultures, and nations. For complete program and registration information, visit TESOL's Website at: http://www.tesol.org/s_tesol/sec_document.asp?CID=5&DID=11864 The conference fee is $35 if you register by January 30, $45 if you register after that. Conference participants, as well as those who are not able to attend this event, are invited to join an online discussion on building a culture of peace on TESOL’s Web site. A link to sign up for that discussion is provided on the conference Web site. If you have any questions, please contact edprograms@tesol.org or 703-518-2528. NAASLN's Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference - Access to the Workforce for Adult & Adolescent Learners with AD/HD and Asperger's Syndrome February 22–23 This regional conference will draw adult education practitioners, transition specialists, community college faculty, workforce counselors, disability advocates, and others from New York to Virginia. The self-contained conference site and tight format lends itself to ample time for small-group discussions of how these breakthrough strategies apply to the evolving economy; issues affecting the new workforce; transition to postsecondary education and the workforce; advocacy issues and techniques; webinars; leadership options; and more. The conference will feature three plenary sessions: ADD and Entrepreneurism...A Curriculum that Works! presented by Richard Cooper, Ph.D., Learning Specialist Asperger’s Syndrome, Part I: The Adult Education Class presented by Bevan Gibson, M.S. Sp. Ed., Director Southern Illinois Professional Development Center Asperger’s Syndrome, Part II: Transitioning to Postsecondary Education presented by Melissa Arnott-Cox, Ed.D., L.P.C., C.A.C., Director Academic Success Center, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ Registration is limited to 70 overnight registrants and 80 day-only registrants. Full registration of $250 covers a day-and-a-half of sessions, overnight accommodations, all meals, and 24-hour access to a hospitality suite. Day-only registration of $135 covers one day of sessions and two meals. For full session information, site description, accommodations, driving directions, or to register online, visit NAASLN at http://www.naasln.org/Regional_2009_conference.htm March 6-7, 2009 - URI, Providence Campus: WeLearn - 6th Annual (Net)Working Gathering & Conference on Women & Literacy WE LEARN is currently looking for volunteers and interpreters for the conference! Please, consider sharing your time and/or your Spanish-English or Sign Language interpreting skills with us. We have work exchange opportunities available! Volunteer applications can be found on the website or you can email Alicia.Pantoja@gmail.com to apply. Deadline to submit volunteer/interpreter forms is Feb 20th. THANK YOU! http://www.litwomen.org/conference.html Test Development Workshop - CETE/OSU March 9-11 , 2009 (7:30 AM to 4:30 PM) Developing valid, reliable assessments (tests) of job specific knowledge and skills is critical to effective defensible practice in workforce development and human resources. Occupational knowledge and skill assessments are used for many personnel- and education-related functions, including: Workforce development and Career Technical Education accountability (Perkins IV), Personnel selection and placement, Training needs assessment or diagnosis, and Individual certification and licensure. A carefully-designed systematic approach to test construction maximizes return on investment and contributes to candidate satisfaction and motivation. Poorly designed assessments may yield erroneous and damaging results, leading to employee or candidate dissatisfaction, ineffective credentialing decisions and possible exposure to litigation. To learn more: http://www.cete.org/AssessmentSP/images/March2009Brochure.pdf (pdf). and/or contact Kathy Summerfield at 614-688-4000 or summerfield.1@osu.edu. The Center on Education and Training for Employment, The Ohio State University, 1900 Kenny Rd, Columbus, OH 43210 http://www.cete.org (If we receive insufficient registrations for the workshop, it may be rescheduled) Sharing Skills – Building Connections, March 11, in Worcester - Commonwealth Workforce Coalition’s 6th annual conference. http://cwc.cedac.org/ MATSOL Annual Conference : May 7-8, 2009 at the Sheraton Four Points in Leominster, MA. The 2009 conference theme is Multiple Literacies: Launching English Language Learners into a New Era. There will be a K-12 strand on both days and an Adult, Workplace and Higher Education strand on Friday, May 8. Our keynote speakers will be Stephen Krashen and Jim Cummins. http://www.matsol.org COABE Conference 2009, Louisville, KY April 17-22 Commission on Adult Basic Education (COABE), Kentucky Association of Adult & Continuing Education, and Kentucky Adult Education Council on Postsecondary Education are pleased to announce a Call for Proposals for the 2009 COABE national conference. . The goal of the Annual COABE National Conference is to provide best practices and program guidance to adult basic education professionals. http://www.coabeconference.org/ For more information, contact: Lorena Lasky, COABE 2009 Concurrent Sessions Chairperson, Jefferson County Adult & Continuing Education Lorena.Lasky@kentuckianaworks.org 502-574-4123 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 street yoga - Through the teaching of free yoga, meditation and wellness classes we seek to help homeless youth increase their physical, emotional and spiritual strength, stamina and flexibility so they can better meet their own core needs. We work closely with those service providers striving to help homeless youth secure safe housing, nutritious food, accessible health care, employment, clean clothing, educational choices and human dignity.
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