Workplace Literacy Discussion List Members, Greetings on a beautiful,
sunny and warm day in Knoxville.  I hope your weather is as pleasant!
This week's list of resources has several brought to our attention by
the New Zealand Literacy Portal, and they come from Canada, Australia,
the US, and New Zealand.  The list of subscribers has added several
members from outside the United States in the last month too, so we are
becoming more and more of an international group.  We will all be better
informed for the sharing we do.  

As in past postings, I remind you that URLs may be broken onto two lines
when you get your message, and, if so, you will have to cut and paste
both halves back together in your browser window in order to access the
resource.  Enjoy!

Donna

Donna Brian, Moderator
Workplace Literacy Discussion List
Center for Literacy Studies at The University of Tennessee
djgbrian at utk.edu


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>From New Zealand Literacy Portal  <http://www.nzliteracyportal.org.nz/>


SPCLC Basic Computer Skills Curriculum (US)
	This is a downloadable and very comprehensive curriculum with
Word, Excel and PowerPoint activities for beginning, intermediate and
advanced ESL learners. Activities start from very basic skills such as
turning on the computer to higher level word processing activities.
<http://www.nzliteracyportal.org.nz/imsdirector.php?resid=2677&ruid=2182

>

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Literacy How to kit: Literacy games for adults - no date (Can)
	This Canadian resource has a variety of literacy games for
adults plus supporting materials and ideas to adapt the games. These
games are useful for tutor review.
<http://www.nzliteracyportal.org.nz/imsdirector.php?resid=2756&ruid=2182

>

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Numeracy: Deeper into math - 2005 (Can)
	This large Canadian numeracy workbook (179 pages) takes a very
traditional approach to maths and covers topics such as multiplication,
division, fractions and decimals. Lessons and activities focus on the
practical application of math skills and their relation to real life
activities.
<http://www.nzliteracyportal.org.nz/imsdirector.php?resid=2703&ruid=2182

>

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Prof Development: CAELA - Online professional development for adult ESL
educators - 2005 (US)
	This CAELA brief describes current efforts to provide online
professional development opportunities and resources for adult ESL
teachers and discusses factors that must be considered in the
development, delivery, and evaluation of professional development that
is available online.
<http://www.nzliteracyportal.org.nz/imsdirector.php?resid=2635&ruid=2182

>

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Vocational: NCVER - Reframing adult literacy and numeracy course
outcomes: A social capital perspective - 2006 (Aus)
	This Australian study examined the social capital outcomes of 57
learners as a result of their participation in  adult literacy and
numeracy courses undertaken through the vocational education and
training (VET) sector.  The study also examined how these outcomes
contributed to the socioeconomic wellbeing of students and the
implications for educational practice.
<http://www.nzliteracyportal.org.nz/imsdirector.php?resid=2472&ruid=2182

>


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>From the New York Times 2-22-07 http://www.nytimes.com/ Grades Rise as

Reading Skills Drop in H.S. Study 
	A study concluded that high school students are earning better
grades, but their reading skills are not improving.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/22/education/22cnd-test.html?hp

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>From Workforce Management http://www.workforce.com Your Co-Worker, Your

Teacher
	The first generation of e-learning, launched about a decade ago,
is often regarded as a misguided experiment. Today, blended learning is
coming to mean mixing formal programs with informal peer-to-peer
learning.
http://www.workforce.com/section/10/feature/24/75/63/index.html

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>From OVAE (Office of Vocational and Adult Education) Thursday Notes

http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/index.html
January 4, 2007
New Strategies To Boost State Systems
	Start the new year right by helping your state grow its economy
and help workers earn family-sustaining wages.  Check out the Workforce
Strategy Center's (WSC's) new strategies in Working Together: Aligning
State Systems and Policies for Individual Regional Prosperity.  The
just-released report outlines ways to handle six areas of public policy
with examples from  "cutting-edge" efforts in Kentucky, Ohio,
Washington, Oregon and California.  Policy areas include: promoting
access and improving system alignment; supporting student success;
encouraging transitions; incorporating employer demand and state
economic priorities in education planning; building capacity and
financing improvement; and measuring results.  The report also offers
help in generating state leadership, catalyzing local action, and
promoting cooperation.  Print it at
http://www.workforcestrategy.org/publications/WSC_workingtogether_12.1.0
6_3.pdf  

February 1, 2007
OTAN's New Web Site Up
	CA's Outreach and Technical Assistance Network (OTAN) Web site
at www.otan.us just redesigned for resources in one click.  OTAN is a
California leadership project supported in part by OVAE.  After free
registration, it offers:
*	Online documents on adult education topics
*	Resources and annotated Web links for teachers
*	An online tool to create and share lesson plans
*	Legislative updates
*	Job ads and a searchable database of grant opportunities
*	A directory to help CA students locate adult education programs
close to home

January 25, 2007
Immigration: Not Just for Cities Anymore
	New immigrants are dispersing to rural counties drawn by
opportunities in meatpacking, agriculture, and manufacturing, says a new
report from the University of New Hampshire's Carsey Institute.  Rural
counties with the highest immigration growth had construction and
service jobs available.  Using 2000 Census data updated in March 2003,
the report suggests that, compared to urban counterparts, rural
immigrants are more likely to be Hispanic and married, less well
educated-but skilled-and more likely to be homeowners.  The report
contains maps and a brief region-by-region analysis of where immigrants
are moving and why.  The Annie B. Casey and Kellogg Foundations
sponsored this report.  See http://www.carseyinstitute.unh.edu/ 

January 18, 2007
MI Pilots Workplace Curriculum
	MI is using $279,000 in WIA incentive grant funds to pilot
curriculum to prepare workers for the 21st century workforce.  The pilot
program in seven sites Statewide serves 50 - 100 workers per location
and runs from November until June 2007.  The curriculum links reading to
employability skills based on employers' input.  State officials say the
new curriculum is getting measurable results.  They plan to make it
available to all of the State's adult education programs as
supplementary material, and may tackle math next year.  For more,
contact <duthied at michigan.gov>