Technology and Distance Learning News

 

The following and attached are bein forwarded to you from Kathy Sheehy, NYSED:

 

Attached is the Technology & Distance Learning Newsletter – December 2009.

. 

Kathy Sheehy, Associate
The New York State Education Department
Adult Education and Workforce Development
Rm 307EB
89 Washington Ave.
Albany, NY  12234
(518) 474-8940
Fax:  (518) 486-1751 

ksheehy@mail.nysed.gov
 

 

LI-RAEN
Farmingdale State College
2350 Broadhollow Road
Conklin Hall, Room 103
Farmingdale, NY 11735
631-293-3150 Tel
631-293-4241 Fax

TECHNOLOGY & DISTANCE LEARNING NEWS                 

AEWD Technology & Distance Learning Update                                           December 2009



Redesigned SMART Curriculum

 

The SMART (Skills to Make Adults Ready to Succeed) curriculum has been redesigned to include the academic components of SMART Reading, SMART Math, SMART Writing and the nonacademic Life Skills Management component.  Adult students that TABE test at reading level grade 4 – 7 are eligible to use these materials at no cost.

SMART Reading and Math will be on the web based e-Literacy New York Learning Management System by January and SMART Writing by the Spring of 2010.  The Life



Technology Integration Resources

 

 

 
Skills component is in .pdf format available for download.

            A Train the Trainer training session took place on December 3 & 4^th in the Yonkers Public Library.  This training resulted in four New York State Certified SMART trainers.

e-Literacy NY piloted in
         Literacy Zones

      The e-Literacy New York Learning Management System will be piloted in Literacy Zones throughout the state.  This electronic platform houses several web based, interactive adult education curriculum   including:  Crossroads Café, GED Connection videos, SMART, and customized production software tutorials.  This LMS may also be used by agencies that are not part of the Literacy Zones both in distance learning and in the classroom.  Training will be available in January and February of 2010.  Contact your RAEN Director in your region since they will coordinate training. 



Quality Framework – Technology Standards

 

The technology surveys are completed and results are in.  RAEN Directors will need to meet with the program managers in their regions to review the survey results and design a professional development plan and use the technology study circle model to share best practices.  The state technology group will identify required skills sets, additional resources, best practices and a means of communicating and sharing information collaboratively so that we will have a consistent statewide initiative.
               Program Managers are asked to provide leadership in the integration of technology into the teaching/learning process by understanding the technology in order to manage effective, quality adult education programs, and provide resources and training to their teaching staff.

 

 

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Running BEST Plus on Windows 7 and Vista

 

The following is being forwarded to you for Tom Orsini, NYSED:

With the introduction of new Windows operating systems, Windows 7 and Vista, CAL recognizes the need for some users to have additional information on how to use BEST Plus in these operating environments.

 

For your convenience, we have outlined the few additional actions needed to use BEST Plus with either Windows 7 or Vista. Visit the BEST Plus Web site (www.best-plus.net) to review the step-by-step instructions. Of course, if you need assistance, contact user support toll-free at 1-866-245-BEST (2378), 10 am until 6 pm Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.

 

Resource Spotlight:  Free downloadable resources on refugee integration

CAL would like to take this opportunity to remind adult ESL programs about the Cultural Orientation Resource (COR) Center, which offers a broad range of materials and services to assist with the resettlement and adjustment of refugees to their new communities in the United States. Resources include information about refugees from Bhutan, Burma, Iraq, and Somalia and more, which may be of particular interest to adult ESL programs serving members of these communities. Any of the materials can be accessed or downloaded for free from the COR Center Web site (www.culturalorientation.net) or ordered as print publications for ease of use and reference.

 

LI-RAEN
Farmingdale State College
2350 Broadhollow Road
Conklin Hall, Room 103
Farmingdale, NY 11735
631-293-3150 Tel
631-293-4241 Fax

Ed Posting

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Literacy Nassau, a non profit organization serving Nassau County since 1968, provides

services each year for hundreds of adults who are functionally illiterate, assisting them

and their families toward self-sufficiency and personal success. Currently, we are

seeking a dynamic Executive Director to lead our team. Literacy Nassau is an accredited

affiliate of ProLiteracy America.

