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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.

22 April, 1997 

Bulletin #7

Dear Colleagues,

A reminder that as summer approaches and many programs stop or reduce classes, there is a need to know about classes and programs available to adult learners (and children) during the summer months. If and as you have program information to share, please let me know so that I can include it in coming bulletins. Also, if you want to be included on the list of available substitute teachers, please call or write to let me know when you're available, and what it is you teach (GED, ESOL, ABE, etc.). To date, we've received information from International House about their summer classes in ESOL. Advanced and Beginning Conversation classes are Tuesday and Thursday from 9:30 AM to 11 AM and 4 to 5:30 PM; Advanced Beginning Conversation Classes meet from 10:45 AM to 12:15 PM and Intermediate Conversation Classes meet from 11 AM to 12:30 PM. Both of these classes are also on Tuesday and Thursday. An Advanced Beginning Grammar Class meets Tuesday and Thursday from 9:30 to 10:30 AM and a Learning English through Video for intermediate and advanced level students meets Mondays from 10 AM to Noon. Classes are $25 per month for two day a week conversation classes. One extra day or class adds another $10 per month. Tutoring is $40 for six hours. Individual tutoring sessions are also available -- times are flexible but sessions are 1 and 1/2 hour per week for 4 weeks. For more information, please contact Joyce MacMillin, Executive Director, International House of Rhode Island, 8 Stimson Avenue, Providence, RI 02906 401/421-7181 fax: 401/751-9733 e-mail: ihouse@loa.com

Janet Isserlis 

____________________________________________________________ 

NOTICES 

  • PUBLIC ACCESS Andy Egan, a consultant at the Office of Library and Information Services, Dept. of Administration, has written an article entitled, "Online Access Increasing at Rhode Island Public Libraries." The article reports on a statewide telephone survey through which Andy asked public libraries how many computers are available to patrons for Internet resources. 28 RI public libraries provide access to Internet resources either through a commercial service or nonprofit provider. These public libraries are Ashaway Free (Hopkinton), Barrington, Brownell, Central Falls, Clark Library (Richmond), Coventry, Cumberland, East Greenwich, East Smithfield, Essex (Tiverton), George Hail (Warren), Glocester Manton (Glocester) Greenville, Harmony (Glocester), Island Free (Block Island), Jamestown, Lincoln, Narragansett, Newport, North Kingstown, North Smithfield, Pawtucket, Providence, Tyler (Foster), Warwick, West Warwick, Willett (North Kingstown), and Woonsocket. If you would like more information, Ann Piascik has offered to provide the number of public access computers in each of these libraries, whether the library provides staff support for patrons' Internet needs, and which libraries have homepages. Ann can be reached at 277-2726 or via email: ANNPK@DSL.RHILINET.GOV

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  • NIFL campaign: The NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR LITERACY (NIFL) has launched its public awareness campaign for adult literacy, entitled, "Literacy: It's a Whole New World." The campaign aims to expand definitions of literacy, explore links to social problems and re-energize Americans. Over the next year, the campaign will progress through three different phases, with a series of public service advertisements and events targeted to different audiences. The initial stage is aimed at the general public and offers a toll-free hotline number and free materials for adults who are willing to help with literacy problems or who need help with reading. The second phase, scheduled to begin in June, will focus on literacy policy. The final phase will coincide with National Literacy Month in September. Tara Holland, Miss America 1997, who has focused her energies on literacy, will star in a special campaign public service announcement during National Literacy Month.


    • NIFL has distributed video and radio advertisements nationally, and has asked each state contact person to distribute print ads locally. As Rhode Island contact person for the campaign, I need to contact local media to ensure that these materials will be used. ( Louise Moulton and Bob Mason have also agreed to assist in this effort). As the campaign was developed outside the context of RI classrooms, I am concerned that a campaign that we've not had input into may not be able to portray adult education in this state in ways that we feel are important. It's critical that we take this opportunity to develop a local component to the campaign. The campaign should speak to what1s going on in RI. Adult learners (three of whom are featured in the national campaign) should be the focus of local attention. If there are learners in your programs who would like to be interviewed by community newspapers, statewide papers or other media, and/or if you have suggestions about approaches to the campaign for the state, or know of people in the media who might be interested in providing coverage, please let me know. This is not a fundraising campaign, but rather focuses on raising awareness about the importance of adult education generally, and adult literacy education in particular. In short, this can be an advocacy campaign. While we1re hoping for media attention during Adult Education Day (May 22nd), we also hope to educate the public about the important connections between adult learning and adult learners' capabilities; we don't need more attention thrown on what it is people say adult learners can not do. 

