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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.

August 10, 1999

Bulletin #76

Dear Colleagues,

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

Thanks.

Janet Isserlis

____________________________________________________________

NOTICES

save the date The Workforce Literacy Collaborative is also 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.

COMPUTER DROP IN SESSIONS

Friday morning computer drop in sessions are being supported by Brown's Computing and Information Services. The LAST SESSION will be held this Friday, August 13th, from 9 to noon in Room 269 in the Center for Information Technology on the Brown campus. The room contains 13 Macs, which have access to the internet and to a very large assortment of software. 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.

Sharing/discussion session for adult educators with an interest in ESOL: Tuesday, August 17, 10 AM at the Swearer Center for Public Service. Please join us to discuss approaches to ESOL education, possible plans for the coming academic year and new resources and materials.

materials available : Scholastic Literacy Partners program was developed specifically to help support the efforts of groups nationwide who are doing so much to help children and families learn to read and love to read. By joining this growing network of over 400 non-profit literacy organizations, your program will be eligible to receive: The deepest discounts available on Scholastic's 2,000 quality children's paperbacks for grades PreK-9, free shipping and handling, free bonus books with every $150 purchase, and information on a variety of other Scholastic products designed especially for family literacy programs. e-mail Ginny Charles at GCharles@Scholastic.com or call 1-888-531-2665 for information.

volunteer needed to improve reading/writing skills of a 16 year old youth with reading difficulty (approximately at 5th/6th grade reading level). Anytime between 9 am and 3 pm weekdays. Please contact Bill at (401) 232- 6163, or email wbrew@bryant.edu.

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. 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

Reports from most of the 1998-99 inquiry projects are now online at LR/RI inquiry page. As well, the links page has been updated. Additionally, there are now two supplemental documents available on line (or from the Centre for Literacy of Quebec) which focus on using Making Connections: Literacy and EAL Curriculum from a Feminist Curriculum (CCLOW, 1996), These supplemental documents were produced following a meeting of facilitators in 1998 - after they had delivered workshops focused on using the curriculum, and reflect some of the thinking about and issues that arose from using the curriculum. The two documents, Anti-racist/Culture-Based Approaches and Guided Reflections are at http://www.nald.ca/canorg/cclow/eal.htm (scroll down towards the bottom of the page for the links. Ordering information for Making Connections is also available).

FUNDING: Applications are now available for The Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy FY 2000 national grant cycle

The Foundation's mission is to establish literacy as a value in every family in America, and to support the development of family literacy programs where parents and children can learn and read together. Since 1989, 204 such programs across the country have been awarded a total of more than $6 million. Program sites include homeless shelters, housing projects, Indian reservations, libraries, schools, community centers, and correctional facilities among others. To qualify for funding, an organization must have maintained current non-profit or public status for at least 2 years as of the date of the grant application, demonstrated fiscal accountability, currently have an instructional literacy program that has operated for at least 2 years and includes one or more components of a family literacy program, specifically, literacy for adults, parent education, pre literacy, literacy for children, or intergenerational literacy activities, and must propose a family literacy project that promotes families reading together.

Guidelines, application, and information about the Foundation appear on the Foundation's website: www.barbarabushfoundation.com. Written requests for application packages can be emailed to sooc@erols.com or sent to The Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy, 1112 16th St., Suite 340, Washington, DC 20036. (or contact Benita Somerfield (202) 955-6183 for more information)

from THURSDAY NOTES From the Desk of Ronald S. Pugsley, Director, DAEL, Office of Vocational and Adult Education - August 5, 1999

Over 100 State Staff Train on NRS - State Directors and staff met in Washington last week to learn the nuts and bolts of the new National Reporting System for adult education. The two days of training included how to develop valid and reliable data on student outcomes as well as how to use data for program management and program improvement. The new system is expected to be in place next summer. Its goal is to produce more comparable data for all States to measure success and meet performance requirements of the Workforce Investment Act. Contact mike_dean@ed.gov

The RI Foundation NonProfit Initiative is available to give up to 20 nonprofit leaders (executive directors, presidents, and CEOs) a unique opportunity to intensively enhance their leadership capabilities and to enable many more nonprofit leaders and staff to participate in smaller, more discrete experiences. Up to $12,500 will be made available to carry out each Fellow's program. Up to $2,500 of the award may be used to compensate the Fellow's nonprofit employer. Deadline is August 27, with notifications by October 22, 1999. contact the RI Foundation at 274-4564 for an application and guidelines or http://www.rifoundation.org

