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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 22, 1999

Bulletin #83

Dear Colleagues,

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

Thanks.

Janet Isserlis

____________________________________________________________

NOTICES

accountability: : The next meeting to work on the development of standards for adult education for the state will be held on Tuesday, November 30 at 3:15 PM, at the International Institute of Rhode Island. The meeting is open to all; we're working to develop draft standards to publicize and for which we'll be seeking input by early February.

Sharing/discussion session for adult educators with an interest in intergenerational literacy, Thursday, December 2 at 2:00 pm, at the International Institute of Rhode Island. Please join us in considering plans for a spring conference, which could include consideration of multiple intelligences theory in relation to adult and intergenerational literacy, and/or other topics, depending on interest from the field.

Sharing/discussion session for adult educators with an interest in ESOL Tuesday, December 7, 3 PM at the Genesis Center (720 Potters Avenue, Providence). Sally Gabb will discuss the minigrant project she undertook with learners at the Genesis Center over the summer and fall.

The Adult Education Commission will meet on Wednesday, December 15th at 9:00 AM at the State House. This meeting is open to the public.

workforce training: Friday, December 10: An in depth, hands-on interactive session -- analysis of standardized and customized assessment tools and their application to workforce education. Melissa Dayton and Ajit Gopalahrishnan will facilitate the session. Lunch is provided at noon, with training from 1 to 4, at the Crowne Plaza Inn at the Crossings in Warwick. Please call 861-0815 to register by December 1st. This session is an extension of the HRIC workforce conference held in October. Registration limited to 35.

save the date: On Thursday, January, 20, RI's New England Partnership for Adults with Learning Disabilities team will present its second workshop in a series of three based on the Bridges to Practice guidebooks. The January workshop will be on screening and instructional planning for adults with learning disabilities. This workshop will not focus on formal diagnostic procedures, but will assist practitioners and programs in ways to screen for possible learning disabilities among their learners. A third workshop on instructional strategies will be scheduled for early spring.

Basic information about Bridges to Practice (the information on which much of the LD Partnership training is based, is available online at http://www.ld-read.org. NIFL's website, too, will be a good source of Bridges information within the next few weeks: http://www.nifl.gov/nifl.

NEW ON LINE

LR/RI's third year progress report and workplan are now online. LR/RI's standards page has been updated, and a new page, devoted to issues concerning learning disabilities has been launched. Among other things, the new page contains information about diagnosis processes for adult learners in RI, as well as links to resources beyond the state. LR/RI's practitioner survey is also online; the deadline for completion has been stretched to the end of the millennium.

also new online - A resource page is being developed to address issues surrounding violence and learning, as part of a fellowship from the National Institute for Literacy. Information about the fellowship itself and a growing list of resources is available at http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Swearer_Center/Literacy_Resources/screen.html and http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Swearer_Center/Literacy_Resources/proposal.html

A number of other pages on LR/RI's web site have been updated, including links to workplace education (a new link has been made to the report of the Conference Board of Canada mentioned at last monthÕs workforce conference), as well as bits and pieces of new information all over the site. Feedback and suggestions about the web site are always welcome.

inquiry projects - It is highly likely that another round of inquiry project will be beginning either late this year or early in 2000. A call for participation will appear in the next bulletin and on LR/RIÕs web site once final details are confirmed.

National Assessment of Adult Literacy 2002 Home Page http://nces.ed.gov/naal/ The National Center for Education Statistics has posted a new Webpage devoted to the National Assessment of Adult Literacy 2002 program which will assess the current status of the English-language literacy skills of adults in the US. The site offers a description of the purposes and goals of the program; posted and forthcoming working papers on adult literacy assessment; and previews of the published reports the program will produce over the next 3 years, including data on national, state, and inter-national comparisons of literacy, results by major population subgroups, and relationships between background variables and literacy attainment. The site also provides links to related literacy sites and a link to the full text of the 1992 National Assessment of Adult Literacy, which includes an overview of all of the program's adult literacy statistics and conclusions about long- and short-term literacy trends.

