What’s New
WINTER 2010
Welcome to our new Regions:
- New York. The Literacy Zone is a made in New York model funded under the New York State Education department. Each zone is characterized by
high-need communities exhibiting generational poverty, low literacy,
and/or low English literacy populations. In Literacy Zones, adult
education is at the core supported by intense support services and
case management. Employment and training, social services, and
community based organizations coordinate their efforts centered on the
needs of adult learners and their families. Learning Plans are being
developed that will organize services around ten identified Pathways
Out of Poverty, including literacy, transition to postsecondary
education, reduced public assistance, citizenship, and other pathways
all accessed through the Literacy Zone.
- Scotland. Big Plus Learner Web is sponsored by Learning Connections of the Scottish Directorate for Lifelong Learning. The Directorate for Lifelong Learning is responsible for Scottish Government policy on all aspects of learning that take place after people leave school – from community based adult learning, basic employability training through to post-doctoral research. Big Plus Learner Web is being field tested in the City of Glasgow and Highland region as part of the Scottish Governments commitment to raising the quality of adult literacies teaching and learning.
Strategic Directions:
The Learner Web community is developing initiatives in the following strategic directions:
- Community collaboration and life pathways. The Minnesota and New York Regions are developing models that use Learner Web to increase the collaborative capacity of communities to help adults and families move out of poverty, start or change careers, enter and succeed in community colleges, attain citizenship, and follow other life pathways.
- Professional development and tutoring. Learner Web has the unique capacity to integrate professional development for teachers and tutors with Learning Plan-based support for their ongoing work with individual students.
- Postsecondary success. Portland State University has pioneered using the Learner Web to help incoming students adapt to the college environment and make more successful placements in writing, math and other courses.
Learner Web National Partners Meeting:
- The sixth national meeting will be held at the Boston Public Library March 9-11.
Learner Web presentations:
Presentations about the Learner Web will be given:
- Syracuse, New York: February 19
- Glasgow, Scotland: February 23
- London, England: February 25
- Chicago, COABE/Proliteracy conference:, March 16-19
- Boston, TESOL conference: March 24-27
Updated 3.8.2010