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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.June 29, 1999 Bulletin #73 Dear Colleagues, Notice of upcoming professional development events, meetings, policy information and summer programs. To post information, please contact me at LR/RI or leave a message (863-2839). Thanks.
Janet Isserlis ____________________________________________________________ NOTICES The Workforce Literacy Collaborative is planning a Workforce Education Conference for Thursday, October 7, and Friday, October 8. This professional development day for practitioners and business people will begin with a presentation and dinner on Thursday and continue throughout the day on Friday. Call for presenters: Please get your suggestions for presenters -- both local and national figures -- or topics you would like to see covered to Chris Hedenberg at Cranston Adult Education (785-8167) or Donna Sherman at LVA-RI (861-0815, LVARIDonna@aol.com) by June 25, 1999. COMPUTER DROP IN SESSIONS The Friday morning computer drop in sessions have been given a big boost of support by Brown's Computing and Information Services. We've been given access to Room 269 in the Center for Information Technology on the Brown campus, for the five Fridays in July, and possibly into August (depending on the university's plans for temporarily shutting down the room to maintain the equipment). The room contains 13 Macs, which have access to the internet and to a very large assortment of software which can be used, and will be available to us on Friday mornings in July from 9 to noon. Even if you plan to use a PC and not a Mac at home or at work, much of the software functions similarly on either a MAC or a PC, as does the internet. The Center for Information Technology building is located at Waterman and Brook Streets, across from the Science Library. Its entrance is within the campus; if you're driving, you should try to park as near Brook and Waterman Streets as you can. If you need a map or clearer directions, please contact me. I hope you can participate. Please contact me if you think you'd like to participate, and/or if you need to come at another time. Registration is not required, but it will be helpful to know who would like to come in order to plan the sessions appropriately. Change Agent share? The Change Agent's mission is to provide news, issues, ideas and other teaching resources that inspire and enable adult educators and learners to make civic partici pation and social justice related concerns part of their teaching and learning. This summer, I'd like to encourage practitioners to meet informally to discuss issues of interest covered in recent articles of the Change Agent and to consider how that writing can inform our education work. Are you using the Change Agent in the classroom? How? Could you document how you've used it and share your findings with the people who publish the Change Agent so that they can learn from your experience of what does and doesn't work? What have you found to be the most interesting or useful - do you like the mix of articles for students or teachers? What suggestions do you have for changes or improvements? Would you or your students be interested in contributing an activity or article to the Change Agent ? Please call if you're interested in participating so that we can find the best time[s] to meet. summer program: Let's Talk! The Family Reading Program at West Warwick Public Library will offer a conversation class for intermediate to advanced adult ESL students. The class will feature idioms, American proverbs, and useful phrases. Don't Miss The Boat! Class begins on July 12th, meeting on Monday evenings, 6:30 -8:00, through August. Call Irene Peloquin for information or registration at 828-3750. Space is limited. 12th National Adult Literacy and Technology Conference July 29 - 31, St. Paul, Minnesota. Keynote speakers include Ray Suarez and Dave Sperling. Over 50 sessions will be offered. To obtain a registration form with a list of sessions contact Dana Huber <dmhuber@ties.k12.mn.us>. Fees: Registration: received by June 18th -- Attending conference July 30-31: $165. (includes breakfast, lunch both days and picnic dinner on Thursday) Attending pre-conference July 29th: $95. (includes breakfast and lunch) Per day registration (select days: July 30 or July 31): $95. (includes breakfast and lunch each day) Dorm room rate $40. Per person, per night or Sheraton Inn St. Paul/Midway ($82/single or double, $92/triple, $102/quad). more information: www.mlrc.stthomas.edu/mlc/mlc.htm from Thursday Notes From the Desk of Ronald S. Pugsley, Director, DAEL Office of Vocational and Adult Education Editor: Sarah Newcomb Production: Rose Tilghman June 17. A Fact Sheet from the Division of Adult Education and Literacy Office of Vocational and Adult Education OVAE Homepage http://www.ed.gov/offices/OVAE/ The National Institute for Literacy has moved to 1775 I Street, N.W., Suite 730, Washington DC 20006-2401 Telephone: 202/233-2025 Fax: 202/233-2050 Metro stop: Farragut West, 18th Street exit The NIFL Clearinghouse has also moved and is now located with EDPubs, the education publication center for the U.S. Department of Education. To order NIFL publications, call the toll free number 1-877-433-7827 (TTY/TDD 1-877-576-7734), fax to 301-470-1244, or email requests to: http://www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html (go to search and type in NIFL). PLEASE NOTE: the hotline number for referrals (1-800-228-8813) has NOT changed. Laubach Literacy's 1999 National Book Scholarship Fund (NBSF) distributes books and educational materials to qualified adult literacy and education programs nationwide. 