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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.14 May, 1997 Bulletin #9 Dear Colleagues, This bulletin contains an update about the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy's research work, as well as several reminders and updated information about summer plans. At present, the big push is on for ADULT EDUCATION DAY, May 22nd, at the State House. This is a day to celebrate and recognize the importance of adult education throughout the state. Learners will speak, Miss America will be on hand to speak as well, and various activities and displays are planned for the day. Any program can set up a display, but must bring all its own tables/set up materials. Displays can be set up on Wednesday, (5/21) between 1 and 2PM; agencies can then staff those display areas for the afternoon and then return on Thursday to staff their areas during Adult Education Day itself. For more information, and contact LR/RI or Louise Moulton at 455-8041.
Janet Isserlis ____________________________________________________________ NOTICES
Practitioner Dissemination and Research Network a message from David Hayes Dear Practitioners: The National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL) is establishing a Practitioner Dissemination and Research Network (PDRN) in an effort to create a systematic partnership between practitioners and researchers. It is NCSALL's hope that the network will strengthen the connections between adult literacy research and practice through: linking practitioners and academics who are both conducting research; generating input from the field into current research, and disseminating NCSALL's research results in a timely manner. As the PDRN Practitioner Leader for Rhode Island, I'll be working with NCSALL, with Literacy Resources Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Department of Education and I hope with many of you, to create a link which can help shape research and, in doing so, improve the quality of our practice. NCSALL would like to start the ball rolling by calling together practitioners in eight states to participate in focus groups aimed at providing input to its national research agenda, an outline of which is listed below. Practitioners interested in learning more about any of the projects and / or participating in the Rhode Island focus group should contact me through LR/RI (863-2839) or at DHayes4663@AOL.com. The focus group will meet sometime in late June. A Call for Participation and a detailed description of each of NCSALL's current projects will be released very soon. In the meantime, here is a brief outline of their current research: ASSESSMENT: Explores the impact that participation in adult learning and literacy programs has on an adult's life, ways to assess this impact, and measures of instructional outcome that predict this impact. (Beth Bingman, Brenda Bell, U of Tennessee; Hal Beder, Rutgers) LONGITUDINAL: Builds a national longitudinal data collection structure that can follow adult learners over a long period of time to look at patterns of participation, impact, achievement, and factors that lead to successful learning. (John Comings, Harvard) ADULT READING DIAGNOSTICS: Develops a portrait of the instructional strengths and needs in reading of adults enrolled in ABE and ESL classes. (John Strucker, Harvard) HEALTH AND ADULT LITERACY: Explores the mutual benefits of introducing health topics into ABE, ESL and ASE classes. Focuses attention within both the health and adult learning communities on the value of cooperation. (Rima Rudd, Harvard) LITERACY PRACTICES OF ADULT LEARNERS: Examines how adults in literacy classes use literacy skills in their daily lives, the relationship between the degree and type of everyday use of print to the degree of literacy growth, and the types of intervention that might best increase the degree of everyday literacy activity. ( Victoria Purcell Gates, Harvard) ADULT MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES: Examines how the multiple intelligences theory can support and enhance learner - centered instruction and assessment in ABE, ESL and ASE programs. (Silja Kallenbach, World Education; Julie Viens, Harvard) (NOTE: three Rhode Island practitioners are participating in this project). STAFF DEVELOPMENT: Explores current practice, best strategies and effective models for statewide staff development. Studies the impact on ABE teachers and cost effectiveness of the three most common approaches to staff development. (Cristine Smith, World Education) ADULT DEVELOPMENT: Tests the hypothesis that coping with the demands of life requires a qualitative transformation of mind analogous to the change from magical thinking to concrete thinking require of the school-aged child or the development from concrete to abstract thinking required of the adolescent. (Robert Kegan, Harvard) LEARNER MOTIVATION: Develops a force field analysis that will present a comprehensive picture of the factors that work against or support the motivation of adult educators to persist in ABE, ESL, and ASE programs. (John Comings, Harvard) GED IMPACT: Investigates whether the acquisition of the GED improves labor market outcomes for school dropouts. Richard Murnane, John Willett, John Tyler, Harvard) If you or anyone you know is interested in learning more about and providing input to any of these projects, please contact me as soon as possible. Again, we're aiming for a June date for the focus group that is convenient to participants, which means that the sooner people express interest the sooner we can set a date. Any other questions about NCSALL, their publications, or the PDRN can be directed to me through LRRI or at the e-mail address listed above. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, David Hayes
TEACHER SHARING SESSIONS There have been two intergenerational literacy practitioner sharing sessions, and one for ESOL workers. Another three meetings are planned, and all are welcome to attend these informal sessions. We've looked at materials, articles and explored both problems and successes in each respective area. Dates for upcoming sessions are as follows:
LR/RI, with assistance from the Swearer Center for Public Service at Brown, is finalizing plans for two strands of professional development activities for the summer. The first is a technology strand, open to adult educators with limited previous experience with basic computing and internet use and whose pro grams have, or will soon have, access to computer and internet technology. This strand will run once a week, 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 will probably run for two four-week sessions, (10 participants in each) with additional assistance being available on an as-needed basis. The second piece, open to everyone, is a reading/discussion group. 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. 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.
REMINDER: SUMMER PROGRAM and DIRECTORY UPDATE INFORMATION PLEASE! If your program is running classes this summer, please contact LR/RI so that we can make that information available to others. As well, as we continue to update the old RILRC web site and incorporate its data base into the new LR/RI site, we would very much appreciate it if you could check the page in the LVA directory and let me know if any information about your program(s) should be updated. These changes will be incorporated into the web site and into a revise Directory once this information has been compiled.
The Adult Learner Leadership Academy is formed by a group of six adult learners from six different states across the country who have been active on the state and national levels. We all have been in ABE programs. The purpose of this workshop is to bring together adult leaders from all over the country who have been active in the literacy field in their area, to share, train, and learn from each other. We hope that many states and programs will support and send their students to this workshop. The sessions will be conducted by professionals and students who have presented on a national level. THERE WILL BE SEVEN SESSIONS: tentative sessions include: Leadership
and Self-esteem, Understanding Learning Disabilities, Public Awareness,
Computer Awareness, Public Speaking, How to Function on Boards, and Networking
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ACADEMY WORKSHOP: The student must submit
a letter of application telling how you are involved in leadership and
what you expect to do with the training, along with a letter of recommendation
from someone in the literacy field then the applicant will be accepted
. This person would work with the student as a mentor. After attending
the workshop, the student will be required to do certain things when they
get back home in order to receive their Certificate of Completion. For
complete information, and registration form, please contact LR/RI.
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