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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.

December 3, 1998

Bulletin #58

Dear Colleagues,

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

Thanks.

Janet Isserlis

____________________________________________________________

NOTICES

Citizenship application opportunity - The Feinstein Citizenship Center of the International Institute of RI invites the community to apply for US Citizenship on Dec. 5 from 9 AM to 1 PM. Experienced staff and volunteers will assist applicants in filling out the application for citizenship. The Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS) has announced that fees for the citizenship application will be increased to $250 in January of 1999. Until January, the fee is $120. IIRI urges all eligible permanent residents to begin the citizenship process now. In order to be eligible for citizenship it is necessary to be a legal permanent resident of the US for 5 years or be married to an American citizen for 3 years. For information or to arrange an appointment to fill out your application, call Nazneen Rahman or Olga Calheta, Feinstein Citizenship Center, IIRI, 784-4611, 784-4648. For a copy of this notice in Spanish, contact LR/RI.

National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy: Forces Affecting Learner Persistence On December 9, 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm, IIRI: NCSALL's Dr. John Comings and Andrea Parella will present Why Some Students Stay and Others Leave: An Exploration of Persistence among Adult Learners in New England, a presentation/work-shop aimed at investigating the forces affecting learner persistence and introducing methods for classroom use which will engage learners in an exploration of these forces. Dr. Comings and Ms. Parella will present results of their research into persistence issues among 150 Pre-GED learners, discuss the implications for all areas of adult ed., and conduct an activity which teachers and others may use in their classrooms to engage learners in an exploration of their own force fields of supports and barriers. To register/for information, call David Hayes 331-9261 [email PDRN RI@aol.com].

Discussion/sharing group for adult educators with an interest in women's issues in adult education will be held on Thursday, December 10th at 1:30 PM at the Rochambeau Branch of the Providence Public Library, on Hope Street, Providence. Please join us to follow up on the discussion around domestic violence and in working to assist learners and practitioners in addressing other issues of relevance to women and learning. If you program is involved in women-focused activities, please come and teach us about your work, and/or contact LR/RI.

TESOL forms on-line - registration forms for TESOL Ô99 ( March 9 through 13 in New York City) are available at http://www.tesol.edu/conv/t99/pp/download.html and/or contact LR/RI for more information. Hotel reservations will be accepted starting Dec. 2; early registration is due on January 14, 1999.

International Conference on Women and Literacy January 24-26, 1999, Atlanta: 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 on-site. 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. Participants will examine current research and policy in the use of technology in adult education, model programs and assessment. Registration fees: $235, payable by 1/8/99. Information/application, email: mark.johnson@arch.gatech.edu or barbara.christopher@arch.gatech.edu, or Mark Johnson or Barbara Christopher:1(800) 428-7323. Information is also available online at http://www.arch.gatech.edu/crt/learning.htm

Learning Disabilities Association of America - 1999 International Conference Atlanta, February 24-27. Pre-registration deadline ($120 for members, $150 for non-members), January 11, 1999. Strands include adult and vocational/life skills, advocacy, assessment, cultural linguistic diversity, early childhood, instruction, legal/legislative, medical, mental health, parents/ family, principals/administrators, professional preparation and technology. Information: LDA 1999 Conference, 4156 Library Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15235-1349.

The North American Alliance for Popular and Adult Education will hold the CommonFire Conference, Feb. 12-15, 1999, 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 Movements, Labor Education, Youth Organizing, Lesbian/Gay/ Bisexual Organizing, Welfare Reform/Economic Justice, and Community Organizing. Information: Larry Olds, 3322 15th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55407, 612-722-3442, lolds@mtn.org

NCSALL Speaker Series: Dr. Alisa Belzer, a leader of practitioner inquiry groups, will speak at 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 in the area of authentic assessment, and has been a volunteer coordinator, teacher and board member of a community-based literacy program. The author of Doing School Differently: The Perspectives of Five Adult Learners on their Past and Current Educational Experiences, she 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. Information: (617) 495-4842. Sponsored by the NCSALL and the Adult Literacy Resource Institute.