As the face of the organization and an advocate for adult literacy, the Executive Director

will work closely with the Board of Directors in the development and implementation of

the organization’s strategic initiatives. This position will be responsible for resource

development including fund raising; managing programs, supervision of staff and over

250 volunteers.

Bachelor’s degree with 5 years supervisory and leadership experience including

personnel administration, working collaboratively with volunteers and being responsible

to a board of director. Experience managing fundraising; including events, donor

solicitation and grant writing with foundations, corporations, government and other

funding sources. Strong management leadership skills relating to staff and volunteer

management will be the key to success. Excellent public speaking, presentation and

writing skills are a must. We offer a competitive salary and benefit package

.

To apply please send your resume and cover letter to

LiteracyNassauED@hotmail.com

For more information, please visit our website at

www.literacynassau.org

Literacy Nassau is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

(PD 4326) Dorcas Place Seeks a New President

 

The following is being forwarded to you from Tom Orsini, NYSED:

  

On Tue Dec 22 10:51:51 CST 2009, Tom Orsini
<torsini@MAIL.NYSED.GOV> wrote:
 
Please distribute
 

Dear PD List Colleagues,

 

Dorcas Place is seeking a new President. Please share the job announcement below with individuals who you think may be interested.

 

Jackie Taylor, PD List Facilitator, jackie@jataylor.net

 

 

CAREER OPPORTUNITY

PRESIDENT OF

ADULT AND FAMILY LITERACY CENTER

Travis & Company has been retained by Dorcas Place (www.dorcasplace.org), a highly successful adult education and family literacy center, to recruit its new President.  For nearly 30 years Dorcas Place Adult and Family Learning Center  has been providing literacy and language programs annually to 1,000 low-literacy/language and low-income adults and their families including family literacy, workforce training, college preparatory programs, and employment services, adult education, ESOL, college and workforce readiness. Dorcas Place was awarded the 2009 National Coalition for Literacy Leadership Award in September, 2009.

We are seeking an innovative and accomplished educational leader and experienced President to lead this financially stable, nationally-respected organization.  The President will have operational and strategic management responsibilities for fundraising, program development, evaluation, and administration through a management team of professionals.

 

In depth knowledge of adult education, literacy, workforce development and educational best practices.

A demonstrated ability to develop strategic partnerships and networks and build trusted and mutually-beneficial relationships with colleagues, policy-makers, funders, elected officials, business and community leaders.

 

We are looking for a President who will be a strong leader and champion for adult education programs regionally and nationally and will continue to build the reputation of Dorcas Place as a leading social agency.  The successful candidate will have at least ten years of significant experience as a senior manager or in an executive position in an adult education and family literacy organization.  S/he will have demonstrated strong partnership, networking and public policy advocacy skills and be an experienced and resourceful President, a collaborative leader, proven fundraiser, and a disciplined, evidence-driven decision-maker.

 

 

For further information or to apply, please contact:

Mary K. Morse, Principal, Travis & Company

mmorse@travisandco.com

 

 

 

—————————————————-
National Institute for Literacy
Adult Literacy Professional Development mailing list
professionaldevelopment@nifl.gov

To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/professionaldevelopment
Email delivered to torsini@mail.nysed.gov

Professional Development section of the Adult Literacy Education Wiki

http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/Adult_Literacy_Professional_Development

 

LI-RAEN
Farmingdale State College
2350 Broadhollow Road
Conklin Hall, Room 103
Farmingdale, NY 11735
631-293-3150 Tel
631-293-4241 Fax

Duncan on Elevating the Teaching Profession

  Program Administrators:
 
Please let your voice be heard on this all too important topic…and of course enjoy the holiday break.

Martin
 
Martin G. Murphy, Director
LI-RAEN
631-293-3150 

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Dear AALPD and PD List Colleagues:

The following was posted in the DOE blog today, with a link to a longer, related article. What are your initial reactions to the blog post or article? What do you see as stepping stones or road blocks to improving teacher quality in _adult education_? What should AALPD, COABE, and others be doing to elevate the adult education teaching profession?

