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LR/RI produces a bulletin roughly every two weeks in order to inform area practitioners of news, events, and calls for participation and also as a forum for posing questions, issues and discussion topics. The current bulletin is posted below. To read previous bulletins, go to Bulletin Archives.February 24, 1998 Bulletin #36 Dear Colleagues, This bulletin contains notices of upcoming meetings, workshops and conferences, and job postings. Information about spring and summer events is arriving almost daily. For details about anything in the bulletin, or to post information, please contact me at the address or phone above. Thanks.
Janet Isserlis ____________________________________________________________ NOTICES ESOL sharing/discussion group: Thursday, February 26 at 3:00 PM. Genesis Center, 620 Potters Avenue, Prov. Please join us to explore issues around language and culture, and ongoing concerns. PRACTITIONER WRITING GROUP: Practitioners are invited to meet, write, share, and give feedback in a supportive environment at a third meeting on Wednesday, February 25 at 3:00 PM at the Swearer Center for Public Service, (25 George Street, Providence). Participants at the last meeting agreed to bring some writing to share, and invite others to do the same (although everyone is welcome - with or without writing). We can use this session to share writing, generate writing ideas, set up email or other exchanges. Also, please see the new page, Writing from the Field, on LR/RI's website. Sharing/discussion group for educators with an interest in learning disabilities Friday, March 13 at 3 PM, at the International Institute of Rhode Island, 645 Elmwood Avenue, Providence. Louise Cherubini and Phylis Leventhal, co-authors of A Roadguide to Understanding Learning Disabilities will be at the meeting to share their work with us, including its resource list and information about learners with ADHD. Sharing/discussion group for educators with an interest in women's issues in adult education: Wednesday, March 11 at 3:45, Rochambeau Branch of the Providence Public Library, on Hope Street, Providence. At the last meeting, we agreed to think of two important things weÕd like to see happen for women and adult education and to think about how to translate those priorities into rec ommendations and possible change in policy and legislation. Please bring your ideas to this meeting. Citizenship workshop at World Education, Boston: What ABE Teachers Need to Know About Citizenship, on March 4 from 1-4 PM. This workshop is open to adult educators with an interest in the citizenship process. ESOL teachers not teaching citizenship are also encouraged to apply; more and more immigrants are seeking out naturalization to protect themselves against anti-immigrant legislation, like the recent welfare reform (Personal Responsibility) act. Lynne Weintraub, ESOL Coordinator at the Jones Library in Amherst, will go over the nuts and bolts of citizenship--who is eligible, an overview of citizenship tests, and so on. She will also cover some approaches suitable to beginning level students. Lynne is the author of the forthcoming book Citizenship: Passing the Test , due out this spring from New Readers Press. If you have questions or want to register, contact Lenore Balliro at (617) 482-9485 or e-mail at lenore_balliro@jsi.com
CONFERENCES - for more information on any of these conferences, please contact LR/RI March 28, 9 to noon - A Continuation: Connections through Literacy presents Dr. Susan Baum on Multiple Intelligences Theory in the Classroom: Pathways to Implementation. An overview of practical yet authentic strategies for implementing Howard Gardner's theory of Multiple Intelligences (MI) with all types of learners. The strategies suggested are based on a new publication, co-authored by Baum and Gardner. These strategies represent Gardner1s charge that we use MI as a tool to improve teaching and learning, not as an end in itself. Through activities and reflection, work-shop participants will explore five specific uses (pathways) for Multiple Intelligence Theory to improve teaching and learning. Dr. Baum is a professor at the College of New Rochelle, teaching graduate courses in elementary education and in the education of gifted and talented students. With 30 years' experience in the public school system, this published author and educational consultant brings a wealth of experience to share with adult education practitioners in RI. Please join us on March 28th at the International Institute, 645 Elmwood Avenue, Providence. For information, contact Terri Coustan (351-4252 or TCoustan@aol.com). Registration fee, payable to Connections through Literacy, is $10, and can be sent to Debbe Fate, LV-NRI, 303 Clinton Street, Woonsocket, RI 02895. The 4th Annual Meeting of the Adult Numeracy Network (ANN) will be held April 1, 1998 in Washington, DC in conjunction with the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) national meeting. ANN is a national organization of ABE/GED/ESOL teachers, workplace educators, developmental math teachers, and others interested in adult basic math education. We publish a quarterly newsletter, The Math Practitioner, and host an electronic listserv