Rhode Island Adult Education Professional Development Center


 


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  The Rhode Island Adult Education Professional Development Center produces a bulletin roughly every two to three weeks in order to inform area practitioners of news, events,
  and calls for participation and also as a forum for posing questions, issues and discussion topics. The current bulletin is posted below.

 
To read previous bulletins, 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

  
April 23, 2010

   Bulletin #345

    Dear Colleagues,

  
    C
alls for participation, employment, funding, and conference and workshop opportunities, online and other resources. 
   To post information,  and/or to receive the bulletin via email, 
please contact the AEPDC or leave a message at (401-863-2839).
 

    Janet Isserlis signature

   Janet Isserlis



 
 

 (with thanks to Mary Kim Arnold) poem a day.  It;s national poetry month.  Stop and smell the poetry
 http://www.poets.org/poemADay.php

 or consider some excellent numbers: http://www.terc.edu/work/794.html

 - it's all language, of a sort.



   NOTICES - – in addition to events listed here, a recently updated list of events  (including workforce development workshops, new practitioner
  orientation, standards overview - and rescheduled events) can be found at http://www.ric.edu/aepdc/calendar.php



 
Family Literacy and Early Childcare Providers: 
  Providence Public Library is Celebrating Reading is Fun Week: May 9 — 15.  We invite YOU and your early learners to join in the fun!

 What is Reading is Fun Week?
 Reading is Fun Week (annually, the second full week of May - this year May 9–15, 2010) is sponsored by Reading is Fundamental (RIF), the nation's oldest
 and largest non-profit literacy organization. Educators have had this national event to promote literacy since 1979. Traditionally, the week has been designated
 to highlight the importance and fun of reading and has included reading motivation, family and community involvement, and free book distribution through RIF. 
 more info: http://www.rif.org.

  What is the Library doing? Providence Public Library is inviting Rhode Island preschool and kindergarten teachers and children to celebrate reading and have some fun with
  our free LARK kits (Learning and Reading Kits).  These thematic kits of library materials (more than 80 themes in all, some in Spanish) come packaged in a plastic tub or
  tote bag and contain 10 books, music, an activity folder full of ideas, and materials for hands-on fun and interactive exploration, including: puppets, flannel boards, games,
  puzzles, toys, costumes, posters and much more!  To participate and for more information on borrowing and using these kits, contact the PPL Children's Librarian at 
 401-455-8025 or Tonia Mason at 455-8090 or tmason@provlib.org.



 May 26, 2010 Rhode Island Adult Education Conference, to be held at Rhode Island College. Program draft available via janet_isserlis@brown.edu;
 final details to be posted early next month
 If you're a publisher wishing to exhibit, please contact lrri@brown.edu
 


  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:    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.




Teachers Investigating Adult Numeracy

 Whether you're an experienced instructor, are new to teaching math, or are interested in integrating math into ESOL classrooms, please join us for a  series
 of workshops on Thursday afternoons, from 1-4 p.m.
 These workshops are for you if you would like to:
 Deepen your own understanding of the math that you teach
 Learn more about your students’ mathematical thinking
 Join with your colleagues to consider issues of practice that arise in the teaching and learning of mathematics
 The two remaining sessions are April 29 and May 13: focusing on Geometric Thinking.

 In the first session, we will work through some mathematical activities/investigations ourselves. In the time between sessions, participants will bring these
 activities (altered as needed) back to their classrooms for their students to work on. Finally, workshop participants return to the second workshop in each pair
 of sessions, with student work and classroom stories to share and discuss – both the successes and challenges you encounter in implementing these adult-centered,
 real-world mathematics problems.
 Note: If you have taken part in TIAN workshops before,  you might be familiar with some of the content.
 Please register by contacting Jessica Ortiz at jortiz@ric.edu  prior to April 20th. Workshop location and other details will be available at that time.
 Workshop Facilitators:  Sherry Lehane, Lynn Foley and Sophia Cohen
 Sponsored by the RI Adult Education Professional Development Center,  456-2838, http://www.ric.edu/aepdc,  in conjunction
 with Teachers Investigating Adult Literacy 