Now is the time to be considering questions like this; the train is at the station…

I look forward to hearing from you, Jackie

Jackie Taylor

PD List Facilitator

Jackie@jataylor.net

From: http://www.edgovblogs.org/duncan/2009/12/elevating-the-teaching-profession/

Elevating the Teaching Profession

December 21, 2009 – 12:19 pm

“It’s time, once and for all, to make teaching the revered profession it should be,” Secretary Arne Duncan writes in the current issues of “NEA Today” and AFT’s “American Educator.”

It’s not a new idea. Al Shanker called for strengthening the teaching profession 25 years ago. So did John Kennedy 50 years ago.

Why hasn’t it happened? Duncan points to an array of roadblocks—current approaches to teacher preparation, compensation, evaluation, promotion, professional development, tenure, and the “factory model” of education.

“Teachers want to challenge the status quo,” Duncan says, “and they want to be treated as skilled professionals.” And teacher union leaders are “courageously and candidly speaking out” and “challenging the status quo.” Both NEA and AFT are supporting initiatives that can help.

“No area of the teaching profession is more plainly broken today than that of teacher evaluation and professional development,” Duncan says. The Obama administration is pressing for “far reaching changes” in these two areas through key federal programs—Race to the Top, School Improvement Grants, the Teacher Incentive Fund, and Title I and IDEA funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

“Our guiding principle,” Duncan says, “is simply that teachers should be treated as professionals: they should have the support, tools, and opportunities to perform at their full potential by having timely and accurate data about their students to inform instruction; they should time to consult and collaborate with their peers; and they should be evaluated, compensated, and advanced based in part on student learning—growth and gain. Student growth and gain…are what we are most interested in….”

See the full article, “Elevating the Teaching Profession,” at http://www.neatodayaction.org/2009/12/09/elevating-the-teaching-profession/ and http://www.aft.org/pubs-reports/american_educator/issues/winter09_10/duncan.pdf.

By pkickbush | Posted in Headlines, News | Comments Off

—————————————————-
National Institute for Literacy
Adult Literacy Professional Development mailing list
professionaldevelopment@nifl.gov

To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/professionaldevelopment
Email delivered to torsini@mail.nysed.gov

Professional Development section of the Adult Literacy Education Wiki
http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/Adult_Literacy_Professional_Development   LI-RAEN
Farmingdale State College
2350 Broadhollow Road
Conklin Hall, Room 103
Farmingdale, NY 11735
631-293-3150 Tel
631-293-4241 Fax

12-18-09 Administrators’ Meeting Follow-Up

 

The following is being forwarded to you from Susan Lyons, NYSED:

 

On Fri Dec 18 14:57:49 CST 2009, Susan Lyons
<SLYONS@MAIL.NYSED.GOV> wrote:
 
Martin,

I verified the following information with Tom:
1.  All GED testers, including those taking the Spanish GED,  must present some form of government issued ID.

2.  At this time, test results are available after about 8 weeks.

3.  GED reports are issued quarterly.

Hope this helps.

 

Susan

 

LI-RAEN
Farmingdale State College
2350 Broadhollow Road
Conklin Hall, Room 103
Farmingdale, NY 11735
631-293-3150 Tel
631-293-4241 Fax

NRS Powerpoint Presentations 12-09

 

The attached are being forwarded to you, FYI:

  

On Thu Dec 17 08:03:28 CST 2009, Rosemary Matt
<rosemarym@lacnyc.org> wrote:
 
Attached please find the NRS Advanced and NRS Foundations!

Rosemary I. Matt
NRS Liaison for NYS
Literacy Assistance Center
12 Meadowbrook Drive

New Hartford, NY 13413
315.798.1026
 

 

LI-RAEN
Farmingdale State College
2350 Broadhollow Road
Conklin Hall, Room 103
Farmingdale, NY 11735
631-293-3150 Tel
631-293-4241 Fax

Monitoring On-site Review Form

Monitoring

On-Site Review

 

 

I.       Attendance records

A.     Classroom attendance rosters maintained for all students

B.     May be kept in a central location, identified in student folder or manual

C.     Typically, kept in classroom where teacher notes hours daily

D.     Includes specific days and hours of attendance for individuals

E.      Teacher/staff verifies attendance is accurate each time roster completed

F.      Attendance records kept in pen with no “white out” used

G.     Attendance rosters may be computerized with records certified accurate

H.     All contact hours must be entered on ASISTS, as indicated

 