from David Rosen: I have created a new Web page on advocacy for adult literacy/basic education/ESOL. It includes Web links to good resources for national adult literacy public policy and advocacy, and some information from two states: Massachusetts and RI...[I]f you have suggestions for additional links or advocacy articles or materials useful for adult literacy advocacy, please e-mail them to DJRosen@ world.std.com. I am especially interested in online or digital format articles about adult literacy advocacy from other states, or materials useful for adult learners and teachers as advocates. If you send me suggestions on Web pages to link, please send me the specific Web address for the advocacy materials, not the general Web site address. The highlights of the Advocacy page now are the public policy pages on NIFL LINCS, the LR/RI Web pages, and some information on advocacy for adult literacy in Massachusetts. The Massachusetts and Rhode Island pages include materials by and for adult learners as well as teachers. The Web address of the Advocacy Page is http://www2.wgbh.org/mbcweis/ltc/alri/advocacy.html

CATESOL (California Association of Teachers to Speakers of Other Languages) will be hosting a webfair on April 8 form 8:00-9:30 pst during the state conference. We are looking for participants both onsite and virtually who would like to participate in this. Please take a look at the details at http://home.earthlink.net/~sgaer/CATESOL/proposals.html If you are interested, please fill in the proposal form. If you have questions, email Susan Gaer at sgaer@yahoo.com

call for substitute teachers - LR/RI substitute teacher roster needs updating. I would like to be able to post the list on LR/RI's website so that program administrators have independent access to the information. This means that if you would like to add yourself to the list of teachers to be called to substitute on an as-needed basis, your phone number and general information (what you teach, hours available) would be public knowledge. If this is a problem, we can revert to the former system of responding to calls from program directors and acting as a clearinghouse for information. Please call or email, letting me know if you want to be on the sub list, and also, if youÕd prefer that the list be posted on line or not. Either way (on line or not), the list will be maintained in an ongoing manner.

employment opportunity: Literacy Volunteers of America (LVA), [a national network of volunteer literacy programs committed to: increasing literacy for adults and their families; effectively utilizing and supporting volunteers in the delivery of services; providing research, training and technical assistance related to the various aspects of literacy] is seeking a Program Development Director, Instructional Technology. Responsible for building the capacity of volunteer literacy organizations to effectively integrate the use of technology into instructional services and program management. Also responsible for developing and implementing technology centers that will: provide technology-based instructional activities for adults and families to address local needs, serve as regional technology training centers, develop technology-related products and practices that will serve the LVA network and field of volunteer literacy, work with LVA to disseminate promising practices as they are developed. Position requirements: Master's degree or equivalent experience in adult education, training, instructional design or other related areas with extensive experience in technology education and training, extensive experience in project management, budget management and managing multiple priorities and grants, Supervising paid and/or volunteer staff, working at the state or national level in a not-for-profit or education organization/institution, excellent oral and written communication and organizational skills; strong negotiation skills, demonstrated success in program development and evaluation, building collaborative initiatives through facilitation of interdisciplinary and interagency teams, instructional design and training development, implementing technology-focused systems related to instruction, management and/or communications, working effectively with diverse people and organizations, implementing computer-based instruction and management tools. Willingness to travel. While LVA national headquarters is in Syracuse, NY, relocation to Syracuse is not required. Please send resume with salary requirements to ckshyna@literacyvolunteers.org by 12/1/99

