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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.

November 6, 1998

Bulletin #55

Dear Colleagues, 

Notice of upcoming professional development events and meetings, and employment opportunities are described in this bulletin. To post information, please contact me at LR/RI or leave a message (863-2839). 

Thanks.

Janet Isserlis 

____________________________________________________________

NOTICES

Practitioner publishing - Brown bag lunch from 1 to 2 at the International Institute of RI, November 6 . Please join Lenore Balliro, editor of Bright Ideas, a quarterly journal of writing for and by adult educators in Massachusetts, to share ideas, and explore writing and learning through the writing of other practitioners. Past issues of Bright Ideas have examined citizenship education, family literacy, technology and more; the best of Bright Ideas is online at http://www.sabes.org/b2intro.htm

You can subscribe to Bright Ideas, for $8.00 per year. (Massachusetts practitioners receive free subscriptions.) The 24 page newsletter, funded by the Mass. Department of Education, contains articles by Massachusetts adult ed teachers, coordinators, counselors, and other staff. Each issue also offers a calendar of conferences, a resource page, "Tools for the Classroom," and a "Click Here" listing of useful Web sites. Bright Ideas is thematically organized. The Fall, 98 issue focuses on staff development. For subscriptions, send a check for $8.00 to Lenore Balliro, Editor, World Education, 44 Farnsworth St., Boston, MA 02210

How to buy a home in the United States: A Curriculum for New Americans Workshop, November 6 at IIRI 3:00-5:00 Lenore Balliro will facilitate the free workshop, also being held at IIRI. Lenore will work with us in using the Fannie Mae curriculum designed to assist new American first time home buyers. The workshop will provide an overview of the FannieMae Foundation's How to Buy a Home in the United States, and also explain why teach home buying, how to use the Curriculum in Your Class, and next steps. Participants will receive a copy of the 2-volume Fannie Mae curriculum: a wirebound teachers' guide and student book. Project information is also available online at http://www2.wgbh.org/mbcweis/ltc/fnma2/fnma2.html

Sharing/discussion group for educators with an interest in women's issues in adult education will be held Thursday, November 12th, at 1 PM at the Rochambeau Branch library on Hope Street, in Providence. Please join us as we plan for a half-day conference concerning women and learning to be held in March, a smaller workshop for the end of this year, and continue our conversations about women, literacy and learning. 

Sharing/discussion group for educators with an interest in ESOL in adult education will be held Tuesday, November 17th, at 3 PM at the Genesis Center on Potters Avenue in Providence.

Sharing/discussion group for educators with an interest in LD in adult education will be held this month, but the date/time have yet to be determined. We'll be discussing the new project described below as well as catching up on other news and concerns from programs and practitioners. Please contact LR/RI for the date/place, and/or watch the next bulletin for that information.

Improving services for adults with LD: The Massachusetts Dept. of Education has been awarded one of five national grants from the National Institute for Literacy to increase participating states capacity to provide services for adult students with learning disabilities; RI is participating in this collaborative three-year grant. The goals of the grant are to: 

1. Collect information from each of the NE states on needs and assets of service providers working with adults with learning disabilities. 

2. Disseminate information, through a train the trainer model, on the research and best practices for screening, planning, and providing instruction to adults with learning disabilities. 

3. Begin to build an infrastructure that will support more effective services, including providing diagnostic services and GED accommodations, for adults with learning disabilities. 

- Program directors and teachers are being asked to complete a needs/assets survey in order to assist in developing strategies for enhancing services to LD learners in RI and those who work with them, [goal #1]. Training [directed at goal #2] will be available in RI this winter. To learn more about the New England Partnership for Adults with Leaning Disabilities, please contact Judy Titzel, RI liaison to the Partnership, at 245-7326, or Janet Isserlis at LR/RI, 863-2839, or call to obtain a copy of the survey if you are currently working with learners and have not yet completed one, and/or please join us for the next LD discussion group, at to talk to Judy about this important new project. 

Providence Public Library's Family Writing Center has begun its fall cycle of classes. This free, first-step literacy program is based at libraries around Providence, and includes English classes, beginning to intermediate, computer skills and families learning together. Please call 455-8016 or 455-8041 for more information, and/or LR/RI for branch locations and schedules. Referrals can be made at any time. 

Introduction to Windows98 and Microsoft Word7. The next Saturday afternoon computer class at International Institute of RI starts December 5 and ends on December 27. Class hours: 12:15 - 4:15pm; tuition is $75, all fees and textbook are included; limit 15 people. More info: 461-5940. 

