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| The Rhode Island Adult Education Professional
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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 March 19, 2010
Bulletin
#340 Dear
Colleagues, Calls for participation, employment, funding, and conference and workshop opportunities, online and other resources. To post information, and/or to receive the bulletin via email, please contact the AEPDC or leave a message at (401-863-2839). 
Janet Isserlis Haiti. http://swearercenter.brown.edu/new/news/haiti-earthquake-relief http://twitter.com/#/list/nytimes/haiti-earthquake http://doctorswithoutborders.tumblr.com/ - photo blog; please be aware there are some difficult images at this site. http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/19/project-haiti-holding-a-teach-in/?src=twt&twt=nytimes (NY Times learning materials about Haiti)
NOTICES -
– in
addition to events listed here, a recently updated list of events
(including workforce development workshops, new practitioner Please save May 26, 2010 for the state's Adult Education Conference, to be held at Rhode Island College. Call for participation here. DEADLINE: March 26 Robin Adams, RI Adult Education PDC: Embedding Workforce Readiness Skills into the Curriculum Thursday, March 25, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Kaufmann Center at RIC This 2-hour, interactive workshop will focus on identifying simple strategies to embed critical workforce readiness skills into your existing curriculum. The goal is to create a simple, seamless system of skills-building for adult learners planning to enter the workforce. Objectives The workshop aims to help practitioners create a culture of work within programs / organizations that support and coach students in developing the skills that employers expect of today’s workforce. Upon completion of this training, practitioners will be able to: · incorporate simple workforce standards into their literacy and/or language program curriculum; · apply principles of a universal definition to their training to determine when someone is ready-for-work To register please contact Jessica Ortiz at (401) 456-2838 or jortiz@ric.edu by March 19th The Rhode Island Citizenship Consortium, in conjunction with USCIS, is hosting a free information session on the naturalization process on Saturday, March 27th from 10-12 at Saint Martin De Porres Senior Center at 160 Cranston Street in Providence, Rhode Island. This is the second of four quarterly information sessions that will be held this year. There will be a mock interview with USCIS staff and they will answer questions and address concerns. All are invited. To receive a PDF version of flyers for the event in Spanish and/or English, please contact lrri@brown.edu OpenDoors is offering free tax preparation assistance to our clients and other low-income community members. Free Tax Preparation is Available Wednesdays 4-8pm and Saturdays 10am-4pm In addition, OpenDoors offers financial literacy classes to help VITA clients make the best use of their refunds. For more information: http://www.opendoorsri.org/financialliteracy Stephanie Gerson from HealthAccessRI speaks Spanish and Portuguese and will speak to adult learners/classes about HARI. Contact her at misstephanie.gerson@gmail.com or phone 415.871.5683. http://www.HealthAccessRI.com RIRAL/TRANSITION TO COLLEGE INFORMATION SESSIONS: comprehensive college preparation program including free college reading class (ENGL 0850) at CCRI, Providence; student success, career exploration, and mentoring workshops; academic writing, basic math, and pre-algebra; computer lab & tutorials; academic advising, support services, registration for college; college application and Financial Aid preparation. RIRAL TTC is a partner in the RI Statewide Transition to College initiative and a natural segue for GED, EDP, and Advanced ESL students prior to post-secondary education. Information Sessions: April 10; May 1; June 5 on Saturdays @ 10:00 am. Allow 2 -3 hours for assessment. Please do not bring children. 175 Main Street Pawtucket (above the Visitor’s Center) Contact MarieCrecca-Romero@riral.org 722-9800. Improving Student Learning: Implementing CASAS Competencies and Content Standards Friday, March 26, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Rhode Island College [tbd] limited to 20 participants. This training is appropriate for those who have previously completed the Initial Implementation Training and are interested in improving student learning through the use the CASAS. This training is also appropriate for NEDP practitioners. CASAS, on behalf of the CASAS National Consortium, developed content standards in reading and math for ABE and ASE learners and in reading and listening for ESL/ELL learners. This session introduces these standards and provides strategies for integrating them with CASAS Competencies to improve learning by providing effective, relevant instruction. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own learners' assessment results for this session. Session Goals and Objectives Primary Goals Recognize how: Reading, Listening and Math Competencies align with CASAS test items; reading, Listening and Math Content Standards align with CASAS test items, and how Content Standards support CASAS Competencies. Identify how to target Instruction based on CASAS test results Prepare a lesson plan integrating CASAS Competencies and Basic Skills Content Standards When registering for the session, please let us know the following: your name; agency; program(s) [ESL, ABE, ASE, etc.]; and role(s) [administrator, teachers, tutor, etc.]. to register, please contact Jessica Ortiz jortiz@ric.edu CASAS Initial Implementation Training Saturday, March 27, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Rhode Island College [tbd] Please note: By popular request, this session is offered on a Saturday. Seating is limited to 20 participants. This training is appropriate for coordinators, instructors, administrators, and other key staff who have little or no experience with CASAS assessments and resources. This training is a necessary pre-requisite for programs to order CASAS materials and to administer CASAS assessments to their learners. Participants are also able to train others at their program to administer the CASAS assessments. Training covers choosing and using the appropriate CASAS test, interpreting test scores, and measuring student progress. This session covers CASAS appraisals (placement) and pre- and post-tests (progress), and introduces QuickSearch Online. Session Goals and Objectives Identify: the link between curriculum, instruction and assessment; and use CASAS Competencies; and select CASAS tests; appropriate assessments for your program, and intake and placement strategies Administer CASAS tests Identify how CASAS competencies are related to test items and can be used to target instruction Identify reports useful for administrators, instructors and students, access QuickSearch Online and rder CASAS materials When registering for the session, please let us know the following: your name; agency; program(s) [ESL, ABE, ASE, etc.]; and role(s) [administrator, teachers, tutor, etc.]. to register, please contact Jessica Ortiz jortiz@ric.edu The 8th Annual May Breakfast - May 1, Rhodes on the Pawtuxet 9 – 12 noon $25 Featuring Annie Barrows, co author of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society Mary Ann Shaffer, a librarian and editor, nurtured the tale about Guernsey for twenty years before committing pen to paper. Unfortunately, Ms. Shaffer passed away in February, 2008 before the final edits to the manuscript were complete. She asked her niece, Annie Barrows, to complete the revisions - and the story is now ours to share with all Rhode Islanders. Ms. Barrows is also the author of the children’s series Ivy and Bean and The Magic Half. Look for more details and the registration form in February learning opportunities Number Sense: Teaching About Parts and Wholes April 12 - May 21 Teaching students how to use estimation, mental math, benchmarking, and calculators will enhance their conceptual understanding of numbers and what numbers represent. This course focuses on helping adult students develop number sense by addressing two key questions: When is it necessary to have an exact answer, and when is an estimate sufficient? When calculation is necessary, which tool is appropriate to use? Facilitator: Jean Stephens Prerequisite: Foundations of Teaching Adult Numeracy or comparable experience http://www.newreaderspress.com/Items.aspx?hierId=6503 Creating Engaging ESOL Activities Using Computers April 12 - May 21, 2010; Course webinar: May 21, 1:00 - 2:00p.m. (EST) Instructor: Diana Satin Through this course, you will integrate computer software into your ESOL instruction. You'll identify the steps necessary to incorporate computer software applications into lesson plans, including analyzing specific language and computer skills. You will finish the course having developed, tested, and refined a learning activity for your own classroom. http://www.newreaderspress.com/Items.aspx?hierId=6590 Research-based Strategies and Models for Adult Transitions to Postsecondary Education April 22–June 16, 2010; one teleconference on April 27, 1 pm, or April 28, 1 pm Participants read and discuss the research on the changing workforce and examine the reasons why adult learners need to go beyond the GED and English language study to advance their earning potential. Participants also learn about the challenges facing adult students in postsecondary education and investigate strategies and program models that support adult transitions to postsecondary education. Throughout the course, participants gather local and regional data on the labor market, educational needs, and academic programs and support services offered by area colleges to guide future program development and planning. http://professionalstudiesae.worlded.org/pdf/CTOverApr10.pdf Instructor: Barbara Hofmeyer Complete and return the registration form, http://professionalstudiesae.worlded.org/pdf/CTRegApr10.pdf, or complete online at http://professionalstudiesae.worlded.org/registertransitions.html. Payment must be received prior to enrollment. World Education reserves the right to if the minimum number of registrants is not met by April 14.  