II.     Confidential files (for each student, kept in secure place where teachers can access)

A.     American Disabilities Act (ADA) Signature Sheet signed by student

B.     Individual Student Record Form (ISRF) completed by staff *

C.     Appropriate assessments (TABE, Best Plus, Best Literacy)

D.     Follow-up Survey, if applicable

E.      Copy of GED diploma, if applicable

 

III.  Student files (easily accessible to student and teacher)

A.     Registration info (date, name, class dates/times, DOB, diploma status)

B.     Education and Employment Plan (EEP) completed by staff *

C.     Student log (dates, assignments, completion status)

D.     Copies of assessments

E.      Samples of work

F.      Anecdotal records

 

IV.  Documentation of staff development

A.     National Reporting System (NRS)

B.     ASISTS

C.     Assessments (TABE, Best Plus, Best Literacy)

D.     ALECC

E.      Other

 

V.    Classroom visits

A.     10-20 students in average daily attendance

B.     Adapt procedures for disability related needs, if applicable

C.     Customize instruction for each student

D.     Attendance records accurate

E.      Student folders

 

 

* Only staff with NYS Provisional, Permanent or Adult Education certification can generate EPE.

 

Updated GED Post Test Verification Form

GED Post Test Candidate Verification Form – NYS GED Testing Office
Instructions: Include all candidates from your preparation program officially referred to the GED test. Approximately four weeks after each testing date in which your program’s students have tested, fax form to (518) 473-3859. Each candidate’s information will be verified on the NYSED GED data base to ensure the accuracy of preparation program GED pass rates.
Preparation Program Name and Address:   ________________________________________________________   ________________________________________________________   ________________________________________________________				Five-Digit GED Preparation Program Code:   £ £ £ £ £
				Official Program Contact Person:   ____________________________________
Contact Person Signature __________________________________   Phone Number__________________________
Referred Test Candidates:   Last Name                            First Name		Date of Birth	Social Security #		Required OPT Score	Three-Digit Test Center Code	Date of Testing

December 17, 2009 GED Examiner Training

On Thu Dec 03 14:59:03 CST 2009, Sandra Belitza-Vazquez 
<SBELITZA@MAIL.NYSED.GOV> wrote:
 
The NYCDOE Office of Adult and Continuing Education will host a GED Examiner training on December 17, 2009 from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm at their Brooklyn Adult Learning Center, located at 475 Nostrand Avenue, Brooklyn, NY (see http://maps.google.com/maps?q=475+Nostrand+Avenue,+Brooklyn,+NY+11216&spn=0.029419,0.058375&hl=en; 
Subways – A or C to Nostrand Avenue. Walk one block. Building is red and on right.   Dr. Patricia Mooney and I will be presenting the training that will prepare people to become GED examiners or to re-certify as GED examiners. It is essential that everyone attending  download and bring to the training session the  following: Chief Examiner’s Manual for NYS GED Test Administration 2009-2010 -  http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ged/documents/exammanual6-08.pdf, and the GED Test Administration Handbook 2008 - http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ged/documents/GEDTestAdministrationHandbook.pdf.

A thorough understanding of the content of both documents is essential for a successful interactive training session. The more you know, the more questions you can ask or concerns you can have clarified. Training is intense and quite involved. There will be few breaks during the day, so please be prepared to be on task all day, and ready to take notes.

 

Please send your contact information to me ASAP – include name, phone number, email address, test site number (if known; if new to testing, at which site will you be administering the test?), and whether you are a new examiner or one looking to re-certify.
 
There are approximately 40 seats that can be assigned to non-NYCDOE staff.
 
Thank you.
 
Sandy
 
Sandra Belitza-Vazquez
Associate in Continuing Education
NYSED, Adult Education and Workforce Development Team
89 Washington Avenue, Room 307 EB
Albany, NY 12234
(518) 474-8940
Fax: (518) 486-1751

LI-RAEN
Farmingdale State College
2350 Broadhollow Road
Conklin Hall, Room 103
Farmingdale, NY 11735
631-293-3150 Tel
631-293-4241 Fax