Lenore Balliro, editor of Bright Ideas, facilitated a discussion on practitioner publishing with staff at IIRI earlier this month. In responding to that session, and to the LR/RI bulletin, Lenore has posed this interesting challenge: " I was wondering, in light of the meeting, about sending an interim newsletter out to people in between the information-full bulletin. Such a newsletter could analyze, point out, or illustrate the value of some of the things in reported in the bulletin. For example, notes from one of the women in literacy meetings, an op ed piece about why itÕs important to go to literacy council meetings and the value of advocacy for RI practitioners and so on. I find the newsletter very informative, but it would also be nice to have some of the events or information come alive."

Lenore's suggestion makes a lot of sense. Although some good writing is posted on the website, there's room for more both on-line and through the bulletin, and through an interim newsletter such as Lenore suggests. Ideas, opinions, reflections and questions are all important in the process of our building community and a collective knowledge base. Please consider sharing your thoughts through any of the media suggested above.

grant opportunity: 1998 National Book Scholarship Fund (NBSF) distributes books and other educational materials to qualified adult literacy and education programs nationwide. Information: Mara Roberts, Project Administrator, National Book Scholarship Fund, Laubach Literacy PO Box 131, 1320 Jamesville Ave., Syracuse, NY 13210; tel (315) 422-9121; e-mail mroberts@ laubach.org. Additional info online at www.laubach.org/NBSF/indexnbs.htm deadline12/15/98.

learning/service opportunity:The Rhode Island Family Literacy Initiative-East Bay announces Winter Literacy classes, starting January 12, in Warren and East Providence. RIFLI offers classes in beginner to intermediate English reading, writing, speaking and computer skills. The classes are held in the library to create life-long learners who use the many resources available at he library. This is a family reading program; therefore parents are encouraged to bring their children, ages 3-12 for age-appropriate literacy classes while parents learn. Learners are grouped according to abilities into small groups. In the groups, students work with volunteer tutors. Volunteers are essential to the success of this program. Volunteers do not need experience, just a willingness to commit to 4 hours per week in a worthwhile program. East Providence classes are 6:30-8:00, Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Weaver Branch of the library. In Warren they are held in the George Hail Library, time and date to be announced. To get more information about the class or volunteering, please call Kristen McKenna at 434-2719 or 245-7686.

funding opportunity:

CTCNet and Civil Rights Forum to distribute $70,000 to Rural Community Technology Centers for Telecommunications Policy Projects Community Technology Centers' Network (CTCNet) and the Civil Rights Forum, as part of a grant from the Kellogg Foundation's Managing Information with Rural America (MIRA) program, oversee the distribution of $70,000 ... at periodic deadlines in the amount of $1,000-3,000 per award for community center-based projects involving students and participants in rural job training or literacy programs, 4-H or Boys and Girls Clubs, libraries, Indian councils, multi-service agencies, community cable access centers, health centers, community networks, or other similar efforts. The grants' purpose is to support participants' involvement in telecommunications and information management policy decisions, [and] are based on the idea that low-income and other disenfranchised people in rural communities who have had some experience with computers and the Internet are well positioned to advocate for the benefits of telecommunications and other information management policies that support technology equity and universal service. CTCNet affiliates, MIRA clusters of community teams, and other low-income center-based education and access programs are all well qualified to argue that funds and other kinds of support are important in helping this constituency become involved in these policy processes and decisions. More at : http://www.ctcnet.org/mira/rfp.htm [deadline 12/15/98 to be submitted electronically]

employment opportunities

Project RIRAL is anticipating several part-time openings for teachers in adult education. They are ESL, pre-GED and GED positions. They will be daytime and evening positions. Please send resumes to Project RIRAL, 170 Broad Street, Providence, RI 02903. Deadline: December 16, 1998.

Providence Public Library - ESL/Literacy Specialist - VISTA Volunteer, 1 year, full time Research and implement basic computer literacy classes for adult ESL learners; assist in volunteer recruitment and training; community outreach liaison to increase communication with local educational social service and health agencies; other duties as needed by literacy department. Must be computer literate, have familiarity with both Mac's and PC's, experience working in an educational setting; commitment to literacy and working with people from diverse culture backgrounds; strong interpersonal skills. BA/BS in Education or related field; bilingual candidates preferred. Salary: $337.38 bi-weekly with stipend. Deadline: December 10, 1998. Apply to Dan Austin, Personnel Manager, Providence Public Library, 225 Washington St., Prov., RI 02903 (phone 455-8061). Questions? Louise Moulton, 455- 8041.