The Walk for Literacy will be held on May 15, 1999, as part of Adult Education Week. Other changes to the walk (formerly held in the autumn) include the addition of a paid professional consultant to coordinate corporate solicitations; these contributions will be shared equally among participating agencies. A new participant agreement has been developed, outlining agenciesÕ responsibilities to the walk effort (including a contribution of $100 to defray the consultantÕs salary). If you were unable to attend the meeting held on October 28th, but would like to participate or need more information, please contact Donna Sherman (861-0815) or Louise Moulton (455-8041). 

Adult Learning: The Essentials of Building Community and Defining Direction: The American Association for Adult and Continuing Education 1998 Conference November 18-22, Phoenix, Arizona. For more information, contact LR/RI, or visit http://www.albany.edu/aaace/ to register online.

International Conference on Women and Literacy January 24-26, 1999, Atlanta, Georgia. A conference designed to bring researchers, practitioners and policy makers together to pose problems and develop an understanding of linkages between women's lives and literacies. Issues for discussion include women and literacy as related to: welfare to work, health, ethnicity and domestic violence; research, policy issues, applied practice and learners' perspectives. Registration fees: if postmarked by 11/15- $100; $125 if postmarked by 11/16; $150 for on-site registration. Hotel is $105 per night, single or double; reservations: 1-800-228-9898. For information, or for an application, please contact Sandy Vaughn at 404-651-1400 or alcsvv@langate.gsu.edu

Technology and Adult Basic Education: The Changing Roles of Teachers - 1999 Winter Institute January 27 -29, 1999, Atlanta, Georgia. The institute is designed to accommodate a limited number of participants listening, discussing and exchanging ideas in a collaborative setting. Participants will examine current research and policy in the use of technology in adult education, model programs and assessment. Registration fees: $235, payable by January 8th. Hotel: $105 per night, Renaissance Atlanta Hotel 590 West Peachtree Street, NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30308 Reservations: 1-800-228-9898. For more information, or an application, email: mark.johnson@arch.gatech.edu or barbara.christopher@arch.gatech.edu, or call Mark Johnson or Barbara Christopher : 1(800) 428-7323.

From Art Ellison, NLA listserv, October 12: The Commonfire Conference: Coming Together Across Issues and Borders For Economic, Environmental and Social Justice

The North American Alliance for Popular and Adult Education will hold the CommonFire Conference, "a gathering of educators/activists oriented towards strengthening the educational component of social movements for democracy, sustainability, economic and social justice," from Feb. 12-15, 1999 in Tucson, Arizona. Educator/Activist Networks will meet in these areas: Participatory Research, Environmental Popular Adult Education, Popular Economics, Feminist Education, Anti-Racist and Multicultural Education, Music, Theater, Visual Arts and Cultural Work, Learning in Social Move-ments, Labor Education, Youth Organizing, Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual Organizing, Welfare Reform/ Economic Justice, and Community Organizing. For information contact Larry Olds, 3322 15th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55407, 612-722-3442, <lolds@mtn.org> 

Employment Opportunities: Case Manager and Job Development Specialist needed for Welfare to Work program at Family Resources in Woonsocket. Full time. Salary range $17,500 - $22,500. Recruit and assess appropriate participants, conduct life skills, job readiness and computer applications workshops. Part-time Case Manager/Job Developer for Pawtucket - 20 hrs/wk. Call Madelyn at Family Resources 766-0900 for details.

volunteer opportunities (posted 10/23) The NEW ENGLAND GERONTOLOGY ACADEMY seeks math tutors for woman on welfare who are studying to be certified nursing assistants. The tutors will have the opportunity to design curriculum or to assist with classes. Begin ASAP, for a duration of 8 weeks, during week-day hours of 12:30 to 5 pm. CONTACT Pat Burger-Manire, 467-1970 HAMILTON HOUSE ELDER DAY CENTER needs volunteers to aid in a variety of areas including, front-desk reception, dining-room assistance and mural restoration. The center specifically seeks a teacher for a Latin tutorial and/or leaders for other kinds of artistic and academic classes. CONTACT Jill Letourneau, 831-1800.

The FEINSTEIN HIGH SCHOOL FAMILY CENTER needs ESOL teachers for adult education classes. In addition, the center aims to provide lessons in computer and math skills, between 5 - 8 pm, twice a week. CONTACT Alice Nosworthy or Solange Raphael, 456-1706.

