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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 3, 2001

Bulletin #122
 

Dear Colleagues, 

Calls for participation, conference announcements, information about resources on line and the usual range of notices follow.  To post information, please contact LR/RI or leave a message (863-2839).  Thanks.

Janet Isserlis 

____________________________________________________________

NOTICES



ESOL sharing/discussion session will take place on Tuesday, August 14th at 1:30 pm at the Genesis Center.  Please call LR/RI to confirm time/location ? we will be thinking and talking about, among other things, research into second language parentsí involvement in childrenís schooling and thinking about themes and topics of focus for the coming academic year.

A survey about resources for ESOL  activities, developed by Debby Venator, is  available online.  We request that teachers complete the survey and send their responses to LR/RI as sson as possible.



Save the date:  On September 6th, practitioners (program directors, teachers, literacy/adult education workers) are invited to an open meeting to discuss changes to the Inquiry process and to explore new models of pursuing inquiry/teacher-based research in the state in the coming academic year.  Further details will appear in coming bulletins.  We look forward to exploring new options and expanding our ability to learn from our own research as part of the process of strengthening learning opportunities for adults in Rhode Island. (please note:this is a meeting that had originally been scheduled for September 6th (at the RIDE building, downtown, Room 501 from 9 am to noon).  Refreshments will be provided, and parking validated, if you park in the Convention Center garage.  Refreshments will be provided, parking will be validated, if you park in the Convention Center garage.

http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Swearer_Center/Literacy_Resources/inquiry.html


Volunteer opportunties - Volunteer tutors needed for RI Family Literacy Initiative.  Tutors work twice a week for two hours each time at library-based ESOL Family Literacy Program.  Sixteen different sites available across RI (mornings, afternoons, evenings, Saturdays).  Tutors work with adults or children in small groups under the guidance of teaching staff.  We especially encourage retired teachers and college students interested in education/international relations.  Call Kristen McKenna at 455-8066 or Denise DiMarzio at 455-8041 for more information.  Training session held on August 29, 6:30-8:00 pm at the Providence Public Library, 225 Washington Street, Providence.

employment opportunities

ADULT ED. TEACHERS:  RI Family Literacy Initiative seeks Lead ESOL Teachers for library-based Family Literacy Program.  Part-time positions available in Warren, East Providence, and Cranston.  Begin in August.  Call Kristen McKenna at 455-8066 or Denise DiMarzio at 455-8041 for more information or send/fax resume to:  Literacy Department, Providence Public Library, 225 Washington Street, Providence, RI 02903.  Fax:  401-455-8039.

CHILDREN'S TEACHERS:  RI Family Literacy Initiative seeks Program Assistants for library-based ESOL Family Literacy Program.  Part-time positions available in Pawtucket, and East Providence.  Begin in late August.  Call Kristen McKenna at 455-8066 or Denise DiMarzio at 455-8041 for more information or send/fax resume to:  Literacy Department, Providence Public Library, 225 Washington Street, Providence, RI 02903.  Fax:  401-455-8039.

COMPUTER TEACHERS:  RI Family Literacy Initiative seeks Computer Assistants for library-based ESOL Family Literacy Program.  Several part-time positions available.  Great job for college students.   Begin in late August.  Call Kristen McKenna at 455-8066 or Denise DiMarzio at 455-8041 for more information or send/fax resume to:  Literacy Department, Providence Public Library, 225 Washington Street, Providence, RI 02903.



 Instructor -- English as a Second Language 

Goodwill Industries of RI is seeking a person to develop and instruct a vocationally focused ESL curriculum for individuals who have limited English skills.  This pilot project  will become a permanent program if successful.  The position is 20 hours per week and is temp to hire starting at $15.00 with no benefits.  Starting salary once hired is $25k plus benefits.  Goodwill Industries of Rhode Island is an equal opportunity employer.  Resumes to Lori Norris at Goodwill Industries of RI, 100 Houghton Street, Providence, RI  02904; deadline August 15.  No phone calls please. 


TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
The RI Workforce Literacy Collaborative presents workforce development training events this summer and fall:
 

Reading for Speed and Memory - Richard Tessier
CCRI, 1 Hilton Street, Providence. August 29.  To register, contact Jeannette Perretta, 455-6042.

CASAS -  It's more than just a test -  Howard L.Dooley, Jr, Brother Joseph DelGiorno, Doreen Perry 
Providence Adult Learning Center, 170 Broad Street, YMCA Annex, Friday, September 14, 9am - 1pm To register contact Brother Joseph DelGiorno, 331-0766 [please note date - an incorrect date had previously been given]

Further trainings are also scheduled for the fall; see upcoming bulletins, or the HRIC website
For more information, contact LR/RI, or visit the workforce website at  http://www.riwlc.org/
The series is funded by HRIC. 


TRAINING OF WORKSHOP LEADERS :
Can We Talk? is a four part parent workshop series, which promotes parent-child conversations about issues of growing up healthy.  The workshops focus on four topics: increasing self-esteem, discussing issues around puberty and sexuality, responding thoughtfully to the mixed messages  in the media, and reacting positively to peer pressure that is part of the daily lives of young people grades 4-8.

The National Education Association Health Information Network has sponsored the development of  these workshops as part of its mission to promote healthy families and high achieving students.  The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has provided the funding for making the training and materials available to the states. RI will provide six separate WORKSHOP LEADER TRAINING sessions this. The writer and designer of the program, Dominic Cappello, is the lead trainer. He has provided training for trainers in several other states since Can We Talk  was published in 1998.  If you agree to participate in this TRAINING OF WORKSHOP LEADERS, you will be asked to partner with another trained person and to commit to providing two, four part "Can We Talk?" parent sessions during the school year.  The four part sessions average about 11/2 to 2 hours in length and consist of role playing, facilitating communication between participants, and providing information and exercises that parents can practice with their adolescent children.  If you know other parents and/or professionals who might like to be trained as workshop leaders in this program, please identify them on your returned sign up sheet.  We are looking for teams of parents and representatives from community based organizations, faith based organizations, businesses and schools to co-lead workshops.

The training will take place on the following dates and in the following five regions.  You may attend training in any region.  The statewide Spanish version training will take place in Providence on October 18th & 19th.  If you want to become a workshop leader for Can We Talk?, please check the session you will be attending, fill in the additional information and return by AUGUST 15th.  (forms available through LR/RI) South County Region, Sept. 24th & 25th, Northern RI Region, Sept. 27th & 28th East Bay Region, Oct. 1st & 2nd West Bay Region, Oct. 11th & 12th, Providence Region, Oct. 15th & 16th , Statewide Spanish Version, Oct. 18th & 19th

If you have any questions, please contact Jackie Harrington at 222-4600, ext. 2369. 


online



EL Civics : in anticipation of funding which will be made available soon, LR/RI has begun assembling resources addressing EL Civics education; I welcome suggestions and resources to add to the site, as well as practitioners' writings, lesson ideas and other material relevant to English Language/Civics education for adults.
http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Swearer_Center/Literacy_Resources/elcivics.html


RIDE is in the process of developing a request for proposals for grants which will augent existing ESOL classes to expand and/or enahnce English Literacy/Civics instruction and content.  These grants will be starting in late October of this year.

As part of this process, RIDE is planning a full day event, tentatively set for September 17, featuring workshops and brief presentations on related topics -- preparation for the citizenship examination, use of Crossroads Cafe and /or Common Ground videos, integration of internet based materials in adult ESOL and other relevant topics.  Presentations should be an hour to an hour and a half long and will run from 9 to 12 (concurrently). 