called the Numeracy list. In 1996 ANN published A Framework for Adult Numeracy Standards: The Mathematical Skills and Abilities Adults Need To Be Equipped for the Future, funded by NIFL as part of the EFF project. This year ANN joins the NCTM as an at-large affiliate dedicated to adult learners The meeting agenda specifically geared to teachers and to sharing new approaches and current practice. We are seeking presentations from other math practitioners. For registration information and/or to submit a proposal for a roundtable discussion, please see our web page at: http://www.std.com/anpn/ For information, contact Esther D. Leonelli, Numeracy list moderator (Numeracy@world.std.com) Workplace Learning: Strategies for Success: Third annual conference designed by and developed for employers, unions, educators and governmental partners. April 20-21, Milwaukee Wisconsin, with pre-conference events on April 19. Standard registration deadline February 14-April 3 ($295); late date, after April 3 ($375).Toll free: 1-800-446-0399. Literacy and Technology: Maintaining a Human Face is a summer institute offered at the Centre for Literacy in Montréal, June 25-27. Participants will examine Canadian, American and British models for using a variety of technologies to support literacy-based learning in schools, community settings and in the workplace, concentrating on the impacts of technology on people. The $300.00 (Canadian) fee includes materials continental breakfast, refreshments, lunches. More information is available online http://www.nald.ca/province/que/litcent/workshop/SIinfo.htm or contact LR/RI. Connecting to the Future: Technology in Adult Literacy is a conference being held on June 9 and 10 at the University of St. Thomas, in St. Paul, Minnesota. information: contact LR/RI. Committee on Adult Basic Education National Conference, COABE '98, Navigating the High C's (Collaboration, Community and Culture) April 29 to May 2 in Corpus Christi, Texas. For information, call (210) 522-8138 or write to COABE Ô98: 6632 Bandera, San Antonio, Texas 78238. Registration form available at LR/RI, or at: http://www.cdlr.tamu.edu/tcall/coabe.htm Student Research Conference & International Forum RESEARCH FOR PRAXIS: Learning in the Global Community - Friday, February 27th 8 am to 9 pm, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Gutman Conference Center, Appian Way, Cambridge, MA. Closing Panel: 6:00 p.m., Askwith Lecture Hall, Longfellow Hall Honoring Paulo Freire: Issues of Social Justice and Freedom: Noam Chomsky, MIT, Eileen de los Reyes, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Ramon Flecha, Universidad de Barcelona, Donaldo Macedo, UMass, Boston, Nancy Richardson, Harvard Divinity School, Ira Shor, City College of New York Yamila Hussein,HGSE Master's candidate. NO PRE-REGISTRATION NECESSARY- for more information, refer to the Conference webpage at http://hugse1.harvard.edu/~src_web or call the Office of International Education at (617) 495-5903. 4th INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE - DISABLED, BUT ENABLED AND EMPOWERED Building Common Ground for the Millennium 2000 Fostering the Inclusion of People with Disabilities, March 19-22, Rochester, NY. 6 interrelated themes: Education, Employment, Advocacy/Inclusion, Social Policy/ Change, Assistive Technology and Universal Design and Arts, Entertainment, Recreation and Spirituality, and over 100 concurrent sessions, presentations, workshops, demonstrations and performances, exhibits, discussion groups and round table sessions. A down-loadable registration form can be found on the conference web page. For more information on registration, continuing education units (CEU's), and a listing of undergraduate and graduate courses which can be pursued in connection with the conference, please contact: Conference Web site http://www.esc.edu/disabled/ or Call (716) 244-3884, EXT 113 Call (716) 271-3011, leave message 24 hours a day Fax (716)473-1949 E-Mail: Disabled@sescva.esc.edu LEARNING OPPORTUNITY - NEW PROGRAM HRIC English for Work Program: - starting date moved to 2/17 This is an ESOL program with a workplace-centered content. Prerequisites: Students should be 18 years or older, they should be currently employed but in need of more English skills in order to advance in the job; or unemployed and looking for work. Location: International Institute of RI, 645 Elmwood. First module will begin on February 17, and the second starts on April 6. Program duration, 8 weeks each modules Class hours: Monday through Thursday 9:30 - 11:30 AM or 7 to 9 PM. Registration : Contact Julie Fischer 784-4607. Register now. WORD FOR WINDOWS Registration will continue for International Institute of RI's introductory course to Microsoft Word6 for Windows Saturday morning class (9:00am-12:00pm). The course runs for 8 weeks; tuition is $100 (includes Registration and Lab fees. If a textbook is required by the teacher, there will be an extra charge); limit 15 people. The IIRI is located at 645 Elmwood Avenue, Providence. Registration for the next session will take place in early March; once those dates are established, they will be posted in the bulletin. For more information, please call: (401)461-5940 (receptionist) or (401)784-4610 (morning teacher).