The Change Agent Adult Education for Social Justice: News, Issues, and Ideas CALL FOR ARTICLES Theme: Do You Care What You Wear? For the next issue of issue of The Change Agent, we have decided to explore fashion! Why? Fashion is a topic that can be both fun and serious. What we wear communicates something about us as individuals and the groups to which we belong. What we wear can lead to cultural and generational conflicts. There is also an economic and environmental aspect to what we wear. This topic allows writers and illustrators to address the topic in all sorts of ways, including using narrative writing, memoir, poetry, illustrations, and cartoons. Please use the below questions as possible writing prompts. Sample Questions to Consider: • Is style a form of personal self-expression or do your clothes express something about your community, your background, or your religion? • Describe your fashion style. Why do you wear what you wear? What does it say about you? • How do style questions play out differently for boys and girls/men and women? • As a parent, how do you deal with differences you might have with your kids over clothes? Or, tell a story about a time your parents disapproved of what you were wearing. What was really going on? • What about when society or different institutions, like schools, dictate what people can and cannot wear? • What do you know about the fashion industry? What role does it play in determining “style”? Do you think you think the industry responds to people’s wants or creates people's wants? • Consider the hidden costs of cheap clothes. • Compare current attitudes towards clothes to previous generations’ attitudes about clothes. How do we treat clothes? Do we repair them? Expect them to last? Instead of long and general essays, we would like to see stories that are specific and detailed. Limit the scope of your story, but tell it fully. Suggested length is 200-1200 words. All articles must be received by May 3, 2010. Please include in all articles and emails the contact information for the student and/or the teacher. All articles will be considered. Final decisions are made by The Change Agent editorial board. A $50 stipend will be paid to each student whose work is accepted for publication. Please submit illustrations, cartoons, and graphics on this theme too! The mission of The Change Agent is to provide news, issues, ideas, and other teaching resources that inspire and enable adult educators and learners to make civic participation and social justice concerns part of their teaching and learning. It is published by the New England Literacy Resource Center. http://www.nelrc.org/changeagent CURRICULUM: Something is Wrong: Exploring the Roots of Youth Violence Project NIA, the Chicago Freedom School and Teachers for Social Justice have partnered along with other volunteers to develop a curriculum guide in order to contribute to the ongoing efforts by young people and their adult allies to analyze the root causes of youth violence and to create local solutions.At a time when frustration is running high and many are expressing a sense of powerlessness in the face of pervasive violence, this curriculum guide is an offering intended to make a positive contribution to the dialogue about violence in the lives of young people. http://www.teachersforjustice.org/2010/02/curriculum-something-is-wrong-exploring.html The Childhood Lead Action Project is a statewide organization working to eliminate childhood lead poisoning through education, parent support, and advocacy. With the support of a recent EPA grant, the Childhood Lead Action Project has developed a comprehensive lead poisoning prevention ESL curriculum to help ESL providers to supply their clients with important information to keep themselves and their families safe. The Childhood Lead Action Project is making this curriculum available to ESL providers throughout the state. Contact Emily Godfrey, at 401-785-1310(x207) or emily@leadsafekids.org to inquire about the curriculum. In addition to the ESL curriculum, the Childhood Lead Action Project also provides free trainings, seminars and workshops on lead poisoning prevention, and tenants' rights. These presentations can be tailored for ABE audiences, or for service providers. Please contact Emily Godfrey for more information. -Emily Godfrey, Community Educator, Immigrant and Refugee Lead Prevention Project, Childhood Lead Action Project, 1192 Westminster St., Providence, RI 02909 (401) 785-1310 ext. 207 emily@leadsafekids.org The New American Horizons Foundation is creating a series of short, accessible teacher training videos addressing aspects of adult ESOL instruction. Each video is about 30 minutes in length and uses classroom footage and instructor interview footage to illustrate topics in adult ESOL practice such as approaches to teaching each of the four skills, planning lessons, working with emergent literacy learners, and grammar and vocabulary development in context. All the videos will be available free of charge online, or DVDs can be purchased for a minimal cost-recovery fee. People can access and utilize the videos to suit their training needs: as self-access resources, incorporated in workshops