Following lunch and another round of workshops/ presentations, Robert Mason, director of adult education, will hold a bidders' meeting for those interested in submitting proposals for ELCivics grants.  Whether or not your agency is planning to bid on such a grant, we hope that you will consider joining us for this day long event. If you have worked with any of the topics listed above, or other topics related to EL Civics and would like to propose a workshop to present that day, please provide a one-page description of what you would like to do, including the goal of the workshop, what you plan to present, what activities participants will undertake, and what resources, if any, you might provide for particpants.  We are hoping that this first round of EL Civics workshops will help us celebrate our skills and knowledge and will also help guide future professional development events focused on EL Civics; please send proposals to LR/RI or Bob Mason. (janet_isserlis@brown.edu, or ride1555@ride.ri.net); or call for snail mail addresses.



The ESL Special Collection  http://www.literacynet.org/esl
-  a web site for anyone interested in teaching English to adults.  From this site, you can find: Curricula for ESOL classes or tutoring sessions, Free web-based resources for instructors and learners, Reports and essays about teaching and learning ESL, Statistics about ESL and Links to organizations dedicated to ESL education The site is maintained by California Literacy, Inc., in partnership with World Education, Laubach Literacy Action, and Western/Pacific Literacy Networks.  The National Institute for Literacy (NIFL) funds the collection as part of its LINCS project.  LINCS is a national effort to provide Web-based access to information for adult literacy practitioners. The ESL Special Collection is one of ten collections of resources relating to specific content areas within literacy education. 
Can I give input? Yes! Yes! Yes! We're looking for input from practitioners in the field. Please contact us with your feedback about the site, your needs, or recommendations for materials that we can add to the site. Contact: Matthew Scelza, Project Director, ESL Special Collection  California Literacy, Inc. 626-395-9989 xt. 20   matthewscelza@caliteracy.org

Using LINCS, a new online professional development opportunity from Eastern LINCS, is being offered this fall free to adult education and literacy practitioners (paid, volunteer. part- or full-time, administrators, staff and trainers). 
Through this course, participants will learn to use the National Institute for Literacy's LINCS system to: identify literacy-related resources available online, access literacy related Web sites using LINCSearch, complete searches of cataloged resources that are available through the LINCS system,  access ideas and suggestions from any or all of the National Institute for Literacy (NIFL) and other literacy-related online discussion lists, communicate with literacy experts through the LINCS Special Collections sites,  submit documents to any of the five regional LINCS websites or the national site, Easily access grant and funding resources  and Customize LINCS to users' needs . To benefit from this course, participants should be confident in basic computer and Internet browsing skills as well as sending/replying to email.

To learn more about the course and its development, visit Programs and Activities at the Eastern LINCS Web site: http://www.easternlincs.org/programsactivities.htm  To view a description and details, or to register online for the Fall 2001 course session, visit http://www.wbtc.ciu10.com/eclass/courses/usinglincs.htm  The course is also available for 2.0 Continuing Education Units with a documentation processing fee. The goal of LINCS is to bring adult literacy-related resources and expertise to a single point of access for users throughout the world.  LINCS features multimedia curricula developed by practitioners, special collections on major literacy topics, the latest literacy-related research and statistics, opportunities for communicating with colleagues directly and through on-line discussion groups, and the best peer-reviewed ABE and literacy sites in the US and beyond. 



from The Works,Vol. V, No, 2, Summer 2001 (from University Affiliated Program of RI at RI College) 
The Americans with Disabilities Act ? A Guide for people with disabilities seeking employment.  The guide provides "easy to read information on rights, reasonable accommodations, how to request an accommodation, and what to do if you think your rights under the ADA have been violated. http://www.ssa.gov/work/workta2.html .  This resource is part of the larger work site of the Office Employment Support, http://www.ssa.gov/work/index2.html .  To learn more about the University Affilicated Program, go to http://www.ric.edu/uap/


coming next summer: The RI Youth Leadership Forum, scheduled for 2002, will provide a concentrated educational and motivational experience to selected students with disabilities who have leadership qualities, and will provide students with the opportunity to learn about careers.  We encourage participation in the 4 day conference for students who will enroll in secondary education, enter meaningful careers and become leaders in their communities.  Individuals will participate who effectively interact with other students and demonstrate involvement in extracurricular activities..  Peer counselors, program assistants and dorm parents are needed, as well as presenters, funders and committee members.  Activities will include presentations exploring the history of civil rights, technology, leadership and more.  Task categories are administrative, program, delegates, personnel, facilities and supplies.  To learn more, to participate, contact Ginny O'Hayer at (401)295-2896 