On-line electronic workshop: "But I'm Not a Therapist: Literacy Work with Survivors of Trauma" Starting February 9, for 9 weeks Workshop Facilitator: Jenny Horsman On-line electronic workshop: "But I'm Not a Therapist: Literacy Work with Survivors of Trauma" continues, with workshop facilitator Jenny Horsman whose research has shown that violence has profound impacts on womenÕs ability to learn and to meaningfully participate in literacy programs. In this on-line workshop, participants are looking at the research together, searching for ways to improve practice and programs to respond in ways that support all learners. Complete information about workshop registration is available on LR/RI's website women.html Save the date: Thursday, March 5: A session about Equipped for the Future. More information coming soon. On Thursday, April 23, from 2 - 4 PM, WSBE/Channel 36 will be receiving the teleconference, Integrating technology in the ABE/GED curriculum. The program will demonstrate how technology plans progress from words on a page to actual use in adult education settings. It is also being designed to show how to integrate technology into instruction. More soon. LVA-RI 1998 Annual Conference will be held at Providence College's Feinstein Center on Saturday, April 4, from 8:30 AM-4 PM. LVA has a great line-up of workshops during three time periods. Keynote speaker: Dr. Judy Cheatham, director of the writing center at Greensboro College, Greensboro, NC. SALUTE TO CITIZENSHIP a special 15th anniversary event at the Genesis Center, will be held on March 4, at 11 AM, with keynote speaker Artemis A.W. Joukowshy, Chancellor, Brown University. Luncheon will be served following the program. Please RSVP to 781-6110 by Feb. 25.
Support participation at the Highlander Learner Conference - Recently we received information about a learner summit being held at Highlander Center in Tennessee. Frank Symonds has been chosen to participate in this impor tant event, representing RI adult learners at the summit. Unfortunately, costs for the trip are not covered by the summit organizers. If you are able to make any kind of contribution to Frank's travel expenses (estimated to be about $500), Donna Sherman has graciously agreed to deal with handling any donations through LVA-RI. Please make checks payable to LVA-RI, with "Highlander" in the memo. LVA will see that these funds reach Frank as part of the literacy communityÕs effort to support his participation. EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES: - Literacy Program Director - LVA-RI, Adult Correctional Institutions, $26,3000/year, 35 hours/week, including some nights. Benefits include single health insurance, 9 paid holidays and 2 weeks paid vacation per year. Administers an LVA inmate tutoring program in the Adult Correctional Institutions, utilizing both inmate and community volunteer tutors. Responsible for recruiting and training tutors, recruting and screening inmate learners, making student/tutor matches and working with ACI Advisory Committee to develop program. Qualifications - 4 yr. college degree or combination of equivalent education and experience. Organization/management skills, ability to function independently, good oral and written communication skills; experience working on computers. Experience working in correctional settings and in adult literacy, reading or adult education preferred. Send or fax resume, by March 9th to Attn: ACI Literacy Program, LVA-Rhode Island, 260 West Exchange Street, Suite 201/2, Providence, RI 02903 FAX: (401) 861-0863. note: applicants are subject to a background check performed by the Department of Corrections.
