Tonight the Florida House and Senate are going into conference. State funding for libraries is in serious trouble. Libraries need the current funding of $21 million just to keep their heads above water. ANY cut in State Aid will impact the federal dollars too. This is serious. Please send out a message to everyone you know to support maintaining the State Aid funding. Libraries are busier than ever and adult literacy groups depend on them. Here is the link for more information and to send a message online, but you may want to try some different but fast ways to get their attention. Again, decisions will be made very soon--in a day or so maybe.
If you want to follow the process, here are links below. We'll be posting more for context. Here is the email from the Legislative Chair of the Florida Library Association.
----------------------------------------------------
Public Library & MLC Funding - Legislature's Budget Conference Process
For those interested in watching the House and Senate Transportation and Economic Development (TED) Appropriations Conference Committee’s deliberations which may include discussion of State Aid to Public Libraries and Library Cooperative program funding, that meeting is scheduled to begin at 5:30 and should be available from the House “Broadcasts” page - http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/HouseCalendar/broadcast.aspx . I checked with the Florida Channel folks and they confirm that they will be covering the conference committee meetings this evening.
At this meeting, the House conferees will offer their initial funding positions and there will likely be some discussion. The session may run late as they have scheduled it from 5:30 midnight. I anticipate that the House position will be posted on the web on the “House Budget Conference Documents Page” - http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Documents/publications.aspx?publicationType=Committees&DocumentType=Budget%20Conference%20Documents&SessionId=64&Session=2010 at some point prior to the meeting.
We are expecting to get bad news when they take up State Aid funding. The current year funding is $21.2 million which is also the federal Maintenance of Effort amount Florida needs to provide in order to be eligible to receive Library Services and Technology Act dollars. The Senate budget included $15 million and the House had a place keeper $500,000 amount. With respect to the Library Cooperatives Program, the House has $1 million, the Senate has $0, and we are requesting $1.2 million, the same amount as this year. Their positions are likely to change this evening.
Thanks for your interest and support!
Charlie Parker –
Chair
FLA Legislative Committee
Monday, April 19, 2010
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Latest on Federal Funding for Literacy
ProLiteracy lobbies for federal funding for community based adult literacy programs which Florida's programs really need. Here is a report on funding from ProLiteracy which we posted on the VALF wiki .http://literacyflorida.wikispaces.com/Announcements The report gives an update on funding as compared to last year which might be available.
It desribes a meeting ProLiteracy had with the Department of Education's Office of Vocational Assessment & Education (OVAE). They encouraged DOE to change the grant program so that organizations like volunteer literacy programs who serve the lowest level learners can compete for grant funds. They recommended that there be greater flexibility to the intensity and duration of instruction provisions and that the National Reporting System is revised to better meet needs of learners at all literacy levels.
It is very difficult for Florida's communtiy based programs to get federal dollars to serve learners. It is important that there be changes in the way the federal funding is distributed in Florida. In these difficult times when program's like Jacksonville's Learn to Read program almost folded--regular funding is vital. The Jacksonville Public Library is helping save that program by providing space, but ongoing dollars are needed.
VALF is a member of ProLiteracy.
It desribes a meeting ProLiteracy had with the Department of Education's Office of Vocational Assessment & Education (OVAE). They encouraged DOE to change the grant program so that organizations like volunteer literacy programs who serve the lowest level learners can compete for grant funds. They recommended that there be greater flexibility to the intensity and duration of instruction provisions and that the National Reporting System is revised to better meet needs of learners at all literacy levels.
It is very difficult for Florida's communtiy based programs to get federal dollars to serve learners. It is important that there be changes in the way the federal funding is distributed in Florida. In these difficult times when program's like Jacksonville's Learn to Read program almost folded--regular funding is vital. The Jacksonville Public Library is helping save that program by providing space, but ongoing dollars are needed.
VALF is a member of ProLiteracy.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Florida Library Association Conference Poster Session.
Gina Bingham and Ava Iuliano, VALF student interns, attended the FLA Conference on Friday, April 9th to present a scholarly poster on adult and family literacy programs during times of economic recession and to raise awareness of VALF’s efforts. Outlining the importance of volunteer literacy programs, the effectiveness of peer-to-peer teaching and the skill of volunteer tutors, the poster generated a lot of interest among FLA attendees. Gina and Ava were also able to drum up interest in VLAF’s new student intern program among library science students. If you missed us at FLA, be sure to see us during the Florida Literacy Conference!