or volunteer trainings, as part of online training or teacher education courses, etc. The first two videos are now ready for viewing at http://www.newamericanhorizons.org. Building Literacy with Adult Emergent Readers focuses on a whole-part-whole approach to working with emergent literacy learners and Lesson Planning for Life Skills provides an overview of general lesson planning principles. On the web site, you’ll also find information about the series overall as well as the New American Horizons Foundation. Additional videos are in process and will be posted as they are completed. - MaryAnn Florez, Washington, DC World Education recently completed extensive updates and revisions of the website, Assessment Strategies and Reading Profiles http://www.nifl.gov/readingprofiles/index.htm. In addition to providing useful information and free resources on reading assessment and reading profiles the site has an interactive feature that allows teachers to match adult learners' test scores to research-based adult reading profiles and then to receive instructional suggestions based on the matches. To publicize the updated site, World Education will sponsor special discussions (described below) on the National Institute for Literacy’s LINCS Discussion Lists. To join any or all of the discussions, as well as the other LINCS Discussion Lists: http://www.nifl.gov/lincs/discussions/discussions.html March 22 Reading and Writing Skills of ABE Transition Learners Guest discussants: Cynthia Zafft (World Education), Lauren Capatosto (Harvard Graduate School of Education), and Sally Gabb (Bristol Community College) Moderator: Ellen Hewett – What are reading and writing skills and strategies that ABE Transition learners need to be successful in college? How do teachers decide which skills and strategies to focus on? And, how should they teach those skills and strategies? We invite you to join what we hope will be a nuts and bolts discussion of how we can better prepare adult learners for the challenges of college-level reading and writing Suggested Readings: Decoding and Fluency Problems of Poor College Readers http://www.collegetransition.org/promising/rp8.html by Lauren Capotosto Strategies to Facilitate Reading Comprehension in College Transition Students http://www.collegetransition.org/promising/rp5.html by Kathrynn DiTommaso Assessment Strategies and Reading Profiles (ASRP) http://www.nifl.gov/readingprofiles/index.htm. Although the ASRP Website focuses primarily on adults enrolled in Adult Basic Education and Adult Secondary Education, several of site's research-based adult reader profiles are very similar to those of Transition students, especially Profiles 1 http://www.nifl.gov/readingprofiles/FT_Browse1.htm, 2 http://www.nifl.gov/readingprofiles/FT_Browse2.htm, and 3 http://www.nifl.gov/readingprofiles/FT_Browse3.htm. Each ASRP profile provides detailed descriptions of the strengths and needs in reading of learners in that profile, suggestions for instruction, and links to valuable resources for assessment and teaching. Lauren Capotosto is a third year doctoral student at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education. She is currently preparing a meta-analysis examining the effects of reading strategy instruction on the reading achievement of college students enrolled in developmental reading courses. She has authored two Research-to-Practice briefs for the National College Transition Network: “Decoding and Fluency Problems of Poor College Readers” and “Working with Young Adults in College Transition Programs.” ;Prior to graduate school, Lauren taught various levels of adult basic education and was a literacy coordinator at a Boston-area community college. She has served as instructor for an adult learning theory course for practitioners offered the System for Adult Basic Education Support (SABES) in Massachusetts and presented numerous staff development workshops. She holds a master’s degree in literacy curriculum and instruction from Lesley University. Sally S. Gabb (Sally.Gabb@bristolcc.edu) is the Reading Skills Specialist and a developmental reading instructor at Bristol Community College in Massachusetts. In this capacity she works with adolescent and adult students who need intensive support and instruction to succeed in their college reading and coursework, and she has developed materials to help ABE instructors integrate college reading and learning skills into their ABE curriculum. Prior to this, she served for six years as the director of SABES Southeast creating professional development opportunities and courses for ABE and ESL practitioners. In the course of her extensive career, Sally has taught all levels of adult literacy, from beginning reading, intermediate reading, GED, and ESL. She holds a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study from Rhode Island College, with a focus on adolescent and adult developmental reading. Cynthia Zafft (czafft@worlded.org) is the Senior Advisor for the National College Transition Network at World Education in Boston, where she is responsible identifying and documenting promising practices from the transition field. She also serves as Curriculum Director for