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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.March 15, 1998 Bulletin #38 Dear Colleagues, This bulletin contains notices and reminders of upcoming meetings, workshops and events. For details about anything in the bulletin, or to post information, please contact me at the LR/RI. I will be away from March 17 to 30th, but will be checking my email and will call into the Swearer Center - if you need to leave a message, please phone 863-2338 while I'm away. Thanks.
Janet Isserlis ____________________________________________________________ NOTICES Sharing/discussion group for educators with an interest in women's issues in adult education: Wednesday, May 6 . Time and place will be announced. On Wednesday, April 8th at 3 PM, at the Rochambeau Branch of the Providence Public Library, Carmel Drews will be talking about women, literacy and violence. Carmel will present basic information, statistics about the frequency of and people affected by domestic violence as well as the effects of physical and emotional abuse. Carmel will help us understand what educators can do to make ourselves feel more comfortable in approaching situations involving disclosures of abuse and will help us learn more about resources available to us. LR/RIÕs website, http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Swearer_Center/ Literacy_Resources/women.html contains a list of resources related to women and more information about Jenny HorsmanÕs online workshop around violence and literacy. An awareness of the prevalence of violence and its subsequent impact is a critical issue for us all to understand more clearly. Please join us for this important meeting. A short planning meeting will be held at 11:30 on March 23, at IIRI, in preparation for Dr. Susan Baum's workshop on March 28th (see below). A sharing/discussion session will be held on April 27 from 12 to 1, to reflect on the two conferences sponsored around intergenerational literacy learning and also to focus on ongoing concerns and issues. Please bring your lunch and join us. PRACTITIONER WRITING GROUP: Practitioners are invited to meet, write, and give feedback in a supportive environment on Thursday, April 2 at 1:15 PM at Dorcas Place, (270 Elmwood Avenue, Providence). Participants have agreed to bring writing to share, and invite others to do the same (although everyone is welcome - with or without writing). Adult Literacy Council will meet on Tuesday, April 7 at 1:00 PM at Knight Memorial Library, Elmwood Avenue, Providence. ESOL sharing/discussion group: Tuesday, April 14 at 3:00 PM. Genesis Center, 620 Potters Avenue, Prov. Please join us to explore issues around language and culture, and ongoing concerns. EFF discussion group - Tuesday, April 21 at 2:30, RIDE, (255 Westminster Street, Providence). Follow up (or catch up) on the evolution of the Equipped for the Future standards and role maps. Information about EFF appears on the National Institute for Literacy's website (http://www.nifl.gov) or contact Bob Mason at 222-4600, ext. 12180 for more information.
March 28, 9 to noon - Dr. Susan Baum on Multiple Intelligences Theory in the Classroom: Pathways to Implementation. An overview of practical yet authentic strategies for implementing Gardner's theory of Multiple Intelligences (MI) with all types of learners. The strategies suggested are based on a publication co-authored by Baum and Gardner and represent Gardner's charge that we use MI as a tool to improve teaching and learning, not as an end in itself. Through activities and reflection, workshop participants will explore five specific uses for MI Theory to improve teaching and learning. Please join us on March 28th at the IIRI. 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.
PARENTING MATTERS CONFERENCE, Saturday, March 28, is a full day program on child rearing, including discipline, health and home-school issues; appropriate for parents of children of all ages. Cost is $25 per person. Scholarships, limited child care and workshops in Spanish are available. Organizers suggest encouraging parents to attend by making it a class project. For further information, contact Bev Chase at 455-8066. To register, contact Lifespan Health Connection at 444-4800 (593 Eddy Street, Providence, 02903). For scholarship coupons, contact the RI Committee to Prevent Child Abuse, 728-7920. Preparing your student to pass the US citizenship exam, co-sponsored by RIDE, LVA-RI and LV of Washington County will be held on Tuesday, March 24 from 9:30 to noon at Literacy Volunteers of Washington County, (at the Westerly Public Library). The first 12 people to register will receive a free copy of the manual Citizenship Now. To register call (401) 596-9411.
LEARNING OPPORTUNITY: HRIC English for Work Program - ESOL with a workplace-centered content. Prerequisites: Students should be 18 years or older, currently employed but in need of more English skills in order to advance in the job; or unemployed and looking for work. International Institute of RI, 645 Elmwood. The program began on February 17, and continues through to early June. Class hours: Monday through Thursday 9:30 - 11:30 AM or 7 to 9 PM. Registration is ongoing; contact Julie Fischer 784-4607 for information and/or to register.