Blog post by Ava Iuliano
Blog post by Ava Iuliano
Thursday, April 8, 2010
ALA Committee on Literacy and State Chapters
The ALA Committee on Literacy is making connections with local state associations through ALA Chapter Relations. If you would like to know more, contact Sandy Newell at snewell@dos.state.fl.us or call 850-245-6624 , past chair of the ALA Committee on Literacy to learn about the work of the committee and how it relates to state associations.
Folk Tales and English Language Learners
The national conference for adult education was held in Chicago last month. It was combined with ProLiteracy. I just saw an interesting post about a program that someone attended,called “Cultural Literacy and the Adult ESOL Learner.”
The post said the following:
The presenter was Planaria Price, a teacher from Evans Community (school) in the LA area of CA.
Ms. Price asserted that adults learning English are disadvantaged without the “cultural hooks” of childhood folktales and nursery stories and other stories that U.S. children learn through print and video media. These tales help learners build up needed “linguistic schemata” (background information) to increase their fluency and literacy in English. She presented video and media clips showing allusions in movies, TV shows, newspapers, and so on to such common stories as Humpty Dumpty, Cinderella, the Three Little Pigs, and others. The story she mentioned as being most frequently mentioned in print and video media was The Wizard of Oz.
Ms Planaria recommended teaching these folktales/stories/rhymes and then asking learners to “fish” – to look for references to these stories in print or other media – in the newspaper, in TV shows, in TV commercials, or in the movies.
-------------------------------------
This got me thinking about what this means to volunteer literacy and libraries....
I know that literacy tutors have probably used folktales in their lessons at times, especially for moms. Or, since folktales are found across cultures, they are a good bridge for learning, But, I hadn't thought about using them for their ability to introduce aspects of our culture.
Do any of you use folktales in lessons? If so, how and what titles have you found the most useful? Please recommend any books/stories that you have built lessons around and share your lessons with VALF so we can share with others?
Libraries could do displays of titles along with lessons plans as handouts in the area where tutors work. The display could include folktales across cultures with a poster introducing simlarities between the stories from culture to culture. What else could libraries do to support volunteer tutors and adult learners?
Sandy Newell
VALF President
The post said the following:
The presenter was Planaria Price, a teacher from Evans Community (school) in the LA area of CA.
Ms. Price asserted that adults learning English are disadvantaged without the “cultural hooks” of childhood folktales and nursery stories and other stories that U.S. children learn through print and video media. These tales help learners build up needed “linguistic schemata” (background information) to increase their fluency and literacy in English. She presented video and media clips showing allusions in movies, TV shows, newspapers, and so on to such common stories as Humpty Dumpty, Cinderella, the Three Little Pigs, and others. The story she mentioned as being most frequently mentioned in print and video media was The Wizard of Oz.
Ms Planaria recommended teaching these folktales/stories/rhymes and then asking learners to “fish” – to look for references to these stories in print or other media – in the newspaper, in TV shows, in TV commercials, or in the movies.
-------------------------------------
This got me thinking about what this means to volunteer literacy and libraries....
I know that literacy tutors have probably used folktales in their lessons at times, especially for moms. Or, since folktales are found across cultures, they are a good bridge for learning, But, I hadn't thought about using them for their ability to introduce aspects of our culture.
Do any of you use folktales in lessons? If so, how and what titles have you found the most useful? Please recommend any books/stories that you have built lessons around and share your lessons with VALF so we can share with others?
Libraries could do displays of titles along with lessons plans as handouts in the area where tutors work. The display could include folktales across cultures with a poster introducing simlarities between the stories from culture to culture. What else could libraries do to support volunteer tutors and adult learners?
Sandy Newell
VALF President
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
ALA Connect and Public Library Literacy
The American Library Association (ALA) has its own version of facebook which has some library literacy groups. It is called ALA Connect. Nonmembers can register and access public forums. Members have broader access.
One of the public forums is for public library literacy practitioners. To register for ALA Connect go to this link. To get to the public library literacy practitioner site go to this link. There are several other sites related to library literacy. One is called Literacy for All and was set up last your for the ALA Committee's Library Literacy Summit. It is for all types of literacy and all types of libraries.