Peer Leadership Preventing Violence:  A Training of Trainers
 A dynamic two-day skills-intensive workshop August 6 & 7, 2001 at the Medical Foundation 95 Berkeley Street Boston, Mass.
"Peer Leadership Preventing Violence" prepares young people to help other young people prevent violence in their schools and communities.  It gives young people the opportunity to enhance their own knowledge, interpersonal skills, and attitudes about violence prevention.  The peer leadership
approach encourages young people to consider violence and violence prevention in relation to their friends, families, communities, the nation, and the world.  In this training of trainers, participants will learn the Peer Leadership curriculum as well as peer leadership program-related skills, including program management and how to sustain a peer leadership program.
Who should attend?  Youth workers, teachers, program directors, peer leaders, and adult advisors--anyone working with youth in schools, summer camps, health centers, youth agencies, churches, and programs addressing violence and other health topics. Deadline for registration is July 15, 2001. For more information, contact: Laurie Jo Wallace HTI Director Tel:  617-451-0049 x212 TTY:  617-451-0007 email: ljwallace@tmfnet.org http://www.tmfnet.org 



Language and Literacy  is a Canadian on-line journal for educators interested in a broad range of literacy issues encompassing research and teaching in multimedia, print, and oracy.  Available at http://educ.queensu.ca/~landl/
From  Taylor L. Willingham: Help me make the voices of Adult Literacy Students Heard!
The literacy community has been invited to participate in developing a discussion guide on health. This guide is being developed by a network of people who participate in National Issues Forums (NIF), which bring together citizens to discuss important public matters. The NIF network wants to hear your thoughts on health so that we can write a discussion guide that reflects how you and your friends and family are experiencing health-related issues. We will produce a discussion guide that will be written at an easy-to-read level that teachers and tutors can use in lessons and that adult learners and students can use in their study and personal growth. Please copy these questions, share with learners and return your response to the email address below.  If access to email is a problem, a regular mail address is also included: 

1. What do you value (or what really matters to you) about your own health and health care?
2. What are the positive aspects of your own health and health care? What are the positive aspects of the health and health care of others you know?
3. What are the problems with your own health and health care? What are the problems with the health and health care of others you know?
4. What should be done about the problems, and who should be involved?
5. What aspects of health and health care need to be discussed and considered by the public, not just by the "experts"? (i.e. What health issues would be most likely to draw people to public forums?)
6. What other thoughts about health and health care would you like to share?

Please send your responses to me at taylor@austin-pacific.com .Thank you! Taylor L. Willingham Austin-Pacific Consulting Co. PO Box 1255 Salado, TX 76571 254.947.3793 


conferences - conferences are listed chronologically and are updated with each bulletin

FULFILLING THE DREAM: INSTITUTIONALIZING/INTERNATIONALIZING NONVIOLENCE
Co-sponsored by The Center for Nonviolence and Peace Studies, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI AUGUST 11- AUGUST 15, 2001 Registration 3-7 p.m. Closing luncheon 12 noon WHO SHOULD ATTEND? Nonviolence practitioners, scholars, foundation officers, human resource managers, clergy, social service workers, counselors, community leaders, lawmakers, youth, parents, law enforcement and correctional officers, juvenile justice employees, educators, university personnel and others interested in implementing nonviolence education and training programs. http://www.uri.edu/nonviolence/annouce.html


The National Association for Adults with Special Learning Needs - NAASLN, in conjunction with the Greater  Milwaukee Literacy Coalition and the Milwaukee Area Technical College, is sponsoring an international conference, Forging the Future, September 13 -15, 2001, in Milwaukee, WI.  Over 50 sessions will be presented offering you the most up-to-date research, policies and legislation, technology, and best practices to successfully support adults with special learning needs in attaining their goals to become successful workers, parents, and  integrated members of our communities.
Visit http://www.naasln.org  for an up-to-date listing of sessions and conference information.