the Health Care Learning Network at World Education where her duties include writing and teaching online courses for adult learners preparing for health care careers. Prior to founding the NCTN, Cynthia directed several transition projects for students with disabilities and served as the Coordinator of Disability Services for the Wellesley campus of Massachusetts Bay Community College. In this role she participated in the student portfolio evaluation team responsible for assessing student progress in developmental reading and writing courses. Cynthia is a registered nurse, and is currently a doctoral student in Higher Education Administration at the University of Massachusetts Boston, where her dissertation topic is College Readiness for Adults. April 12 The Literacy Development of ESL Beginners: Observations and Analyses from the NCSALL ESL Laboratory Classrooms Guest discussant: Kathy Harris, Portland (OR) State University Moderator: Miriam Burt June 21 Reading Patterns and Profiles of Adult Literacy Participants Guest discussants: Daryl Mellard (Kansas University) and Daphne Greenberg (Georgia State University) Moderator: Daphne Greenberg online: http://www.cal.org/resources/pubs/haitians.html The Haitians: Their History and Culture Michele Burtoff Civan with Féquière Vilsaint and Gepsie Morisset-Métellus This booklet is a basic introduction to the people, history, and culture of Haiti. It is designed primarily for service providers and others assisting refugees in their new communities in the United States. English-Haitian Creole Phrasebook This phrasebook was designed to supply refugees with English phrases selected for their usefulness in daily life in the United States. CAL has posted this phrasebook in PDF format at the request of HRSA the Office of Emergency Preparedness and Continuity of Operations (EPCO) division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to provide information to service providers being sent to Haiti to aid victims of the recent earthquake.  funding opportunities - large and less large New Roots Providence Grant Applications are Now Available New Roots Providence has received significant new funding to provide training, technical assistance and financial assistance to build the capacity of nonprofits to play a pivotal role in the state's economic recovery. New Roots Providence is also pleased to serve organizations across the state of Rhode Island. With new funding we can: Award $500,000 in grants - our largest amount ever; Support organizations with annual budgets as large as $500,000; Award grants to more types of organizations than ever before. Faith-based as well as community organizations are eligible, and organizations do not need federal nonprofit status to receive a grant. Application Deadline: Wednesday, April 7th, 2010 To be eligible for a grant, organizations have to support (or plan to support) one or more of the following groups: Organizations that are dedicated to helping low-income people increase their income or assets. This category includes organizations that work with people receiving TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families), that provide workforce development and job placement services, and assist in helping people get tax refunds and credits. OR Organizations working with one or more of the following groups: children of men and women who are in prison; people returning to the community from prison; youth in danger of getting involved with violence or gang activity; people moving from public assistance into employment ("welfare to work"); elders in need; people who are homeless; people who need intensive substance abuse rehabilitation services. Application forms are available on the New Roots website: http://www.newrootsprovidence.org For more information contact Bernadette Tavares at (401) 455-8880 x216 or at btavares@provplan.org - grants posted on the National Institute for Literacy website: http://www.nifl.gov/cgi-bin/lincs/search/gsearch/dbsearch.cgi?action=Show%20Results - 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. Tutor sought – a female tutor is sought for an Egyptian English language learner in Cranston. rate negotiable. Please contact Omar at (401) 225-9035. Jobs for Change "seeks to spark a nationwide movement toward careers in the nonprofit, government, and social enterprise sectors" – online at http://jobs.change.org/ Substitute teaching: The Genesis Center is interested in adding to its substitute list. If you are an ESOL instructor who is interested in occasional work as a substitute, either day, evening or Saturday hours, please call Nancy Fritz or Pat Clarkin at 781-6110. Jobs in Literacy – nation wide postings on the National Institute for Literacy's LINCS site: http://www.nifl.gov/cgi-bin/lincs/jobs/jobs.cgi Substitute list: if you would like your name added to the general list, please see contact LR/RI. The list needs to be updated so that it can function more usefully for teachers and programs hoping to work with them. (http://www.brown.edu/lrri/sub.html) Rhode Island Community Jobs (RICOMJOB) is a public e-mail announcement list that seeks to raise the profile of meaningful work in Rhode Island by helping non-profit and public interest employers publicize openings effectively. Anyone seeking a job that makes a difference in Rhode Island can join the list. Any non-profit, government or private sector employer advertising a paid position related to the public interest or community concerns can post a free job listing. Positions must be paid but may be part-time, full-time or temporary. To join the list as a job seeker or to post a job as an employer go to: http://www.ricommunityjobs.org Rhode Island Community Jobs is supported by