Sandy Newell, President of VALF, will be presenting a program on ALA Connect and other library literacy sites at the Florida Literacy Coaltion Conference on Wednesday in May.
If you have questions about ALA Connect or want to know more about library literacy, contact Sandy Newell at snewell@dos.state.fl.us or at 850-245-6624.
One of the public forums is for public library literacy practitioners. To register for ALA Connect go to this link. To get to the public library literacy practitioner site go to this link. There are several other sites related to library literacy. One is called Literacy for All and was set up last your for the ALA Committee's Library Literacy Summit. It is for all types of literacy and all types of libraries.
Sandy Newell, President of VALF, will be presenting a program on ALA Connect and other library literacy sites at the Florida Literacy Coaltion Conference on Wednesday in May.
If you have questions about ALA Connect or want to know more about library literacy, contact Sandy Newell at snewell@dos.state.fl.us or at 850-245-6624.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Free Online Sessions on the GED Test
Have you wondered what the GED test is all about? Did your student tell you that his goal is to get his high school diploma? Have you been staffing the library's reference desk when a customer asks for the GED book? Then sign up today for our online series of four free sessions on Using the Internet for Studying for the GED.
Starting Monday, March 29, VALF is sponsoring a series of four online sessions to provide an overview of the GED test. It is aimed at volunteer tutors, librarians and program managers and will cover the basics of the test. The sessions will also introduce links learners can use to study for the test.
Each formal session runs from 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. ET. For the first session you attend, sign in early useing the computer link we will send you by Monday morning. We will be online between 5:00 p.m and 5:30 p.m. to make sure your technology works. Please register 1 week before for each session.
To register, let us know which of the following sessions you want to attend.Provide your name, name of program, phone number at the time of the session and email address. A link to attend the session will be sent by the Thursday before the session.
Using the Internet to Study for the GED Webinar Series
Session 1 Overview of the GED Test April 26, Monday 5:30 - 7 pm ET (Register April 19)
Session 2 GED: Language Arts & Social Studies May 24, Monday 5:30 - 7 pm ET (Register May 17)
Session 3 GED: Science & Mathematics June 21, Monday 5:30 - 7 pm ET (Register June 14)
Session 4 GED Materials & Online Instruction July 26, Monday 5:30 - 7 pm ET (Register July 19)
Please email us any questions you have at literacyflorida@hotmail.com
Thanks,
Sandy Newell, President of VALF
Who is VALF....
Volunteers for Adult Literacy (VALF) is a membership organization supporting volunteer literacy programs in Florida. We are a member of the Florida Literacy Coaltion and hold our annual meeting at their conference each year. We are a separate association which is volunteer run and supported by membership and donations.
Starting Monday, March 29, VALF is sponsoring a series of four online sessions to provide an overview of the GED test. It is aimed at volunteer tutors, librarians and program managers and will cover the basics of the test. The sessions will also introduce links learners can use to study for the test.
Each formal session runs from 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. ET. For the first session you attend, sign in early useing the computer link we will send you by Monday morning. We will be online between 5:00 p.m and 5:30 p.m. to make sure your technology works. Please register 1 week before for each session.
To register, let us know which of the following sessions you want to attend.Provide your name, name of program, phone number at the time of the session and email address. A link to attend the session will be sent by the Thursday before the session.
Using the Internet to Study for the GED Webinar Series
Session 1 Overview of the GED Test April 26, Monday 5:30 - 7 pm ET (Register April 19)
Session 2 GED: Language Arts & Social Studies May 24, Monday 5:30 - 7 pm ET (Register May 17)
Session 3 GED: Science & Mathematics June 21, Monday 5:30 - 7 pm ET (Register June 14)
Session 4 GED Materials & Online Instruction July 26, Monday 5:30 - 7 pm ET (Register July 19)
Please email us any questions you have at literacyflorida@hotmail.com
Thanks,
Sandy Newell, President of VALF
Who is VALF....
Volunteers for Adult Literacy (VALF) is a membership organization supporting volunteer literacy programs in Florida. We are a member of the Florida Literacy Coaltion and hold our annual meeting at their conference each year. We are a separate association which is volunteer run and supported by membership and donations.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)