- Executive Director, Student Coalition for Action in Literacy Education (SCALE) SCALE is a national organization working with students, faculty, administrators and community members at colleges and universities nationwide who are committed to increased literacy in the US. SCALE corresponds with more than 2,000 contacts on 700 campuses and works directly with about 75 campuses, and is a leader in a growing field of organizations that promote and support the involvement of young people in social issues. SCALE is also a leader in promoting participatory literacy practice in the larger literacy field and is mostly staffed by recent college graduates who carry out the planning, research, training, management and fund development required to support the mission of the organization. SCALE's mission is to operate as a national network of colleges and universities committed to mobilizing student involvement in literacy; building on the enthusiasm of college students; increasing literacy as a tool for the transformation of individuals and society, and as a vehicle for social justice; entitling the development of literacy skills in the languages of the learners choice; developing leadership opportunities for both college students and new readers; creating a mutual learning process with new readers and others involved in literacy; promoting partnerships between campuses and communities; and linking the college student movement with national organizations committed to literacy. Executive Director - responsible for all aspects of SCALE including to: develop and foster a strategic vision for SCALE, ensure that SCALE is meeting its mission, both programmatically and internally, oversee the development and implementation of SCALE fundraising strategy, manage SCALE staff in the implementation of the strategic plan, oversee SCALEs systems for financial accountability and management, serve as a liaison to related local, regional and national organizations, as a liaison internally with UNC and the School of Education, and as a liaison to SCALEs National Board of Advisors. Qualifications/experience: Understanding of literacy as a tool for the transformation of individuals and society as a vehicle for social justice, understanding and belief in participatory management and diversity in the workplace, strong administrative abilities, successful record of grant writing and/or fund resource development, minimum 2 yrs leadership experience, strong communication (verbal and written) skills and organizational abilities, ability to work with college students and other diverse groups of people, understanding of multicultural and socio-economic issues,willing to travel and work flexible hours including weekends. $30,000-35,000 with full benefits through the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; paid vacation and holidays. To apply: Send a resume and cover letter to: Chair, SCALE Director Search Committee; School of Education CB #3500; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3500 or fax to 919-962-1533 by March 13, 1997. Information: contact 919-962-1542. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer.
REMINDERS: Resource available: Teaching and Learning with Internet-based Resources, by Susan Cowles, is available in hard copy or on line at http://www.nifl.gov/susanc/inthome.htm From the on-line introduction: "Literacy students, instructors, program administrators, and other life-long learners are all in the group moving along the information superhighway. Some people have been running for a while; others are just starting down the road. Beginning to use the Internet can sometimes seem as grueling as participating in a marathon. This short course is designed to make the jour ney as informative and enjoyable as possible." To order a hard copy of the document, please call 1-800-228-8813. Susan Cowles is a Literacy Leader Fellow for 1996-97; this document is her fellowship report to the National Institute for Literacy.
The 11th Annual National Adult Learning and Technology Conference will be held at Michigan State University's Kellogg Center, from July 28-31, 1998. Proposals for presentations are due on 2/13/98; registration materials will be available in hard copy after 3/15, or on-line now. For more information, please contact LR/RI or check the conference website at http://slrc.ehhs.cmich.edu/altconference/
HEALTH AND LITERACY: From the NIFL-FAMILY listserv, for agencies working in collaboration with health care agencies: Pfizer Inc. is inviting applications for two $50,000 grants. One will support research and the other will support programs to improve health literacy. Any individual or organization involved in health care delivery is eligible to apply, and the grants may be used to fund existing projects or programs. The application deadline is April 30, 1998. Information: contact Charlene Landis, Pfizer Inc. 235 E. 42nd St. New York, NY 10017; 1- 888-457-3033.