Federal Hill House Association is looking for someone proficient in Access 97 software to teach the applications of this program to case manager(s). Anyone interested may contact Ken Anthony at 421-4722 or online at kanthony@lycosmail.com

Employment opportunity - Teachers: ABE, ESOL, GED, part-time, afternoons, and early mornings, please send resumes to the Institute for Labor Studies and Research, 99 Baldhill Road, Cranston RI 02920. Classes begin in September.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY - Socio-economic Development Center for Southeast Asians (SEDC):

- Administrative assistant, must possess excellent oral/written communication skills, bachelorsÕ degree preferred. Full time position, salary commensurate with experience, benefits. Send resume and cover letter to SEDC, 620 Potters Avenue, 2nd floor, Providence, RI 02907 attn.: Joseph Le

-Temporary teaching position: (teacher temporarily on sick leave; indeterminate length of time until she returns ) 15 hours per week @ $13 hour, [12 hours teaching, 3 hours preparation time] atSEDC Main Office. Send resume and cover letter to SEDC, 620 Potters Avenue, 2nd floor, Providence, RI 02907 attn.: Joseph Le

Deadline for both positions: Friday, August 20th, 1999.

Wanted: Student-generated writing for new citizenship web site Seeking 50-200 word essays by ESOL/ABE learners who are in the process of becoming citizens or who have recently become citizens, on the following topics: deciding to become a citizen, the application process, preparing for the interview, the oath ceremony, next steps for new citizens, citizenship stories from earlier days We welcome submissions from students at all levels of English proficiency. Submissions may be edited for clarity or length. Topic Ideas: (If youÕre not sure what to write about, these are some suggestions.) Write about:

¥ why you decided to apply for US citizenship. Was it an easy decision or a hard one? Did you think about it for a long time? Did any particular experience or person influence your decision?

¥ your experience with one of the steps in preparing the application and waiting for an interview-- for example: getting information, having photos taken, filling out the form, coming up with enough money to pay the fee, being fingerprinted, letting INS know about a change of address, etc. Did you run into any problems? How did you solve them? Do you have any suggestions for other people who apply?

¥ preparing for the interview. How did you study for the test of history and government? Did you practice answering questions about your personal history? Did anybody help you? Did you find any study materials that were helpful to you? What suggestions do you have for other people who are preparing for the interview?

¥ your interview. Did anybody go with you? Was it easy to get to the INS office? What happened? What questions did you have to answer? How long did it take? What was the INS examiner like? Were there any problems? How did you solve them? How did you feel about the experience? Any suggestions for people who will soon go to be interviewed?

¥ your oath ceremony (being sworn in as a citizen). Did anybody go with you? Tell about the place and how many people were there. What did you see and do in the ceremony? How did you feel when you became a US citizen? Did you have any kind of celebration after the ceremony?

¥ any new steps you have taken since you became a US citizen--for example: registering to vote, voting in an election, getting a US passport, getting visas so that family members can join you here, getting citizenship certificates for your children, or doing something to help your community.

¥ Talk to an older immigrant and find out what it was like to become a citizen many years ago. Write about this person and his/her experience becoming a citizen. Was the citizenship process different a long time ago, or the same as it is now?

Q: Who will read my writing? A:Other learners from around the country.

Q: Where will it be posted? A: On an internet web-site for people who want to know about becoming a citizen. (We will let you know what the address is as soon as it is decided.)

Q: What should I send with my writing? A: A photo of yourself and a way for us to contact you if necessary. Q: How do I submit it? Send it to: ESL Center, Jones Library, Amherst MA 01002 More questions? Call Lynne Weintraub at 413-256-8037 or send e-mail to: lynnew@crocker.com

VALUE - Voices for Adult Literacy United for Education - is offering a free, one-year membership to individuals and organizations who sign up by September 1, 1999. To take advantage of this offer, print out the membership form on the VALUE webiste, complete it, and mail it by September 1, 1999 to: VALUE c/o Learning Partnerships, 14 Griffin Street, East Brunswick, NJ 08816-4806. If you can not access the web, but would like a hard copy of the application, please contact LR/RI. VALUE WEBSITE: [http://literacynet.org/value/application.html]

Individual Learner Member: Any individual who has learned, or is learning, to read, write, and speak English as an adult is eligible to join VALUE as an Individual Learner Member. Individual Learner Members will have a voice and a vote in VALUE affairs.