Paid Position RHODE ISLAND COLLEGE seeks biology tutors for 1st generation college students who gained special admission to R.I.C. SALARY -- $5.40/hr undergrads; $10/hr grad; $14/hr faculty/staff CONTACT Julie Kue, 456-8237

employment opportunity: The National Center for Family Literacy is seeking applicants for a Training Specialist position at its Louisville Office. 

Qualifications: abilities and experience in delivering high quality training, and in developing related written materials; bachelor's degree or higher with specialization or experience in Adult Education and Literacy; minimum two years experience teaching adults preferably in a family literacy program. Applicants should describe their knowledge and/or experience in the following areas related to adult education and family literacy: reading, English as a Second Language, workplace literacy, assessment, parent education, Equipped for the Future standards, learning disabilities, teaching an integrated work, life and basic skills curriculum, etc. This position requires strong skills in working as a team member, as well as excellent presentation and written communication skills, problem solving, and flexibility. Extensive travel is involved and candidate must be willing to relocate to the Louisville, Kentucky area. NCFL offers a highly competitive salary and benefits package. Skills in content development and organization are necessary to meet the challenge of this position. To apply send a letter of application with resume to: The National Center for Family Literacy, Attn: Office Manager, 325 W. Main St., Suite 200, Louisville, KY 40202-4251. More information about NCFL and the position are online at: http://www.famlit.org

planning ahead- NCSALL Speaker Series: Dr. Alisa Belzer, a leader of practitioner inquiry groups for Pennsylvania ABE workers, will be speaking at the Harvard Graduate School of Education on Thursday, December 10, from 3:30 to 5:00 PM. In addition to her research into family literacy models and retention, she has worked extensively in the area of authentic assessment, and has also been a volunteer coordinator, teacher and board member of a community-based literacy program. She is the author of Doing School Differently: The Perspectives of Five Adult Learners on their Past and Current Educational Experiences, and is uniquely situated to draw implications from research to practice and from practice to research. Dr. Belzer will speak in the Eliot-Lyman Room, 13 Appian Way, Cambridge. For more information, call (617) 495-4842. Sponsored by the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy and the Adult Literacy Resource Institute. 

grant opportunity: Laubach Literacy, the world's oldest and largest nonprofit literacy organization, is currently seeking grant applications for its 1998 National Book Scholarship Fund (NBSF), which distributes books and other educational materials to qualified adult literacy and education programs nationwide. NBSF grants are designed to help local educational groups expand their work or to begin new programs among under-served populations. First priority is given to family literacy programs that work to improve the literacy skills of parents and their children. Grants are also awarded to programs that work with special groups, such as the homeless, refugees, people learning English as a Second Language, and adults with learning disabilities. Last year, the NBSF gave $251,709 worth of in-kind grants to 126 programs. It is made possible through the support of foundations, corporations, and individual donors across the country. For more information, or to apply for a National Book Scholarship Fund grant, contact: Mara Roberts, Project Administrator The National Book Scholarship Fund, Laubach Literacy PO Box 131 1320 Jamesville Avenue, Syracuse, NY 13210; by telephone at 315-422-9121 and via e-mail at mroberts@laubach.org. Additional information, is online at www.laubach.org/NBSF/indexnbs.htm Deadline: applications will be accepted until 12/15/98. 

New on the website - (from Ed Schwartz:) Build-Com is an email list that has functioned as a growing network of people involved directly in neighborhood and community organizations or working with public agencies that serve them. People ask questions about specific problems and programs; others answer them. Build-com now has a web site which includes a listing of participants, sample threads, archives, and links to web pages from those groups on the list that have them. Build-com and related sites are posted on LR/RI's advocacy, internet and links pages, or go there directly at http://www.libertynet.org/nol/build-com.html

From Barb Van Horn, NIFL workplace list: The Department of Education (ED) recently posted its organizational directory online. This document lists staff room and phone numbers, and contains contact information for education boards, commissions, and councils; independent organizations affiliated with the Department; and the regional offices. To access the directory, go to http://www. ed.gov/PDFDocs/98orgdir.pdf. This directory complements the online Education Department phonebook, which allows the user to search by name, organization, or e-mail address. The phonebook is available at http://www.ed.gov/cgi-bin/phf. Yet another useful online tool is the Department's organizational chart available at http://www.ed.gov/people.html#org. All of these directories can be useful in looking for information about existing programs, funding possibilities and other related information.