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 working to improve 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 $180,736 worth of in-kind grants to 75 programs. The fund has given more than $869,000 of such grants since its inception in 1995. For information or to receive an application package in September, contact Mara Roberts, Project Administrator, National Book Scholarship Fund, Laubach Literacy, PO Box 131, 1320 Jamesville Avenue, Syracuse, NY 13210. Ms. Roberts can also be reached by telephone at 315-422-9121, x345 and via e-mail at mroberts@laubach.org. Grant applications will be accepted until December 8, 1999. More information -- http://www.laubach.org/NBSF/indexnbs.htm. New on-line STATEHOUSE REPORTS? Anyone who participated in the mock legislative events during Adult Education week is invited to share writing, reflections and other information via the bulletin and/or website so that those who may have missed the events and/or would like to participate in future can get a better understanding of what the day entailed. Funding opportunity: availability of Requests for Proposals for HRIC funding. Proposal packets are available now. A meeting for those interested in submitting proposals to the HRIC will be held on June 30th at 11AM. Proposals will be due in late July. For more information, please contact Mike Kennedy at 222-6700. conferences
A Woman's Place Is...in the Curriculum" conference, August 1- 5, 1999, Rohnet Park, California, focusing on multicultural approaches to incorporating women's history into the k-12 curriculum. Contact: National Women's History Project, 717-838-6000 or nwhp@aol.com . Galaxy II Conference -- Action Strategies for Lifelong Learning October 12-17, San Antonio, TX -- to share opinions/views about lifelong learning and develop action strategies for the future. The first Galaxy Conference was convened in 1969, to determine 6 imperatives for action: 1.prepare each person to understand and cope with the issues of the day; 2.remedy educational deficiencies; 3.provide for equal opportunity; 4. enable learners to function more effectively as workers, parents, neighbors, and citizens; 5. improve the quality of life; and 6.share the meaning, values, purpose, and power for ourselves and others around the world. Galaxy II would strive to address the following questions: 1.In the past 30 years, has the field achieved these imperatives? 2.How has the field changed? 3.Are there new imperatives to be ad dressed? 4.What are the implications of lifelong learning on the family, educa tion, the workplace, economic devel opment, and the community? 5.As the new millennium ar rives, what issues face adult education? 6.What are the priorities for the country and the field? 7.What role will adult ed ucation organiza tions play? 8.What strategies will require collaborative action by these organizations? 9.How do these compare with a global perspective? 10.What will be the role of adult education leadership and what strategies, skills, and collaborative actions will be essential? Information: http://www.albany.edu/aaace/conferences/annual.html
relatively new on the website: Mike Kelly, moderator of an on-line workshop on Computers and Learning invites participants to join the workshop from May 12 to June 11. The Computers and Learning seminar will: encourage programs to share their best practice ideas with each other; allow us to look at what has been happening in other jurisdictions; encourage literacy students to say what has worked best for them; raise important issues, hopes and fears that emerge from this work, and develop a list of interesting web sites and resources. To join, go to http://www.alphaplus.ca and follow the prompts to join the new discussion Computers and Learning. - 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).
from previous bulletins: 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.
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). women and literacy listserv. To participate, subscribe by sending an email message to: LISTPROC@LITERACY.NIFL.GOV with the following request in the body of the message: subscribe NIFL-Womenlit firstname lastname Substitute your first and last name spelled exactly as you would like it to appear. For example, to subscribe to the NIFL-Womenlit list Sue Smith would type: subscribe NIFL-womenlit Sue Smith There should be no other text in the message (e.g., your signature block). It is recommended that the subject line be left blank if possible.
Professional development initiative: Lastspring I spent time at the RI Dislocated Worker Program, facilitating classes for teachers there so that they could have an opportunity to observe one another's classes and to reflect on their learning and teaching. (The full text of their reflections is available on the LR/RI web site at Writing from the Field - or contact LR/RI for a hard copy). Please let me know if you would like to participate in this process of professional development. All that's required is your willingness to share your reflections about the observation/learning process for others. I hope to build a block of writing and thinking about this and other forms of our own professional development both through the bulletin and the web site.
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. David Rosen has asked that we have a look at the inquiry maps on the Adult Literacy Resource Institute's 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).
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