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. Participants are looking at the research together, searching for ways to improve practice and programs to respond in ways that support all learners. Information,workshop registration is available at http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Swearer_Center/Literacy_Resources/women.html If you need assistance with access to the discussion paper and/or to the internet, please contact LR/RI.
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 designed to show how to integrate technology into instruction. PBS invites us to "see how adult educators are using technology to improve instruction and strengthen learning for ABE/GED students." Through pre-produced case studies and live discussions with teachers and curriculum specialists, learn why teachers and learners think technology is important; how teachers began using educational technology and overcame the barriers people often encounter ways in which teachers are integrating educa tional technologies into classroom activities, and you'll see some great examples of quick and easy technology-based learning activities! During the program, call in and share your ideas and experiences with other educators around the country or ask the teachers and specialists on the panel your questions. Julie Phillips - jphillips@pbs.org or (703)739-8600. LiteracyLink is a partnership of Public Broadcasting Service, National Center on Adult Literacy, KET/The Kentucky Network, and the Kentucky Department of Education. WSBE is located at 50 Park Lane, Providence.
Connecticut Association for Adult and Continuing Education holds its annual conference at the Ramada Plaza Hotel in Meriden, Connecticut on April 2 and 3. For information, please contact LR/RI. Registration for hotel accommodation is due before March 18th, CEU's are available. LVA-RI 1998 Annual Conference - Providence College's Feinstein Center, 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. Voter Education and Registration (VERA) Institute Two: Opening the Doors of Democracy will be held Saturday, April 4 at Northern Essex Community College in Lawrence, MA. Peter Mallary, former Vermont Congressman is keynote speaker; in addition, the institute features workshops covering democracy from a historical perspective, rights and responsibilities as community members, facilitating democratic participation in the newcomer citizenship education class, political participation in a democracy, working together as a collective and developing skills to participate in a democratic process, a presentation of the Social Action Theatre, and a music performance. The institute is free. Registration, due by March 23rd, is limited to 60 people on a first come-first served basis. For registration information call Marie Horchler at (617) 482-9485. Registration brochures for Laubach Literacy Action 1998 Biennial Conference are available. Registration deadline is May 8, 1998. Columbus, Ohio, June 11-14 (pre conference June 10-11) "Literacy Empowers" The conference includes: Preconference workshops - 12 Conference seminars, 140 speakers, Senator Paul Simon, longtime advocate for adult literacy, Dr. Thomas Armstrong on multiple intelligences. Contact: Janet Hiemstra jhiemstra@laubach.org Laubach Literacy Action, 1320 Jamesville Ave, PO Box 131, Syracuse, NY 13210-0131 315-422-9121, ext.283, fax 315-422-6369 It's not too late to 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 important event, representing RI adult learners. Unfortunately, costs for the trip are not covered by the summit organizers. If you are able to make any kind of contribution to FrankÕs travel ex penses (estimated to be about $500), Donna Sherman has graciously agreed to handle any donations through LVA-RI. Please make checks payable to LVA-RI, with Highlander in the memo, and send to LVA-RI at 260 West Exchange St., Suite 201/2, Providence, RI 02903. LVA will see that these funds reach Frank as part of the literacy community's effort to support his participation during this event. The adult literacy council and a few practitioners have already come forward, but your help is still needed. See also LR/RI's learners page for more about learner leadership. Chat Online with Experts in Language Education Delta Systems Co. Inc. and the Center for Applied Linguistics will provide free live professional development events on the Internet for ESL/EFL educators. Using chat room applications, participants will be able to have real-time discussions with experts Jim Crawford, Jim Cummins, Tamara Lucas, and Catherine Snow. All you do is show up at your computer and join in with your questions and comments. The format for each event will be a one-hour chat session followed by four days of bulletin board discussions with the speaker. These bulletin board discussions will be available on the Web 24 hours a day for you to read and respond to. TO PARTICIPATE Visit CAL's Web site (http://www.cal.org) or Delta's Web site (http://www.delta-systems.com) for more information on each session and instructions on how to participate. For additional information, contact Chris Montone at chris@cal.org or call 202-429-9292 ext. 270. Schedule of speakers/topics follows: Wednesday, March 18 8:15-8:45 pm EST, "Innovative Ways to Write with Adult Learners" with Joy Kreeft Peyton, Ph.D. On March 18, we'll be hosting a mock chat event live from the International TESOL Convention in Seattle. If you're at TESOL, come join us in Room 608, from 5:15 pm to 5:45 pm (PST) and find out more about how these sessions work. Tuesday, March 24 8:00-9:00 pm EST "How to Craft Relationships with Your Students that Promote Success" with Jim Cummins, Ph.D. "Human relationships are at the heart of schooling." This is often thought, but rarely spoken. This session will take you beyond technical teaching skills to address the critical issue of forging social relations with your culturally diverse students that will encourage them not only to stay in school, but to succeed. Wednesday, April 1 8:00-9:00 pm EST, "When and How Should Students Transition to English Reading?" with Catherine Snow, Ph.D. Many schools teaching students whose native language is not English are faced with questions about the right balance between native and English language instruction, especially in reading. This session will present what is known and what is still unknown about transitioning to reading in English. Tuesday, April 14 8:00-9:00 pm EST, "Q & A on Two-Way Immersion" with Liz Howard and Chris Montone More and more schools around the nation are turning to two-way immersion education to preserve immigrant students' native language while promoting their English development, and to foster second language skills in native English speaking students. Two-way immersion is catching on like wildfire, but a program will only be as good as its implementation. Is your school doing it right? Come chat with two CAL researchers and find out for yourself! Tuesday, April 21 8:00-9:00 pm EST, "How to Respond to English-Only Initiatives" with James Crawford Research information, guidelines, or strategies for countering the movement against native language instruction.