from previous bulletins: LEGISLATIVE INFORMATION ON-LINE (from Fran Keenan at the Center for Applied Linguistics): http://www.StateServ.hpts.org provides current and exclusive state legislative information on welfare reform & immigrants. The 1996 welfare law rewrote the rules for immigrants, originally cutting $24 billion in cash, medical, and food stamp benefits. Although $12 billion in SSI benefits were restored in 1997, states are still challenged by the cost shifts from federal to state and local safety net programs, and are determining whether and how to serve particularly vulnerable immigrant populations. State legislation is summarized by cash assistance, medical assistance, nutritional assistance, and naturalization. Also available on-line are the Project's popular new series of issue briefs "Welfare Reform & Immigrants." Currently posted are briefs on: State Trends, Nutritional Assistance, and TANF. The website was launched by the Health Policy Tracking Service at NCSL. StateServ also provides information on state policies and legislation in the areas of adolescent health, HIV/AIDS, and youth access to alcohol. The website is supported with grants from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Ford Foundation. For more information on StateServ, call The Health Policy Tracking Service at 202-624-3567 or e-mail them at: info@hpts.org. For more information on Welfare Reform & Immigrants, contact Ann Morse, Immigrant Policy Project, (ann.morse@ncsl.org) or Jeremy Meadows (jeremy.meadows@ncsl.org). We welcome your comments. (The IMMIGRANT-NEWS-L distribution list is a service of NCSLnet, the Electronic Information Network for State Legislatures. National Conference of State Legislatures. For information on NCSLnet services send a blank e-mail message to: NCSLnet-Info@ncsl.org).
AIDS RESOURCES ONLINE The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention1s national AIDS clearinghouse is located at http://www.cdcnac.org. It's Up to Us: An AIDS Education Curriculum for ESL Students and Other English Language Learners, by Henry Lesnick, is available on line at http://www.hostos.cuny.edu/homepages/lesnick/AIDS. AVERT, AIDS Education and Research Trust, a British site, is at http://www.avert.org/ World AIDS Day is observed on December 1st, but the need to work on appropriate educational strategies around HIV and AIDS prevention education persists year round.
PROJECT BASED LEARNING AND ACCESS TO THE INTERNET How is the internet being used in adult education? What are some helpful uses, and how do we sort through the huge amount of material available on line? Susan Gaer is interested in helping programs link to one another, and has been doing so through an email project homepage on-line, at http://www.otan.dni.us/webfarm/emailproject/email.htm. If you have or know of similar learner work on line, please contact Susan at SusanG2@aol.com. As well, David Rosen (who in addition to advocacy work, has done a great deal of work on and research into using the internet) has asked that we have a look at the inquiry maps on the Adult Literacy Resource Institute1s home page. As he explains, "[a]n Inquiry Map is a group participatory research process on a topic of high interest to the group. Participants (in this case, adult learners) make their own questions, and then set about finding answers to them. The Inquiry map is a process which is never finished. Many of the questions go unanswered, are only partially answered, or have only one answer given where other points of view are possible. So, there is room for other participants to join in the process at any time, to add their answers, their comments on the answers already given, and questions which they might also choose to research." Questions, answers and comments can be posted to David Rosen <DJRosen@world.std.com>, and he'll add them to the inquiry map. So, it keeps on being an inquiry process with each new person who reads and adds to it. He welcomes additions of questions and answers; as you may know, many internet sites run threaded conversations on a variety of topics. The ALRI sites are: http://www2.wgbh.org/MBCWEIS/LTC/ALRI/I.M.html and http://www2.wgbh.org/MBCWEIS/LTC/ALRI/IM3.html (How to make inquiry maps). The LR/RI website has added a page about technology and learning as well. The page consists of the beginning of a discussion about the ways in which technology can be used interactively -- is the screen just a big flashy workbook, or is there more to it? Your comments can be sent by email, fax or regular mail, and will be added to the page to continue the conversation.
and also from previous issues:
Workshops available - During the past few years I've worked with a team of women from around Canada, through the Canadian Congress for Learning Opportunities for Women, on Making Connections: Literacy and EAL Curriculum from a Feminist Perspective. The curriculum was developed for learners in basic education and English language programs. A series of workshops have been developed and are available to anyone in the area with an interest in learning more about incorporating the curriculum and its approaches into their own work. Please contact me (Janet) at LR/RI for more information and/or to schedule a workshop. Information about the curriculum is also available online at http://www.nald.ca/canorg/cclow/EAL.HTM. While the cost of the curriculum document itself is $20, there is no charge for the workshops.
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