  • SUMMER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES 

    • We (LR/RI with assistance from the Swearer Center for Public Service at Brown) are in the process of trying to organize professional development activities for the summer. There are two strands under consideration. The first is a technology strand which will be open to adult educators who have had limited previous experience with basic computing and internet use and whose programs have, or will soon have, access to computer and internet technology. This strand will run once a week, possibly on Friday mornings, for two to three hours. Zach Franklin, a soon-to-be Brown graduate, will assist practitioners in learning basic word processing skills, using the internet for email and access to the world wide web. This could run for two four-week sessions, (10 participants in each) with additional assistance being available on an as-needed basis.

    The second piece is a reading/discussion group, which is open to everyone. Later next month, I'll be sending one or two short articles to programs and will invite anyone who has the time and inclination to meet informally once a week (late in the afternoon) to discuss these articles, and then, I hope, to bring other articles/issues to the group. While there is no funding available to pay people for their time, we hope that as your schedules and interest permit, you might consider participation in one or both of these strands. Both events will begin late in June of this year. If interest is sufficient this summer, it will then be possible to consider looking at funding for future funding for professional development activities for summer 1998. 

  • DEADLINE EXTENSION for the Hub 1 TECHNOLOGY TRAINING. This is an important opportunity for adult educators to gain hands-on experience with internet publishing and email use, and is open to participants with some previous experience with and access to that technology. Participants in this training will be expected to share their learning with others in the area, and to bring their projects and expertise back to local organizations. If you need more information about the Hub1 training please contact me. The deadline has been extended to April 30.

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  • Space is still available for people wanting to attend the workshop entitled HELPING HIGH-RISK LEARNERS ACHIEVE GOALS. The workshop is being help for adult education practitioners on April 29 from 2 to 4 PM at the DaVinci Center on Charles Street. Co-leaders Bev Chase and Sandy Petruzzi are special educators specializing in adult students with multiple problems. Both leaders teach GED at DaVinci; Bev is also a licensed clinical social worker and Sandy also teaches at CCRI and Pawtucket Project Opportunity. This is from their flyer for the workshop: --> We know that single parenthood, domestic violence, poverty, cultural conflict, drugs, health and mental health issues can seriously impact learning. Many of our adult students have personal, family, financial and social problems in addition to educational handicaps which place them at high risk for failure. Come share case histories of students who have been the most challenging for you. Come learn about similarities between teaching and social work and how the two professions can collaborate. Come discover therapeutic social work techniques that work in the classroom. To register, call 272-8010; for more information, contact Bev Chase at 397-7102. 

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  • TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ON CITIZENSHIP ISSUES: Fran Keenan recently posted this on the NIFL (National Institute for Literacy) ESL listserv: The Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) in San Francisco has received a 2 year grant from the Emma Lazarus Fund to provide technical assistance on citizenship issues to service providers including teachers. Service providers (not individuals applying for citizenship) can speak with an immigration attorney at 415-255-9499, ext. 400, M-F, 10 AM to 3 PM Pacific Standard Time (1 to 6 PM Eastern Standard Time). The ILRC also sends out periodic mailings. Fax your name, organizational affiliation, address and phone, fax and e-mail contact information to Martha Garcia at 415-255-9792 to get on the mailing list. You can also mail the information to her at ILRC, 1663 Mission St., #602, San Francisco, CA 94103. 