call for participation: The interactive Presenter's Application for the 2000 Workplace Learning Conference is now available at www.cew.wisc.edu/workplace.The deadline for submitting completed Presenter's Applications is December 10. The 2000 Workplace Learning Conference will be held in Dearborn, Michigan on May 7-9. The move to the Detroit Metropolitan area yields many exciting opportunities including tours of area workplaces. Ken Blanchard, internationally-recognized business consultant, is a featured speaker. Additional conference information including a tentative agenda is also posted on the conference website. If you have questions or would like additional information, contact Marlecia Almond, at (608) 265-3542 or e-mail at malmond@education.wisc.edu; or Tabetha Hohneke, Registration Coordinator, at (608) 263-0631 or via e-mail at thohneke@education.wisc.edu. Conference registration forms will be available on January 3, 2000.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation : Gates Millennium Scholars program, a 20-year plan to provide financial assistance to high-achieving minority students in severe financial need who otherwise would be excluded from higher education. The program will be administered by the United Negro College Fund, with the support and participation of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund and the American Indian College Fund. Its goal is to foster a generation of leaders representing the full talents of society by providing access to higher education for minority students who have achieved academic standards and shown leadership promise, but are in financial need. It begins in fall / 2000 to provide financial assistance to 1,000 new students per year, over 20-years, with an annual investment of $50 million. Scholarships will be offered yearly through the completion of the student's program of undergraduate study and renewed annually. Scholars will be expected to maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.0 or better. Students pursuing advanced degrees in math, science, engineering, education and library science will receive continual financial support for post-graduate studies. The Foundation places a major focus on helping to improve people's lives through health and learning. More information at www.gatesfoundation.org; for information on the Gates Millennium Scholars program, visit www.gmsp.org. Additional information is also available through the United Negro College Fund (http://www.uncf.org), the American Indian CollegeFund (http://collegefund.org), and the National Hispanic Scholarship Fund (http://www.hsf.net).

English Literacy and Civics Education Demonstration Grants Program The US Dept. of Education is making available nearly $7 million in new funding for 20-25 projects to demonstrate effective ways to teach English literacy in the context of the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. Eligible applicants include: public postsecondary institutions; public or private organizations and agencies; or consortia of eligible entities. Awards will range from an estimated $180,000-$350,000 each year for up to three years, depending on the availability of appropriations. Priority will be given to projects serving areas with a significant unmet need for English literacy/civics and to projects that can provide a 25 % cash or in-kind match annually. Deadline is 60 days after publication in the Federal Register, November 17, 1999. See http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg.htm Technical assistance workshops are announced in the Federal Register and at http://www.ed.gov/offices/OVAE. The following URL will allow you to access the information in either a text or PDF format. http://www.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/fr-cont.html

conference: Designing our future: adult education for essential skills in the 21st century December 3rd, Sheraton Conference Center, Burlington,Vermont, 9:00AM to 4:00PM Carolyn Staley, National Institute for Literacy: Trends and Issues for 21st Century Adult Essential Skills Education, Israel Mendoza, WA State Office of Adult Literacy: Adult Education for Essential Skills: The Washington State Experience, David Rosen and Phil Rabinowitz, Adult Literacy Resource Institute in Boston:Advocacy for Adult Essential Skills Education: The Massachusetts Experience, Sondra Stein, Senior Research Associate, Equipped for the Future: The National Institute for Literacy's Adult Standards Initiative, Carina Wong, National Center for Education and the Economy: Adult Standards: A Tool for Teaching and Learning, Guest Panel: Recommendations to Bring VermontÕs Adult Education System for Essential Skills into the 21st Century. Please register by November 24th. ($20.00 made out to: Vermont Department of Education). For more information, please contact LR/RI.

From Barbara Garner, editor: the newest issue of Focus on Basics, on standards-based education, is available on NCSALL's website, http://www.gseweb.harvard.edu/~ncsall (and is linked to LR/RI's standards page). Regie Stites provides an overview of standards-based education, defining performance standards, content standards, and opportunity to learn standards. Sondra Stein writes about this history of Equipped for the Future, and its role in system change on the national level. Jane Meyer discusses her Evenstart program's use of a standards-based approach, explaining that EFF has made it much easier for everyone involved to articulate clearly what they are accomplishing. Jim Carabell, from Vermont, describes his slow conversion to a standards-based approach. Math teacher Esther Leonelli writes about how she became involved in the math standards movement, and presents examples of math activities that represent values embodied in the NCTM math standards. In an interview with Brian Kane, of Washington state, we learn about the challenges and rewards of implementing a standards-based approach on the state level. Focus on Research looks at the action reseach being done by three sets of teachers in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia, as they struggle to develop methods to document learner outcomes that can be useful at a system level. [Hard copies are also available through LR/RI].