The Change Agent is looking for an editorial assistant for the next issue on the theme of work. Responsibilities: help procure and edit articles in consultation with volunteer authors; research and write one or more articles; assist the editor in securing permissions for reprint of articles. Qualifica-tions: excellent writing and communication skills; experience in editing other peopleÕs writing; back-ground in adult literacy, GED or ESOL; commitment to social justice. Compensation: $20/hour, up to 75 hours on a flexible schedule, spring/summer 1998. Send letter, resume and writ ing sample to Marie Horchler, NELRC/World Education, 44 Farnsworth St. Boston MA 02210. phone: 617-482-9485, fax: 482-0617, email: mhorchler@worlded.org TheChange Agent is available online at http://Hub1.WorldEd.org/TEACHERS/civic.htm or contact LR/RI for a hard copy of the most recent issue.
from Alice Johnson, at NIFL: The National Institute for Literacy has released a new report, "The State of Literacy in America: Estimates at the Local, State, and National Levels" that breaks down the number of adults with very significant literacy needs (defined as Level 1 of the National Adult Literacy Survey) state-by-state. Within each state, the report also provides this information for every county, city, and Congressional district. We are hopeful that when policy-makers see the number of adults in need of literacy services "in their own backyard" that it will encourage them to make the issue a higher priority. It is available online or for free in hard copy from the NIFL hotline/ clearinghouse by calling 1-800-228-8813. (editorÕs note: While there are reasons to be cautious around statistics, and to be critical of what the number might actually represent, the document will most likely become one that is widely cited).
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 30th Year Remembrance will be held on April 3, at 3 PM in the State Room at the Rhode Island State House. We are asked to join in a march to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Bridge at the end of the speakers' program, weather permitting. For more information, call the Institute for Labor Studies at 463-9900.
ALT conference awards - ALT '98, the Adult Learning and Technology Conference being held in Michigan July 28-31, is offering a number of $125 grants to be used directly to defray the cost of registration to the conference. Applications are due on March 23rd, and are available through LR/RI, or check the conference website at http://slrc.ehhs.cmich.edu/altconference/If you phone to obtain a copy of the application between March 17 and 22nd, please call 863-2338.
THIS JUST IN Roger Williams University is offering a free computer-based course for adults. The class is a mixture of work-related skills, language arts, reading, and math. People can choose the Monday through Friday course from 1 to 5 pm (20 hours), or the evening class -- Monday through Thursday from 6 to 10 pm (16 hours). Each class is 4 hours: 2 hours in the computer lab and 2 hours with a tutor. The class is set to begin at the end of March and will run for 16 weeks. Participants need only to have basic abilities in English language -- both in terms of speaking/listening as well as reading/writing/computation. If any people you know are interested or you should recommend it to them, contact Linda Hall at 276-4843 to schedule an interview. Interviews are already in progress and slots will fill fast so be sure to announce this immediately.
Visual Mathematics Workshop is an intensive 20-hour workshop designed specifically for adult basic education teachers to help explore mathematical concepts and problem solving in the ABE, GED classroom. The workshop will be held on June 22-24 at Brown University. Cost is $200. Brochures are available at LR/RI, and registration is due by May 1st.
MindShare is a Boston based company that refurbishes computers (486's and better) and sells them at very low rates. For more info check their web site at http://www.citysource.com/mindshare or call 617-787-7870. Another web site listing similar programs: PEP National Directory of Computer Recycling Programs, at http://microweb.com/pepsite/Recycle/recycle_index.html
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.
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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