the Swearer
Center
for Public
Service at Brown University and the Rhode Island Campus Compact. RI DLT's Rhode Island Red job search feature draws 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
Unemployment
lifeline – from the AFL-CIO,
with locally-searchable links to resources http://www.unemploymentlifeline.com/
online / resources available downloadable resources from The Popular Education News http://www.popednews.org/resources.html Parenting for Academic Success: A Curriculum for Families Learning English is a 12–unit curriculum designed for parents who speak a language other than English as a native language. Its goals are two–fold: To develop the English language skills of parents., and to increase the ability of parents to support the language and literacy development of their children in kindergarten through grade three. http://www.cal.org/resources/pubs/parenting_academic_success.html Free online resources that are very appropriate for adult learners are available at http://www.AskRI.org. They include online homework help for grades 3 to adult from 2-10 everyday at tutor.com. Includes career help (resume review, job search, interview help), GED prep, citizenship, review of a document by a live tutor. Also check out the Skills Center for thousands of worksheets, tutorials, study guides and more. Check out the online encyclopedia - World Book Discover - for adult learners and those with reading challenges includes translation capabilities into 14 languages along with employment, financial, health, and housing resources and more. AskRI is available not only in your public library, but also in schools, community centers and at home. With just an Internet connection, you have a whole world of authoritative information at your fingertips. And if you have a card from a public library, you have access to even more information tools. The service includes Spanish resources as well as English.  new brief from CAELA: Managing Programs for Adults Learning English http://www.cal.org/caelanetwork/resources/managing.html Thusday notes are online http://www2.ed.gov/news/newsletters/thursdaynotes/index.html Thursday notes, March 18, 2010 Maryland Launches Training Effort for Middle-Skill Jobs Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley launched an initiative this month to prepare the state's workforce to meet a surge in jobs requiring certification beyond a high school diploma but less than a bachelor's degree. Skills2Compete – Maryland http://www.skills.maryland.gov/ will focus state agencies, community colleges, local workforce investment boards and other stakeholders on preparing more Marylanders for this surge in middle-skill jobs. A recent study indicated that by 2016, the state will gain 434,000 such jobs, including police officers, computer specialists and nurses. Only 37 percent of the state's workforce has credentials needed to fill those jobs. A target of the workforce training efforts will be 730,000 adult residents lacking a high school diploma and fluency in English. Maryland joins several other states that have established Skills2Compete initiatives. material world: Publication Distribution Comes to a Close at the Institute As the National Institute for Literacy prepares to close in September (http://www.nifl.gov/news/admin_2010_budget.html) it is making available all remaining hard copies of its scientifically based publications for families, caregivers, and educators. For years, these literacy resources have ranked among the Top 10 most-requested publications by the U.S. Department of Education. For ordering information, visit http://www.nifl.gov/publications/publications.html  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/resources/newsletter/march10.html In this issue, there are articles on the following, with links to more information about some of the topics: · Professional development for no-longer-beginning teachers in South Carolina · Updated resources available on line including Framework for Quality Professional Development for Practitioners Working With Adult English Language Learners and Education for Adult English Language Learners in the United States: Trends, Resources, and Promising Practices · ESL Resource Database available online · Upcoming conferences of interest to practitioners working with adults learning English  interesting: an article in the UK Guardian weekly about ESOL provision in the US. http://www.guardianweekly.co.uk/?page=editorial&id=1254&catID=18 Rhode Island Employment Disability E-News, newsletter from the Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities, available at: http://www.ric.edu/sherlockcenter/onlinepublications.html the Math Bulletin, developed