Learner Organizations: Any organization run by adult learners can join as a Learner Organization Member, including statewide adult learner organizations, local learner organizations, or adult learner committees or groups within individual literacy programs. Learner Organization Members will have a voice and a vote in VALUE affairs.

Individual Supporters: Individuals who don't fall into the Adult Learner category can join as Individual Supporters, and might include learners' teachers, employers, family members, or friends. By joining, Individual Supporters show their support for VALUE's mission of promoting leadership among adult learners. Individual Supporters get access to information about supporting adult learner leadership within their states, communities, and programs. Individual Supporters have a voice in VALUE affairs, but no vote.

Supporting Organizations: Organizations which don't qualify as Learner Organizations can become Supporting Organizations, and might include local, state, or national literacy organizations, companies, unions, learners' religious congregations, or any other entity wanting to show its support for adult learners and adult education. Supporting Organizations have a voice in VALUE affairs, but no vote.

ALSO ONLINE: New report: INTERNET USE BY TEACHERS: Conditions of Professional Use and Teacher-Directed Student Use answers questions such as :How often do teachers and students use the Internet, andhow do they use it? How accessible is the Internet to teachers? The full report is posted at: http://www.crito.uci.edu/TLC/findings/Internet-Use/startpage.htm ["Internet Use by Teachers: Conditions of Professional Use & Teacher-Directed Student Use." By Henry Jay Becker. Teaching, Learning, & Computing: 1998 National Survey, Report #1. Center for Research on Information Technology andOrganizations. The University of California, Irvine, The University of Minnesota February 1999]. Although dealing with K-12 issues, the report could be of interest to adult educators hoping to learn more about intergenerational use of technology and also to gain a sense of how our K - 12 colleagues are working to integrate technology into learning.

Professional development suggestions? I'm in the process of developing a survey to assess LR/RI's usefulness to the field - what's working, where should changes be made, what's been useful to practitioners and learners? The survey will probably go out early next month; however, in the meantime, if you have suggestions or comments, please contact me by phone or email at the address above.

Many thanks.

free books? The Literacy Empowerment Foundation (LEF) is a non-profit group which will be distributing over 100,000 free books between September 1, 1999 and December 31, 1999. LEF has many programs designed to meet the needs of literacy programs in a variety of ways, and we would like to know how we may be of assistance to you. Please visit http://www.literacyempowerment.org for more information.

From David Rosen - new website being developed: Suppose there were a Webpage listing common learning and teaching problems faced by adult literacy/basic/secondary education or ESOL teachers and their students. Suppose these challenges were listed by category, such as: basic ESL/ESOL, reading, writing, mathematics, science, social studies, health, or work readiness/job preparation. Suppose effective solutions which involved using computers, the Internet, television, audio and video cassette, and other electronic technologies were listed, and there were links to Web-based resources for instruction or information. Finally, suppose that these problems and technology solutions were developed by adult education practitioners.

Would this be useful to you? Or to teachers or tutors who work with you? If so, and you would like to see a sample of what this would look like, visit: http://www2.wgbh.org/mbcweis/ltc/alri/integratech.html

Then, if you would like regular access to this Webpage, (the Web address will change periodically) you will need to email me a problem and a solution. If I add yours to the page you will be credited. If I don't use your problem and solution, I'll still email you the new Web address. And, if you have a problem, but no solution, an additional technology solution to another problem which is already posted will be fine. The purpose of requiring a contribution to get access is to assure that these are real problems and promising solutions based as much as possible on the experience of adult education practitioners. Interested? If so, look at the Webpage, then e-mail me your problem and solution and when the page is updated, I'll email you the updated Webpage address.

All the best, David J. Rosen <DJRosen@world.std.com> Adult Literacy Resource Institute Boston, MA

conferences

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 addressed? 4.What are the implications of lifelong learning on the family, education, the workplace, economic development, and the community? 5.As the new millennium arrives, what issues face adult education? 6.What are the priorities for the country and the field? 7.What role will adult education organizations 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:

- 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.

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).