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  • THE ARTEMIS PROJECT is a four week summer program in July for girls going into 9th grade in Providence public schools. ARTEMIS focuses on introducing girls to basic computing skills (including word processing, pagemaker, photo shop, web site construction and internet communication) while working in a fun, creative, explorative manner. The group of 10 to 15 participants will meet daily on the Brown University campus and will also take field trips once a week. The program is free, with lunch and transportation provided. If you currently work with eighth graders or parents of eighth grade girls who you think could benefit from ARTEMIS, please contact Jess Howell by email (Jessica_Howell@brown.edu) or at 272-4485 or 863-2338. Brochures will be available at the end of April. Additionally, BROWN SUMMER HIGH SCHOOL courses (history/social studies, science and English) are available for high school students who will enter 9th, 10th, 11th or 12th grade next fall. Each student takes two courses on the Brown campus. The classes meet from 9 to 12 five days a week, from June 30 to July 25. Costs ($25 registration and $50 materials fee) can be covered by scholarships in some cases. For more information contact Julie at 863-1677.

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  • ADULT LEARNERS CONFERENCE This information has been distilled from a letter sent to the National Literacy Advocacy listserv, an electronic discussion group. For a copy of the full text of the letter, contact LR/RI. To learn more about Archie Willard, you can link to his web site from LR/RI, or go directly to his site, http://156.46.86.21/archiew.html. LR/RI1s website: http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Swearer_Center/Literacy_Resources/. Archie writes: Six adult learners have come together to form an adult leadership academy. We are six adult learners from six different states who have been active in our state and on the national level. We have all been in literacy programs. This is an unusual coming together because of our distance from each other and for us to be able to form this academy on our own. We would like to get as many adult leaders as possible to join to develop a network of leaders. By doing this we can share, train, and learn from each other. The adult learners will be doing the training. There will also be other students giving sessions who have presented on a national level. There will also be some professionals as presenters. By forming this academy we can develop a network of leaders who can work together to help the literacy field move forward. We would like to work with and have input from national reading organizations and other interested individuals. We hope that the different national reading organizations, states, and programs will support and send their leaders to this workshop. Program directors, educators, and researchers are welcome to come as observers. This would be a great opportunity for field researchers to talk with adult learners. The National Institute For Literacy is giving us some backing and there will be a few scholarships. There are requirements for the students to enroll in the Leadership Workshop. The student must submit a letter of application, telling how they have been involved in leadership and where they would like to go as leaders, along with a letter of recommendation from someone in the literacy field. This person would work with them as a mentor. After attending the workshop the student will be required to do these things when they return home in order to receive their Certificate of Completion: 


    • -- Have the above-mentioned mentor certify that they have completed all requirements; -- Attend a city council meeting or a school board meeting;

    -- Give a public speech to a club, church or other kind of meeting;

    -- Write a letter to the editor of a newspaper; 

    -- Send an e-mail message to one of the members of the academy board.

    If these requirements are met by January 31, 1998, the student will then receive a Certificate of Completion. We want this training to take them to another level so that they feel like and are looked at as leaders.

    The workshop and the conference are open to all adult education students, current and past. Students from outside of Illinois are welcome to attend The New Readers For New Life Conference, whether or not they attend the academy workshop. The total cost for the conference and/or workshop, 5 meals, and two nights lodging in a dorm is $75 double [or] $85 single. For information about registration and/or a registration form, contact: Dale Christianson, New Reader Conference Coordinator, LVA-IL INC., 30 East Adams, Suite 1050, Chicago, IL 60603, Phone (312) 857-1582 =20. Send letters of application for leadership worship to: Archie Willard, 30 Parkview Dr., Eagle Grove, Iowa 50533 Phone (515) 448-3213.

  • REMINDER * FEEDBACK WANTED: TOWARD A RESEARCH AGENDA FOR ADULT ESL is the title of a report prepared by the National Clearinghouse for ESL Literacy Education at the Center for Applied Linguistics and the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL). The research and development agenda will describe critical questions that need to be answered to improve program effectiveness. Once the agenda is complete, it will guide existing efforts and encourage an increase in research and development focused on adult learning and literacy. A draft of this report was shared with a group of adult ESL experts in December, and practitioners around the country are being asked to respond to the report as well. A copy of the report can be downloaded from NCSALL's website (http://ncsall@hugse1.harvard.edu), or you can contact Janet at LR/RI for a copy of the report. NCSALL requests feedback by May 1, 1997.

  • SUBMIT 


    • 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.