The National Career Pathways Network is holding its 2012 conference in Richmond. (February 16, 2011)

Submit a proposal for the2012 National Career Pathways Network Conference in Richmond, VA. Deadline for submission is April 5.

The Presenter Proposal Form is available on the conference website: http://www.ncpn.info/2012-ncpn-conf.php

Toolkit for ESL Teachers Supporting Skilled Immigrants (December 14, 2011)

How common is it to see a foreign-educated professional driving a taxi, waiting tables, washing dishes or working in other low-paying jobs where they are not able to take advantage of their knowledge, skills and educational background?

World Education Services has created a website, Global Talent Bridge, www.globaltalentbridge.org , and toolkit to help ESL practitioners who work with this group of immigrants with professional backgrounds.

Global Talent Bridge is dedicated to helping skilled immigrants overcome the barriers that keep them from fully utilizing their talents and education in the United States.

The toolkit can be found at: http://www.globaltalentbridge.org/toolkit/

Introducing a new free resource for ESOL learners! (November 8, 2011)

THE LIFE SKILLS, COLLEGE, AND CAREER READINESS GUIDE FOR ESOL LEARNERS

A new free resource is available for your use: THE LIFE SKILLS, COLLEGE, AND CAREER READINESS GUIDE FOR ESOL LEARNERS. The Guide was developed by the Massachusetts Dept. of Adult and Secondary Education, the System for Adult Basic Education Support, and several Mass practitioners, with technical assistance from the Center for Applied Linguistics.

The Guide provides teachers with sample activities to use in their classrooms to help ESOL students develop the skills and knowledge they need to achieve their "next steps" employment, academic, or life skills goals. This resource is NOT a list of skills, of which there are many examples, but a resource that translates those skills into interesting classroom activities.

The Guide is actually three guides, one each for Basic (SPLs 0-3), Intermediate (SPLs 4-5), and Advanced (SPL 6) ESOL learners. The Guide developers felt strongly that even Basic Level ESOL students can practice next steps skills in the classroom. While this resource was especially designed for ESOL learners, the activities can be easily adapted for ABE and Transitions students as well.

The Guide is available in PDF but also in Rich Text Format, so that teachers can isolate particular activities, add new ones, or amend those that are provided. The RFT version also allows teachers to tailor listed activities for whole classes, groups of students working together, or an individual student. Here are the links to both PDF and Rich Text Format versions:

http://www.sabes.org/curriculum/esol/caela-guide-2011.pdf

http://www.sabes.org/curriculum/esol/caela-guide-2011.rtf

If any teachers are willing to take on the task of adapting this resource more specifically for ABE learners, please contact Carey Reid at creid@worlded.org.

Free Material from NY City Commission on Human Rights (September 29, 2011)

The New York City Commission on Human Rights has published free materials, including workbooks and video, on immigrant employment rights.  Virginia programs interested in supplementing their ESL or EL/Civics programs with employment materials may find them worthwhile for classroom use or adaptation.

Click here to access the materials.

SETESOL Conference in Richmond (September 15, 2011)

Celebrating Culture and Heritage through Language Teaching

Conference site: http://vatesol.cloverpad.org/SETESOL_Conference_2011

This is a great opportunity to attend a regional TESOL conference right here in Richmond. Please see the email message below for details.

There is a tentative schedule of presentations that you can find on the conference site. Laurie Weinberg, President of VATESOL (Virginia TESOL), has passed on a list of presentations that are relevant to teaching adult ESOL.

Here are some of the titles that are definitely geared toward the adult education audience:

• Social Support as an Academic Transition Strategy for Adult ESOL Students– D. A. Westin, Ph.D.
• Language Learning Strategy Used by Colombian Adult English Language Learners – E. Paredes
• Best practices in ESL writing feedback – S. Kegley
• Celebrating Cultural Diversity Through Writing: A Class Book Project – N. Ball
• Promoting Reading Fluency in Adult ESL learners: Extensive Reading – D. Ewert
• Having Fun with Oral Proficiency: Lowering the Affective Filter – A. Chrisman
• Interactive ideas to teach practical information including laws, finances and education – L. Shainis
• Creating a New Faculty Orientation Online in Moodle – L. Bowles
• Using Popular Media to Create Whole Language Modules – T. Allen
• ELT Simplicity & Cognates: How I taught a million people – R. Moran Molina
• Culture Shock Effect on Language Acquisition – A. Quiambao
• Applying Brain Research to Develop Culturally and Personally Relevant Lesson Plans – M. Kaeiser
• The Write Stuff: Getting Students to Write and Read More! – A. Clarke
• Is it learning, OR-I-GAMI – K. Shah-Saleh, Ph.D.
• ESL Review App – Integrating New Technology – D. C. Wagner-Loera
• Celebrating Culture and Heritage by Cultivating Physical and Metaphorical Gardens – A. Clarke

*Please note that co-presenters are not listed.

Citizenship Resources for Instructors (July 8, 2011)

The Minnesota Literacy Council has compiled a collection of excellent resources to help prepare students for the interview and the test of U.S. history and government. The site includes links to printable worksheets, interview tips for lower level learners, study materials, and vocabulary lists for the test. The Online Courses for Tutors are unavailable to out-of-state users; however, everyone is welcome to use the self-access materials on the site.

http://www.themlc.org/citizenshipresources.html

EL/Civics Symposium in Richmond, April 7-8, 2011 (March 11, 2011)

We are pleased to announce that the Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center will host an EL/Civics Symposium, April 7-8, in Richmond. All those that provide EL/Civics classes are welcome to attend.

The SRN (Session Registration Number): 2011040704

Dates: April 7-8, 2011

Location: The Place at Innsbrook (located in Richmond's West End)

Hotel lodging: Comfort Suites Innsbrook, 4051 Innslake Drive, Glen Allen, VA 23060 (in front of The Place, the symposium site)

Special offer to all programs: The VALRC is pleased to offer to pay one room for one night (April 7th) per program. Representatives from programs may want to share a room. Lunches for both days, and breakfast for Friday morning will, also, be provided by the Symposium. There is no registration fee for this symposium.

To register: please do so through our online registration system, ERO. The SRN (Session Registration Number) is 2011040704

If you have not created a profile on ERO, please go to: http://www.valrc.org/trainings/ero.html

Description:

Audience -- representatives of all programs that:

• currently have EL/Civics Projects
• have had EL/Civics Projects in the past
• would like to have an EL/Civics Project and may want to apply for funding this year.

Some activities of this symposium are:

• Presentation of exceptional projects
• Grant writing tips
• Live demonstration of the EL/Civics Online Course by Judith Diamond (The Adult Learning Resource Center in Illinois), creator of the course.
• Formation of study circles integrating the EL/Civics Online Course (with assistance of Ms. Diamond)
• Key note presentation by Sue Barauski, Director of the Illinois Adult Learning Resource Center