If you do not have access to the internet and would like to learn more about using it, please contact LR/RI. 

substitute teacher list - LR/RI maintains a file of teachers available to substitute, so that programs can find teachers easily. LR/RI does not contact agencies or make placements, but can share information about available teachers. If you would like to add your name to that list, please phone or email LR/RI, telling times of day you're available, areas of the state in which you're able to teach, and the areas you teach (ABE, ESOL, GED, etc.).

new resource: What Works: Integrating Basic Skills Training into Welfare-to-Work. From the National Institute for Literacy: " This report grew out of a request that the Coalition for Literacy task force determine whether education was being used as part of effective welfare-to-work efforts in accordance with the 1996 welfare law and, if so, how. The report shows that the federal welfare law provides opportunities to include basic skills instruction as part of welfare recipients' transition to work, and profiles 8 exemplary programs achieving success in this area. We hope it will be a useful tool for practitioners by providing ideas of what works well in other programs, and hope that by disseminating it beyond the adult education and literacy field that others in the education, job training, and public assistance fields will see that helping people on welfare improve their skills can be a component of effective welfare-to-work programs. [NIFL] is funding representatives from the exemplary programs to present at conferences nationwide about what they are doing, and is trying to reach a larger audience than the adult education and literacy field with this information so that others involved in welfare-to-work will understand that literacy needs to be part of the equation. 

The report is available at no cost through the National Literacy Hotline and Clearinghouse at 1-800-228-8813."

Expressions, a learner-generated, learner-edited journal based at the Swearer Center for Public Service at Brown University, seeks to foster students' self confidence by providing adult learners with a wide public forum in which to express themselves. We seek to forge links among students from various programs across the state by encouraging interaction through the written word. 

Expressions runs writing workshops in programs throughout the state. Expressions staff members work closely with classroom teachers and/or tutors to design workshops which serve the needs and interests of the particular students involved. The workshops, designed to help students to begin to think about writing both in the context of their regular class work and, more broadly, in terms of their broader lives, - are dynamic -they seek first and foremost to respond to the needs of individual students, teachers, programs and agencies. After the workshop, and often with the help of their tutors or teachers, students write pieces related to the topic of the workshop, or on a topic of their own choice. In general, teachers compile these pieces and submit them to Expressions. In some cases, we may return to do follow-up work with students. We encourage students to write on and in whatever topics and formats that they find interesting, and we are always thrilled to receive student writings. Please help your students to submit their work to: Expressions, Brown University,Box 1974 Providence RI 02912-1974. For more information, please contact Coordinator Diane Genereux at (401) 863-2338, or by email at Diane_Genereux@brown.edu

GRADUATE SCHOOL TUITION HELP FOR NEW AMERICANS 

November 30 is the deadline to apply for graduate tuition help from the Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans (online at http://www.pdsoros.org). Eligible candidates must be between the ages of twenty and thirty (not older than 30 as of November 30, 1998.); candidates must hold a Green Card or have been naturalized as a US citizen or be the child of two parents who are both naturalized citizens. Information is available by contacting Soros Fellowships at: 400 West 59th St., NY, NY10019; Phone: 212/547-6926; Fax: 212/245-8381; email: pdsoros_fellows@sorosny.org. 

relatively new on the website:

- An update on VALUE, the national learner organization, (go to learners), new postings on the links, women and literacy and inquiry pages, as well.

- Research Agenda for Adult ESL The National Clearinghouse for ESL Literacy Education, in collaboration with National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy and with additional sponsorship and support from Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, has published a Research Agenda for Adult ESL. Its objectives are to provide funders with clear priorities for funding; to provide researchers with support for proposing specific projects; and to provide a focus for dis-cussion about how to improve adult ESL programs. The document incorporates feedback from learners, instructors, program administrators, policymakers, and researchers, and is available, free, from NCLE, 4646 40th street NW, Washington, DC 20016; (202) 362-0700 extension 200, or can be downloaded from NCLE at http://www.cal.org/ncle (and is also linked to LR/RI's ESOL page).

- The Key on line - Monthly newspaper for adults in Wisconsin's basic education and ESL programs.  http://www.keynews.org/ (and is linked to LR/RI's learner page).

