Montana LINCS Update

5/30/11

Greetings from Montana LINCS

  

Problems with the links in the email?

Go to the Email Archives in the upper left-hand corner on the home page at http://www.nwlincs.org/mtlincs/index.htm

 

In honor of Memorial Day may we remember all who have served and are still serving our country.  Members of the Montana National Guard are busy helping with the flood response effort in Eastern Montana.  Surely, some of our Montana ABLE folks have experienced several challenges brought forth by Mother Nature.  Please keep their safety in your thoughts.

 

 

Since May 2011 has five Mondays, take some time to review MTLINCS.  For those of you who need no review, following the review are announcements of some new discussions.  However, you may want to click here http://www.nwlincs.org/mtlincs/opi/opiableww.htm to be reminded why we are involved in Montana Adult Basic and Literacy Education     

 

 

1.   Search

 

Are you needing to Search for something on MTLINCS?  There is a Search button on the homepage.  Click here to access the Search tool.  http://www.nwlincs.org/mtlincs/search.htm Don’t forget to select the following:  Search nwlincs.org/mtlincs - MT LINCS. 

  

2.   Email Archives

Having trouble receiving the MTLINCS emails?  All emails are archived.  There is an Email Archive button at the top of the left-hand side of the homepage.  Click here to access the Email Archives. http://www.nwlincs.org/mtlincs/email_archives/email_archives_index.htm  

3.   Montana OPI Initiatives

Check out the STAR on the homepage.  Montana ABLE is the center of all activity with Data surrounding it.  STAR points will lead you to links to all of the state initiatives for the past three years. 

Montana ABLE http://www.nwlincs.org/mtlincs/opi/opiable.htm

Montana ABLE will give you access to Montana OPI with links to Data, Faces of ABLE, Shop Talk summaries, Student Highlights, Policies and Procedures, Updates from Montana ABLE, etc.

Data http://www.nwlincs.org/mtlincs/opi/data/data.htm

Data encompasses and strengthens MTABLE and its initiatives.  Resources http://www.nwlincs.org/mtlincs/opi/data/data_resources.htm  have been posted to help Montana ABLE practitioners to become more reflective.  Programs have been working on Program Action Plans based upon data provided by MABLE, Montana ABLE’s data system.  Those Program Action Plans will be posted soon.

Distance Learning/Research-based Instruction http://www.nwlincs.org/mtlincs/opi/RI/riindex.htm

Although Distance Learning continues to be a mode of delivery at some Montana sites in 2010-2011, MTLINCS has not reported any specific research this year.  Technology-based links have been sent via MTLINCS emails.  Check out the Email Archives.

Research for 2009-2010 was based on Distance Learning.

Research for 2008-2009 was based on Reading is the Bridge. 

Content Standards http://www.nwlincs.org/mtlincs/opi/CS/csindex.htm

The Content Area Websites http://www.nwlincs.org/mtlincs/opi/content/content_index.htm has been created in order to post Montana teacher-recommended websites for the following categories:  ESL, Language, Math, Reading, Science, Social Studies, and Technology.

The Content Standards team has morphed into Standards in Action.  http://www.nwlincs.org/mtlincs/opi/CS/MT_SIA.htm  

The Content Standards team created both the Montana ABLE Content Standards and ESOL Standards with links to activities.

ESL http://www.nwlincs.org/mtlincs/opi/esl/eslindex.htm

Spring 2011:  ESOL Conference 2011 http://www.nwlincs.org/mtlincs/opi/esl/MT_adult_esl_conference_2011.htm was held in Helena.

Fall 2010:  Montana ESOL Study Circle has met online twice this year!

Spring 2010:  Montana hosted its Second ESOL Conference.

Spring 2009:  Montana hosted its First ESOL Conference.

Leadership Academy http://www.nwlincs.org/mtlincs/opi/LA/laindex.htm

The Leadership Academy training is now complete.

Spring 2010:  Four of your Montana ABLE colleagues completed their Program Manager Certification via the Montana Leadership Academy facilitated by Lennox McLendon. 

4.   Content Area Websites, Reading is the Bridge, and Montana Pilot Project

Over the past years MTLINCS has provided links to several resources provided by Montana ABLE staff.  The tradition continues with the new Content Area Websites.

Content Area Websites http://www.nwlincs.org/mtlincs/opi/content/content_index.htm

Reading is the Bridge http://www.nwlincs.org/mtlincs/opi/reading/rbindex.htm

Montana Pilot Project http://www.nwlincs.org/mtlincs/pilotproject/pphome.htm 

5.   Other Items

MTLINCS users can find several other useful links.