by SABES http://www.sabes.org/resources/publications/mathbulletin/math-bulletin-june2009.pdf Good geography refresher...and good mouse skill practice as well. http://jimspages.com/States.htm from Kate Northcott, Director, Student Literacy Corps Webster University resources at FREE, the website that makes it easier to find teaching and learning resources from the federal government: http://www.free.ed.gov/ Math - What's the Problem? examines the state of math education in the U.S. and the roles of culture, technology, and research on improving math learning and proficiency. Learn about the "miles per gallon illusion" and the train problem. Discover resources on fractals, matrices, human face recognition, biomimetic research, computational conformal mapping, and the "kissing number" of a sphere. (National Science Foundation) http://www.free.ed.gov/resource.cfm?resource_id=2131 from NIFL's workplace literacy list (for more see http://www.nifl.gov/pipermail/workplace/2009/002275.html ) Community Literacy Planning Guide - This planning guide will support communities as they: gather together to talk about literacy; decide to participate in the Literacy Now Communities program; submit an application for planning funds; mobilize local community energy and knowledge; assess the community’s literacy needs; build on existing literacy work and address important gaps; and prepare a community plan. http://www.2010legaciesnow.com/fileadmin/user_upload/Embrace_Learning/PDF/LiteracyNow_Guide.pdf Minnesota Literacy Council's online training site – for out of state users: The courses for adult learners and educators on the Minnesota Literacy Council (MLC) online training site are developed and maintained by MLC staff through supplemental service grants from the Minnesota Department of Education. They are provided free of charge to Minnesota’s adult learners, teachers, volunteers, and other Adult Basic Education practitioners. Out-of-state visitors are welcome to explore the site to access learning resources as well, but we cannot offer CEUs or course completion certificates to out-of-state users. If you are a not a Minnesota resident, you are welcome to browse the self-access online learning materials, but please do not submit course assignments as we will not be able to respond to your submissions. http://online.themlc.org/ Refugees From Iraq - 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 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 Lots to do at the library Providence Public Library's calendar of events: http://www.provlib.org/calendar.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 google literacy site: http://www.google.com/literacy/ 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. 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/trainin  7th Annual WE LEARN (Net)Working Gathering on Women & Literacy http://www.litwomen.org/conference.html March 4-6, 2010 University of Rhode Island / Providence Campus / Providence, RI Special Forum: Thursday, March 4 / Annual Conference: Friday - Saturday, March 5-6 Pre registration deadline is February 26th The call for proposals for the 2010 Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers conference has been posted here: http://aleronline.org/conference.html deadline, February 8, 2010 Sharing Skills – Building Connections, March 10 – Commonwealth Workforce Coalition. Registration materials will be available on line early in January. http://cwc.cedac.org/index.html Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) 2009 Annual Convention – Re-Imagining TESOL http://www.tesol.org/s_tesol/convention2010/ March 24 – 27, 2010, Boston The Connecticut Association for Adult and Continuing Education Conference March 25-26, Water's Edge Resort Westbrook, CT (800) 222-5901 http://www.caace.net/Content/Conference.asp  STAND'S Adult Learner Statewide Leadership Conference Coming This Fall We are announcing our first adult learner statewide leadership conference coming this fall to Providence, and are looking for learners to come up with a name for the event. A flyer that explains the theme, and the contest rules for submissions can be found at http://www.brown.edu/lrri/nameconf.doc in English, and in Spanish http://www.brown.edu/lrri/nameconfsp.doc. We understand that many of our adult learners are not all familiar with what a conference is, or what they might get out of attending one. Therefore, we were hoping that you and your staff could use this opportunity talk to about what is involved in attending a conference (or even presenting at one!). We hope this will lead to more student interest in suggestions for workshops that they would like to attend and learn from. We are asking you to please print out the flyer and use them for class discussions, or at least pass them out to as many of your learners and alumni as possible. The contest ends March 22, 2010. If you have any question or concerns please contact me at wes@standri.org - Wes Garvin Director of STAND, 600 Mount Pleasant Ave. Bldg. #30 Providence, RI 02908 401 456 2838 401 527 4219 http://www.standri.org 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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