Making Connections across culture: Critical reflection on a feminist adult education resource - by Arlene Wells. A report on a research project that examines the way in which one feminist literacy resource does and doesn't accommodate the needs, strengths and cultures of women learning and teaching in adult literacy programs. The report moves beyond an analysis of one curriculum document into a careful reflection of the ways that race, class, and gender (among other things) interlock and contribute to helping or hindering women's learning. The welfare reform page has been updated, as have other pages around the site. Please contribute your input and feedback to the site. 

REMINDERS, RESOURCES:

The National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy has recently released a set of informative fact sheets outlining for practitioners and others the projects with which NCSALL researchers are currently engaged. Project histories, plans, and implications for practice are all highlighted in the fact sheets. Projects include studies of Learner Motivation, Impact of Literacy Programs on Adult learners, Adult Multiple Intelligences, Home Literacy Uses, Adult Development and Literacy Learning, Staff Development, Assessment, GED Impact, Health and Literacy, and Reading Diagnostics, Anyone interested in reading about one or all of the projects or anyone who may be interested in project participation information may receive copies by contacting David Hayes at (401) 331-9261. (The PDRN bulletin, including a link to the NCSALL fact sheets is also available online.

From a July 13 NIFL press release: New Report Explores Connection Between Low Literacy and Poor Health

Incorporating health education directly into literacy programs could be an important step towards helping low literate adults improve their health. Research has found a close connection between low literacy and poor health.  A key factor is that health education materials are generally written at the 10th grade reading level or beyond, so adults with low literacy levels generally do not benefit from the information.

The report, Empowerment Health Education in Adult Literacy: A Guide for Public Health and Adult Literacy Practitioners, Policy Makers and Funders, identifies ways of incorporating health education into literacy programs and includes suggestions for how to best bring information on early detection of breast, cervical, and testicular cancer into the adult literacy classroom.  Ideas for incorporating family violence issues into the curriculum are also included. The report is the result of a 2-year participatory action research project conducted by Marcia Drew Hohn, Ed.D., SABES Director at Northern Essex Community College in Lawrence, MA, and is available at no cost by calling at 1-800-228-8813. Dr. Hohn conducted the research and produced the report as part of a Literacy Leader Fellowship award from the National Institute for Literacy. 

From Jan Richter, KidsCampaigns Outreach Specialist, Benton Foundation jan@benton.org on the NIFL-family listserv: I am the Outreach Specialist for KidsCampaigns, a comprehensive web site (http://www.kidscampaigns.org) providing information and tools for people to act on behalf of kids, from volunteering to voting. One of my duties is to compile and write the KidsCampaigns Weekly, a weekly email newsletter that briefs kids' advocates on what's in the news about kids' issues and what's new on-line to inform and engage KidsCampaigners -- advocates, concerned citizens, parents, service providers, etc. If you're interested in subscribing to the KidsCampaigns Weekly, you can sign on by sending an email to listserv@cdinet.com, with the message subscribe kids-weekly YourFirstName YourLastName

list servs: 

LEARNER is intended primarily for adult learners. LITERACY is a general list for adult literacy practitioners and others. Information on these electronic lists is below. 

LEARNER To subscribe to LEARNER, send an email message to: listserv@nysernet.org

Skip the message header and in the body of the message, type: subscribe LEARNER Yourfirstname Yourlastname All submissions to LEARNER should be addressed to: LEARNER@nysernet.org Questions regarding the list should be sent to: Beverly Choltco-Devlin Moderator, LEARNER bdevlin@dreamscape.com

LITERACY To subscribe to LITERACY, send an email message to: listserv@nysernet.org

Skip the message header and in the body of the message, type: subscribe LITERACY Yourfirstname Yourlastname All submissions to LITERACY should be addressed to: LITERACY@nysernet.org Questions regarding the LITERACY list should be sent to: Beverly Choltco-Devlin bdevlin@dreamscape.com

Welfare to work listserv: from Glenn Young - For those interested in the subject of welfare reform and learning disabilities, there has been a listserv created through NIFL. To sign up, please send a message to: listproc@literacy.nifl.gov write in the body of the message subscribe nifl-wtwld and your name. Do not write anything in the subject line and do not use any dots or dashes other than between nifl and wtwld. (Click here for more information on listservs). 

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 journey 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.

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.

Please contact LR/RI if you have information, questions or announcements to share with adult educators in Rhode Island. Bulletins go out at least twice a month; more frequently when there's more to share. To submit information for the next bulletin, please contact LR/RI by phone (401-863-2839), mail (PO Box 1974, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912) or email.