·       What’s New http://www.nwlincs.org/mtlincs/WhatsN.htm

·      Calendar http://www.nwlincs.org/mtlincs/Calendar.htm

·       Programs and Activities http://www.nwlincs.org/mtlincs/program.htm

·       MTLINCS Statistics http://www.nwlincs.org/mtlincs/Contact.htm

·       Montana ABLE Statistics http://www.nwlincs.org/mtlincs/facts2.htm

 

 

6.   ESL:  Webinar on Tuesday, June 7 - Developing Oral Proficiency in Adults Learning English

Click here to register:  https://cal.webex.com/mw0306ld/mywebex/default.do?service=1&siteurl=cal&nomenu=true&main_url=%2Fmc0805ld%2Fe.do%3Fsiteurl%3Dcal%26AT%3DMI%26EventID%3D174201302%26UID%3D1221086477%26Host%3D6db5f7565d245c181e%26RG%3D1%26FrameSet%3D2

Tuesday, June 7, 2011
1:00 - 2:00 pm Eastern Time

Presented by Sarah Young and Miriam Burt
Moderated by Bryan Woerner

CAL Solutions: Adult ESL Education
Center for Applied Linguistics

About the Webinar

In this informative, hour-long event, you will hear directly from CAL's adult ESL education experts about the importance of developing oral proficiency in adult English learners.

CAL has developed a free online professional development module designed for practitioners who want to know more about building the speaking and listening skills of adult English language learners.

To facilitate the most effective use of this online resource, Sarah Young will take you through the Developing Oral Proficiency in Adults Learning English website. Miriam Burt will highlight resources in the module that can be used to inform your program activities.

In this webinar, you will...

The presenters will also take questions from the participants.

 

7.   Professional Development:  Elephants in the Room

Interesting discussion is taking place on the Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion list at http://lincs.ed.gov/mailman/listinfo/Professionaldevelopment/ .  Here is a snippet posted by David Rosen.

Here are some of the elephants I see in the adult ed PD room:

* Embarrassingly little (and diminishing!) funding for PD (as well as for instruction). If quality of instruction is important, then significant funding for PD is necessary.

* Most adult education teachers don't get much if any adult ed professional development. Since approximately 80% of the adult ed teaching force nationally works part-time, and many of these teachers also work in other jobs in adult education, in public schools, or in universities they cannot take advantage of face-to-face PD. They don't have time.

* We don't know much about what works in adult ed PD. There has been very little research. There is embarrassingly little money for this kind of research.

* Teacher participation in substantive PD is not consistently rewarded with increments in pay, advancement opportunities or even recognition.

* Few adult education teachers have a professional development plan.

A few decades ago when a former senator in my state became the first director of the Commonwealth Literacy Campaign and started looking at the field for the first time he concluded that what we had was not so much a professional field as "a bunch of education soup kitchens." This is no longer true. We have invested significant state resources in adult education -- including in professional development -- but we have not achieved in my view the equivalent of high quality "culinary training", and mine is one of the states that still takes adult education professional development seriously.

We need an overhaul of our field. Nationally, we need to get the elephants out of the room and invest in teaching: teacher quality, teaching and learning tools.

 

8.   ESL, Transitions, and Workforce:  Discussion - Transitioning Language Minority Adults to Work and Training Webinar on Tuesday, June 7 - Developing Oral Proficiency in Adults Learning English

There will be a discussion on the adult English Language Acquisition (ELA) list next week beginning Tuesday, May 31(after Memorial Day), and continuing through the following Monday, June 6. The topic is Transitioning Language Minority Adults to Work and Training. The guest facilitator is Heide Spruck Wrigley. Dr. Wrigley is a noted researcher and professional developer for the field of adult English language acquisition. I know your participation as practitioners involved in professional development for educators working with adult learners would certainly enrich the discussion.

Discussion Description

Millions of adults whose first or native language is not English are seeking ways to improve their English so they can find employment that can sustain a family. For many, this means looking for programs that offer a focus on English for work and finding training programs that integrate language development with job-specific training. In this forum, we highlight models for meeting these needs, and discuss approaches and instructional practices that help adults who are not yet proficient in English to access and succeed in training and at work.

 

For a brief biography of the facilitator, a more detailed discussion description including the focus for each day’s discussion, and a link to a reading related to the discussion, go to

 

http://lincs.ed.gov/lincs/discussions/englishlanguage/11transitioning

 

Dr. Wrigley and I look forward to a lively and useful discussion on this important topic.

 

If you are not currently subscribed to the adult English language acquisition (ELA) list, please go to

http://lincs.ed.gov/mailman/listinfo/englishlanguage#sub to subscribe.

 

P.S.  Remember -- if you are having trouble with the links in this email, go to the Email Archives at the top of the MTLINCS homepage at http://www.nwlincs.org/mtlincs/ .  Also if you no longer wish to receive this mailing, please let me know!  Thanks!

 

Norene Peterson
Adult Education Center
415 N. 30th
Billings, MT 59101
 norenehp@bresnan.net