  Position Statement on Adult English as a Second or Additional Language Programs (March 2010; PDF) 
 
TESOL urges countries where English is the common, dominant, or official language to make commitments to developing national systems of high quality,
 appropriate language and literacy services specifically tailored to the needs of adults learning ESL/EAL in their populations. These systems should involve
 all stakeholders in the review, creation, and implementation of education policies and be no less in quality, recognition, and support than the system in
 place for public primary, secondary, and higher education.
  http://www.tesol.org/s_tesol/seccss.asp?CID=32&DID=37
 


 BEYOND BORDERS CONFERENCE Recognizing the Contributions and Struggles of Immigrants and Refugees in RI April 24th, 29am – 4pm

 The International Institute of Rhode Island and the coalition Immigrants United announce the Beyond Borders Conference: Recognizing the Contributions
 and Struggles of Immigrants and Refugees in Rhode Island, to be held on Saturday, April 24 at IIRI, 645 Elmwood Avenue, Providence.  Registration
 begins at 8:30AM. This event is open to the entire community, including elected officials, immigrant/social justice advocates, social service providers,
 policy-makers, the foreign born population, and students.

 The Beyond Borders Conference is a gathering of the local Rhode Island community to recognize the assets and struggles of immigrants and refugees, the
 local initiatives in place to assist immigrants and refugees, and the steps being taken towards the passage of pro-migrant legislation.  The conference will be
 divided into 4 workshop sessions that explore the legal, economic, political and educational opportunities and challenges surrounding the immigrant and
 refugee community of Rhode Island. The goals of the conference are to educate the community, bring together individuals and organizations working with
 immigrants and refugees, and form solidarity and momentum for pro-migrant legislation in our state and country. 

 Registration online at http://www.iiri.org is strongly recommended for a reduced rate of $15 before April 16. Registration at the door will be $20. 
 A light breakfast and lunch will be provided as well as free parking. Sponsored by Working Rhode Island. For more information, or to make a food and/or monetary
 donation please contact Michelle DePlante at mdeplante@iiri.org or (401) 784-8644


 New practitioner orientation
: April 29th and 30th; please contact janet_isserlis@brown.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
 

 Save the date: Skills2Compete Day at the State House on May 20, 2010  2:30-4:30pm

  learning opportunities
 
 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




 
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           

 

 
 Promoting Learner Transitions to Postsecondary Education and Work: Developing Academic Readiness Skills From the Beginning,
 
by Betsy Parrish and Kimberly Johnson, is available from the CAELA Network  http://www.cal.org/caelanetwork/resources/transitions.html  The brief
 reviews the literature on the skills needed for adult English language learners to transition to academic study or work and offers examples of activities and
 strategies that can be used at beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels of ESL instruction to help learners develop these skills.
 (This brief and other information related to English language learners transitions are posted at http://www.brown.edu/lrri/tell.html)


 
  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  
 


  - 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.


  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. 
 If you have questions about this service, please  contact us at ricomjob@brown.edu


  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
  Education for Adult English Language Learners in the United States: Trends, Research, and Promising Practices
 paper, written by staff of the Center for Applied Linguistics, describing the adult education system in the United States — learner populations, programs
 serving them, assessment, professional development for practitioners, and research. http://www.cal.org/caelanetwork/resources/adultELLs/index.html

 Reflective Writing: A Way to Lifelong Teacher Learning
 This online book from TESL-EJ Publications talks about the value of reflective writing for understanding and improving instructional practice and the value
 of connecting with other practitioners both locally and around the world.
 Learn more and download the free PDF http://www.cal.org/resources/pubs/reflective-writing.html