The 2000 Adult Education program directory is available through LVA-RI. If you need copies, please call 861-0815.

VALUE e-list: VALUE has established a valuelearners mailing for email users, hosted by the Western/Pacific Literacy Network, part of the National Institute for Literacy Information and Communication Network System (LINCS). This "e-list" is a way for adult learners who are members of VALUE to communicate with each other. Only adult learners who are members of VALUE can subscribe to this e-list. VALUE is the national organization for adult learners (current or former participants in adult basic skills programs) in the United States. VALUE provides training and other supports to adult learners who want to be more effective leaders in their education programs, communities, and states. This e-list is being managed by members of VALUE's Communications Committee. Subscribers are encouraged to communicate about information, ideas, questions, or problems of interest to them. If you are a member of VALUE and need help subscribing, please contact LR/RI. If you're not a member, but would like to become one, contact LR/RI or visit the VALUE website at http://literacynet.org/value.

- LR/RI's list serv does not require membership, and eagerly welcomes additional participants. To join the list, please send your email address to janet_isserlis@brown.edu. Anyone with an interest in adult learning is encouraged to join.

ALSO ON LINE

New discussion groups on Alphaplus: Learning, work and gender equity. Six discussions have been started on these topics: A future for women's literacy? impacts of trauma on learning; Technology and women's learning; Supporting women's learning and Older women learning and changing. To register for the discussions please go to http://alphaplus.ca: Follow the steps to register. After you have registered, choose "AlphaCom discussions". Click on "English Public" for a list of all the English-language, public discussions. Choose the title of the discussion you want to join. (These instructions also appear on LR/RI's women and literacy page).

conferences

Cancer, Culture and Literacy 2nd Biennial Conference May 4-6, 2000 Clearwater Beach, Florida.

Please join us as we focus on cancer communication strategies for a demographically changing population. Our goal for this unique interactive conference is to assist health professionals to develop effective cancer communications that are multicultural, multilingual, and literacy appropriate. Healthcare professionals interested in developing effective cultural and literacy appropriate cancer prevention and cancer control programs and messages; health educators, nurses, physicians, researchers, community leaders, outreach workers, faculty, students/ trainees, policy-makers, literacy specialists and other healthcare professionals. Topics include: Literacy and cross-cultural aspects of multicultural and low-literacy populations, Cancer, culture, and literacy research and educational initiatives, Importance of health care providers' cultural and literacy sensitivity, Appropriate methods of developing cancer communications fornon-English speakers, Integrating emerging technologies in cancer communications, Building partnerships to develop effective community outreach programs for cancer education and promotion.Information: Moffitt Cancer Center Education Program: Susan Easter, M.S. (813) 632-1775 [seaster@moffitt.usf.edu] http://www.moffitt.usf.edu/Promotions/ccl/index.htm Conference brochures and on-line registration available January 2000 Jointly sponsored by the University of South Florida and the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Cancer Institute, National Institute for Literacy and Cancer Research Foundation of America

Bet on a Better Future: LDA 2000 and Beyond. International conference of the Learning Diabilities Association of America, February 16 - 19, 2000, Reno Nevada. For information, please contact LR/RI.

Commission on Adult Basic Education National Conference - COABE Conference 2000 March 5-8, 2000, Chicago, Illinois. Conference registration and hotel information will be available online soon at http://cait.org/iacea/coabe/ .

TESOL 2000 will be held in March, in Vancouver, BC. Information is available online at http://www.tesol.edu.

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:

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).