Staff Associate System for Adult Basic Education Support (SABES)/World Education World Education, a Boston-based non-profit organization, seeks a Staff Associate for SABES, a statewide training and technical assistance initiative for adult literacy programs. Responsibilities: General administrative duties, including ordering supplies, faxing, photo- copying materials, preparing mailings, drafting memos and letters, organizing and maintaining a filing system, setting up and maintaining a budget monitoring system, including spread-sheets, editing and formatting curriculum, training, and other materials, assisting with proposal production and other major reports, ongoing communication with SABES Regional Support Centers, Adult and Community Learning Services (Mass. Department of Education), and adult literacy program staff, handling arrangements and logistics for meetings, retreats, and workshops, participation in SABES and Literacy Division meetings and work groups. Other responsibilities, as needed. Qualifications: Strong computer skills, strong written and oral communication skills, ability to work well as a member of a team and independently, ability to manage multiple tasks and strong organizational skills, interest in adult literacy, experience working with diverse groups. This is a full-time (40 hours/week) position. $25,000/year plus excellent benefits. To apply, send a resume and cover letter to: S. Waldron, World Education, 44 Farnsworth St., Boston, MA 02210 by December 11, 1998. No phone calls, e-mails, or faxes, please. Principals only. World Education is an equal opportunity employer. Voluntary information in this regard is welcomed.

The Walk for Literacy will be held on May 22, 1999 (not on May 15th, as previously noted), as part of Adult Education Week. Changes to the walk include the addition of a paid professional consultant to coordinate corporate solicitations; these contributions will be shared equally among participating agencies. A participant agreement has been developed, outlining agencies' responsibilities to the walk effort (including a contribution of $100 to defray the consultant's salary). Adult Education Day events at the State House will occur on May 20th. If you would like to participate or need more information, please contact Donna Sherman (861-0815) or Louise Moulton (455-8041).

directory update - LVA-RI is in the process of collecting information for a 1999 edition of the Directory of Adult Literacy Programs in Rhode Island. Information has been sent to all agencies previously listed in the Directory, and will be sent to potential new entries. If you know of an agency which is providing adult basic ed, GED, or ESL services and should be included in the Directory, please call Michelle at LVA-RI (861-0815). The 1999 edition is funded by the RI Workforce Literacy Collaborative through a grant from the Human Resource Investment Council, and will be available in February, 1999.

resource available: Vision for an Ideal System: Improving Services to Adult with Learning Disabilities, a document recording recommendations and considerations raised during focus group meetings (November/97), is available at no cost through the National Institute for Literacy Clearinghouse, 1(800)228-8813.

New on the web site - Policy update, November 19, 1998 - Information on the development of states' five-year plans, from Alice Johnson, at NIFL (go to LR/RI's advocacy page). Domestic violence and adult learners - text from a discussion held with Marsha Wise of the Women's Center of Rhode Island at the last women's issues sharing session. (go to LR/RI's women's page).

from the CDC National AIDS Clearinghouse (NAC): On December 1, 1998, World AIDS Day, the CDC National Prevention Information Network launched an improved, redesigned Web site, replacing the National AIDS Clearinghouse Web site and providing expanded services with clear organization and simple navigation. The URL for the new site is the same as the existing National AIDS Clearinghouse Web site, http://www.cdcnpin.org.

Sherri Cartee <scartee@cetlink.net> [NIFL-TECHNOLOGY list] has set up an adult learners/GED learners forum on Dejanews. "It's a page where adult learners are welcome to come and leave messages or respond to others' messages. I hope to develop the site more as time goes on, and I'd appreciate any suggestions or comments. I know that my students (workplace) don't often get the time to participate in discussions with other adult learners. I think this could be a place where adults could be as involved as they wish. They wouldn't be committed to a one-on-one keypal relationship unless they wanted to develop one. They could just come read messages occasionally if that's as much as they feel comfortable with. Please visit, and, if you think it's appropriate, encourage your adult learners to participate in any way they feel comfortable." http://www.dejanews.com/~adultged. The site is also linked to LR/RI's learners page.

CALL FOR INFORMATION - to anyone returning from the LVA, AAACE and/or other conferences - Have you heard about something new, different, interesting, compelling? Has something made you re-think your practice? Read something provocative? Will you share what you've heard in an informal discussion session in January and/or submit an article for the bulletin and/or website? There's too much expertise and too little time - let's try to find a way to connect with one another and the new and ongoing learning we're undertaking through our work. Please contact LR/RI.

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/index.html (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.