 Evidence-Based, Student-Centered Instructional Practices, a brief discussing evidence-based and student-centered instruction, giving examples of
 instructional approaches that are supported by evidence, and describing how teachers of adults learning English as a second language can work together
 in learning communities to increase their knowledge of and skills with student-centered instructional practices that are evidence-based. by Joy Kreeft
 Peyton, Sarah Catherine K. Moore, and Sarah Young, Center for Applied Linguistics, Washington, DC April 2010
 http://www.cal.org/caelanetwork/resources/studentcentered.html
 


 from Thursday notes, April 22, 2010
 ECS Offers State Policy Roundup           
 The Education Commission of the States recently released its state policy update by category.  If your state is planning to create policy in a particular area,
 the list may provide some helpful ideas.
 http://www.ecs.org/ecs/ecscat.nsf/Web2010All?OpenView&Count=-1
 


The Poverty Institute releases new report  An Uneven Path: State Investments in Women's Economic Self Sufficiency

This report, co-released with the Women's Fund of Rhode Island, documents how state investments in programs that help women and their families attain or maintain economic self-sufficiency have been severely eroded in recent years.
Key report findings include:
· Child Care:
State investments in the Starting Right Child Care Assistance program fell by almost 90% since 2005.  After rising to more than 13,000 children in 2003, enrollment has since declined by almost half and is now lower than it was when the program began in 1997.

· Cash Assistance:
State investments in the cash assistance program have been cut so dramatically that today, no state funds are being spent on benefits. A 2008 overhaul of the program that included new strict time limits has caused close to one-third of enrolled families (3,000) to lose their benefits during the economic downturn and removed access to education and training which limits opportunities to obtain jobs that pay family-sustaining wages.

· Health Care:
RIte Care/RIte Share health insurance enrollment dropped by 8,000 people between 2005 and 2009 as a result of spending cuts and programmatic changes.

· Child Support: The Child Support Enforcement Office lost close to one-third of its staff between 2006 and 2008, resulting in very high caseloads per worker; the state lags considerably behind all other New England states and the nation when it comes to establishing child support orders.

Visit
http://www.povertyinstitute.org/matriarch/default.asp to read the full report, executive summary, press release and media coverage from the release.


 from Daphne Greenberg, moderator of the NIFL Diversity list: A report has just been released by the US Dept. of Labor, called:
 The Workforce Investment Act and Women's Progress: Does WIA Funded Training Reinforce Sex Segregation in the Labor Market and the Gender Wage
 Gap?

 It indicates that women who became employed after receiving WIA services earned less their male counterparts.
 http://biz570.com/economy/economy/report-wia-trained-women-earn-less-than-male-counterparts-1.720499


 survey says?
from Richard Sebastian, Instructional Technology Specialist,Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center :
 Hello adult education and ESOL professionals:
 If you are involved in any way in the literacy instruction of adults, then I'd like to invite you to participate in the pilot of the Adult Literacy Content
 Knowledge Survey. This survey was developed in part by Dr. Laurie Henry, assistant professor in early adolescent literacy at the University of Kentucky
 and lead curriculum developer of the PluggedIn VA career pathway curriculum here in Virginia. The survey consists of 76 questions related to
 professional development, reading instruction content knowledge, and technology self-efficacy. The survey will  take about 30-45 minutes to complete.
 It targets anyone involved in adult basic education and/or ESOL instruction, especially those who teach reading instruction. Your participation in this pilot
 survey is entirely voluntary and will remain strictly confidential.

 The link to the Adult Literacy Content Knowledge Survey is  http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/AdultLiteracy
 The survey research project was developed through a partnership between KY Adult Education, the Collaborative Center for Literacy Development, and College of Education at the University of Kentucky.
 
 Thanks for your participation. Feel free to share this survey with any other discussion lists or professional literacy organizations that work with adult populations.
 
 
 Richard Sebastian
 Instructional Technology Specialist
 Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center
 Virginia Commonwealth University
 3600 W. Broad St./ Suite 669
 Richmond, VA 23230-4930
 (804) 828-7537


    CAAL policy brief, released on March 26, called Local Perspectives on WIA Reauthorization, is available at http://www.caalusa.org/LPP.pdf


  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

 
  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
 


 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


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)

 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
 

 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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