Audrey,

A lot depends on what state you hope to work in.  Many states have  
state literacy resource centers which could be helpful.  The Adult  
Literacy Education Wiki has a Web page that lists them:

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

You might also want to read the (new) section on the Adult Literacy  
Education (ALE) Wiki called "Career Pathways in Adult Literacy  
Education," which is based on a discussion held on the AALPD/NIFL- 
sponsored Professional Development discussion list.  You will find  
this at:
http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/ 
Career_Pathways_in_Adult_Literacy_Education

And there may be answers to other questions you have about the field  
in the Professional Development Area of the ALE Wiki:

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

David J. Rosen
newsomeassociats.com
djrosen at comcast.net

On Dec 29, 2006, at 12:08 PM, Audrey Walker wrote:


>

> Hello all,

>

> I hope I'm in the right place. I am looking for information about  

> how to

> start a career in adult basic education teaching. Can anyone direct  

> me to

> some resources? I'd like to find out where the job opportunities are

> (agencies, community colleges, etc) and what qualifications I would  

> need.

>

> Thanks so much,

>

> Audrey

>

>> From: povertyracewomen-request at nifl.gov

>> Reply-To: povertyracewomen at nifl.gov

>> To: povertyracewomen at nifl.gov

>> Subject: PovertyRaceWomen Digest, Vol 2, Issue 29

>> Date: Fri, 29 Dec 2006 12:00:04 -0500

>>

>> Send PovertyRaceWomen mailing list submissions to

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>> Today's Topics:

>>

>>    1. [PovertyRaceWomen 156] Re: dialect and standard English

>>       (Daphne Greenberg)

>>

>>

>> --------------------------------------------------------------------- 

>> -

>>

>> Message: 1

>> Date: Fri, 29 Dec 2006 11:36:42 -0500

>> From: "Daphne Greenberg" <alcdgg at langate.gsu.edu>

>> Subject: [PovertyRaceWomen 156] Re: dialect and standard English

>> To: <povertyracewomen at nifl.gov>

>> Message-ID: <4594FDCB0200003100010FD8 at mailsrv4.gsu.edu>

>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

>>

>> Mev,

>> In your group read alouds, do you also read aloud with them? I was

>> wondering if it would make a difference if you modeled reading the  

>> swear

>> words, dialect, slang and whether that could free up the group's  

>> comfort

>> in also doing so.

>> I have experience reading out loud with women who have very low  

>> reading

>> skills and they appreciate hearing me model how text is read. We have

>> talked about the various ways of writing, genres, and styles. We talk

>> about making the characters coming alive by reading their words  

>> the way

>> we think they may sound, given what we know about the characters (for

>> example, whether they are young or old, from the Caribbean or from

>> China, etc., etc).

>> I have run into resistance from teachers who feel uncomfortable  

>> reading

>> swear words, dialect, slang. In terms of the swear words, they don't

>> think that it is "appropriate" to swear, and in terms of dialect,  

>> they

>> "don't want to reinforce non standard English" I have even come  

>> across a

>> copy of the book Push where the teacher crossed out all the swear

>> words!!!!!!!!!! I find it harder to convince these teachers than I  

>> have

>> found it to be convincing students who are struggling readers.

>> Daphne

>>

>>>>> "mev at litwomen.org" <mev at litwomen.org> 12/29/06 8:18 AM >>>

>> This is an interesting conversation...and I'd like to add a different

>> spin to it. I am currently facilitating Women Leading Through Reading

>> Discussion Circles with women in Rhode Island [see WE LEARN Article:

>> http://www.litwomen.org/news/06nov.pdf] . As women in these groups  

>> read

>>

>> aloud to each other, I have found 2 things: 1) they often will not  

>> read

>>

>> aloud any swear words they encounter; and 2) if they see  some  

>> form of

>> dialect or slang written for a character's conversation, they  

>> often do

>> not read it aloud that way -- they "translate" it into "correct"

>> English and read aloud the "corrected" version! This happens more  

>> often

>>

>> than not.

>>

>> even though I encourage students to read it the way it's written,  

>> they

>> clearly have some discomfort in doing this.   I find it's not always

>> clear why ... Do they want to demonstrate that they "know" this is

>> "improper" English? What level of shame is already operative? Do they

>> not want to read for a white woman their street language (though I  

>> have

>>

>> seen them correct the written word with black teachers as well)?  

>> When I

>>

>> have asked why they don't read what's written, they will often say

>> "because it's wrong" or "we're not supposed to talk that way."

>>

>> I would also wonder how many of us truly stick to proper English  

>> in the

>>

>> classroom? I have found myself in some situations where we're having

>> social conversation and my own informal terminologies and

>> pronunciations, well, slide.... I have lived in several states with

>> varying dialects and accents...as I age, I carry and combine  

>> pieces of

>> each in a mixed up way  -- some I "call up" as needed and others I  

>> can

>> no longer discreetly identify! (I'm a language chameleon and often  

>> take

>>

>> on what I hear, especially in various regions of the country, even  

>> when

>>

>> it's not my region of origin.) Also, as someone mentioned, this  

>> brings

>> up an interesting situation when there are English language learners

>> also present in the room -- as everyone works to "decipher"  

>> accents and

>>

>> pronunciations.

>>

>> So, as we have these discussions with our students, we may want to  

>> have

>>

>> the "values" conversation as well. What do they value and why?  

>> What do

>> they need (or want) to do to "fit in" -- and how do they know when,

>> where and why to do this? What's important to "succeed" -- and what

>> does that mean -(when & where & at what)? Success could mean in the

>> business world, but it might also mean what they need to do to live

>> without threat in their neighborhood or home.  This, I think,  

>> becomes a

>>

>> gender issue as women will more often care about what people think,

>> will consider how to be pleasing, and will know (or learn) how to  

>> adapt

>>

>> to survive or get what they need/want -- regardless of their economic

>> situation.

>>

>> Mev Miller

>> WE LEARN

>>

>>

>>

>>

>> ------------------------------

>>

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>> National Institute for Literacy

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>> End of PovertyRaceWomen Digest, Vol 2, Issue 29

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>

> _________________________________________________________________

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David J. Rosen
djrosen at comcast.net