COABE May 6 - 11, 2002, Charleston, South Carolina- http://www.coabe2002.org/ ; the call for presentation is on line at http://www.sclrc.org/coabe2002/Presentations.htm and proposals are due on December 1st. 


UNEVOC- Canada in partnership with the International Centre for the Enhancement of
Learning Potential is hosting an international conference to be held in Winnipeg, Manitoba, August 18-25, 2001. The conference entitled Unlocking Human Potential to Learn is designed to introduce participants to the best practices and innovative approaches, strategies and techniques for teaching "learning how to learn" skills to children, youth and adults. Paper presentations will focus on three major themes: enhancing learning skills of special needs and gifted learners of diverse cultures, developing critical skills for lifelong learning and improving effectiveness and efficiency in vocational education and workplace training. http://www.umanitoba.ca/unevoc/conference/ 


Literacy Volunteers of America, Octobe 17-20, Albuquerque, New Mexico
http://www.literacyvolunteers.org/conference/ Speakers have been scheduled and information appears online.


The American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE)  Adult Educators From the Margin Through the Mainstream:  Annual Conference October 17-20, 2001 Baltimore, MD http://www.aaace.org/ 


Laubach Literacy Action Biennial Conference will be held in San Diego May 30 - June 1, 2002. Presentations are being solicited that reflect the theme, Literacy for All. We are particularly interested in presentations on collaborative efforts, reaching the hard to reach, accessibility, diversity and advocacy. Proposals are due by August 31, 2001. We hope to have the conference reflect the wide variety of practitioners and stake holders in the literacy field. If you would like a presenter form to be sent to you, please contact  Mary Kuppinger mkuppinger@laubach.org or Pam Alger  at pcalger@usa.net. - Pam Alger. MCSE. Adult Education and Literacy Services, City of Azusa  729 N. Dalton Ave Azusa, CA 91702 (626)812-5267  http://www.laubach.org/USProgram/biennial.html



The Project for Research on Welfare, Work and Domestic Violence (sponsored by the Center for Impact Research and the University of Michigan School of Social Work Center on Poverty, Risk, and Mental Health) invites you to its 3rd Trapped by Poverty/Trapped by Abuse Conference
Friday, October 26 to Sunday, October 28, 2001 at The University of Michigan League
Ann Arbor, Michigan Please visit the following website for registration materials, as well as list of speakers and preliminary presentation titles: http://www.impactresearch.org/documents/42.pdf


MATSOL October 12-13, Sturbridge, MA.  Pre-registration deadline is September 21.  Full information is available at http://www.matsol.org/whatsnew/matsol.pdf, or contact LR/RI.

from previous bulletins: REMINDERS, RESOURCES


Stop the Hate, http://www.stopthehate.net/index1.htm - provides numerous resources of value to anyone working in adult education, community development and/or hoping to consider viable ways in which to approach social change.

list servs:

LR/RI listserv: As some of you know, Literacy Resources has a list serv - an email discussion group available to anyone with access to email in the state (or beyond, as interest warrants). To learn more about the list, or to subscribe, please send an email message to janet_isserlis@brown.edu. To date, about 30 people have joined the list. Its purpose is to provide a forum for local educators to discuss policy, practice, resources, issues and news related to our work with one another. Unlike the bulletin, which arrives as email, the list is interactive - when you respond to message from the discussion list, everyone else on the list receives your message -- and the conversation, we hope, continues and grows. 


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.


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



Professional development initiative: In 1998, 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.


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    Please contact LR/RI if you have information, questions or announcements to share with adult educators in Rhode Island. Bulletins go out at least twice a month; more frequently when there's more to share. 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



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