Activities for VALF Interns

Become involved at a statewide level and make a difference. Apply to be an intern with Volunteers for Adult Literacy in Florida. Here are activities you could be involved in. The program is for college students and requires a 6 month commitment.

• VALF Marketing plan using social networking tools 
• Membership
• Fundraising
• Using Social Networking Tools in Adult Literacy
• Using E-Books with Adult Learners
• Video Story Project with Adult Learners
• Provide Production Support for Online Training
• Face to Face Training for Adult Literacy
• Adult Literacy Field Services
• Publishing VALF Newsletter, Monthly Tip Sheets

5 Tips for using Text Messaging to Teach ESL

source: http://www.ehow.com/how_4995209_use-text-messaging-teach-esl.html

1. Create your own word-of-the-day service. Send your students one new word every day. Make the word meaningful, not random. Relate the words to the current lesson plan. For example, if the current lesson is about weather, send weather-related words or phrases.

2. Text message grammar tips. Have your students text you back about their day using that grammar tip.

3. Text message conversational tips. For example, if your students work in restaurants, text message them phrases that they can use at work.

4. Have your students text you messages using the word-for-the-day. Texting is a good way to encourage students to begin writing.

5. Introduce text messaging casually. It is just one tool for teaching. Make it meaningful and you and your students will learn and have fun.

National Literacy Month--Partnership Between Libraries State Parks

It is not too early to start planning for National Literacy Month. International Literacy Day is September 8. Most programs have expanded the day and hold activities throughout the month. The Florida Governor's wife spoke at a Florida State Park last year.

You may want to consider partnering with public libraries this year. The state park system will  waive park entrance fees again Sunday, September 8  and on Veterans Day, November 11.

 

Future of the Library and Literacy

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April 2009 Library Literacy Virtual Summit Speakers in Washinton DC

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation recently surveyed the library community to determine the priorities for the Library of the Future. Of those responding, a little over 10% thought that literacy was an important role for the library. About 15% thought learning was an important role. The respondents included Digital Literacy as part of literacy.

Here are the roles that library staff and library leaders thought were most important:

1.  Help navigate and curate information 32%
2. A community center or gathering place 30%
3. Provide community programs and services 24%
4. Provide technology access and training 20%
5. Will be a space for learning 16%
6. Bridge the digital divide 15%
7. Provide literacy programs (just over)10%
8. Stay the same (just under 10%)

As you can see, there is not an overwhelming consensus on what your library should be doing by 2018.

What do you think the role of the library should be in five or more years?  If, you work within a library literacy program, how do you make the case that adult literacy programs are important? If you are in a community based group, what role should your public library be playing in learning?

Share your comments and thoughts below.

VALF's President is serving on a Community of Practice CoP for library literacy that will be developing a library literacy action agenda.  The CoP was formed through a partnership between the American Library Association and ProLiteracy. The CoP will be meeting in early September 2013 to finalize the agenda. Add your comments to help inform the work of the CoP







 

Health Literacy Resources & Summitt

Florida will have a health literacy summit on July 26, http://www.floridaliteracy.org/healthsummit.html. You can get free health information through your computer at the Florida Electronic library. Learn about it in a previous post.  

The site has magazine articles and the following reference books which can be searched. Some health problems, like diabetes, require more reading than others. If your student has a health problem, learning to read medical terms might be one of his goals. If so, you could include lessons that include vocabulary to help them.


A-Z Diseases & Conditions
Health and Wellness Resource Center
Health Reference Center Academic
Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine
Gale Encyclopedia of Cancer
Gale Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders

New Adult Literacy Brochure

I am pleased to see that ProLiteracy has come out with a new fact sheet that we all can use. We now need one that gives the same picture in Florida. We also want to collect samples from Florida volunteer literacy programs.

This national brochure emphasizes the importance of teaching adult literacy and basic education and demonstrates the links between literacy and the workforce, finances, and health.
They provided this brochure to you in two different formats:

1. A version meant to be printed in color on 11x17 paper, trimmed, and folded
   in accordion style. This version is best taken to a copy center or printer.
2. A version meant to be printed double-sided in color on 8.5x11 paper and stapled.

It looks similar to an infographics style brochure. If you have a sample of a brochure you are willing to share, please send it to valflorida@hotmail.com and we will post on our public wiki for our members.

Thanks,
Sandy Newell

Advocates Important for Library Literacy Program Successes!

West Palm Beach County Library AdultLiteracy Project was under threat of closure 20 years ago, one of several programs being considered for elimination. The program started in 1985. This week they are celebrating their survival and all of their acheivements this week.

 According to their most recent newsletter,
 

" It was twenty years ago, in the Spring of 1993, that motivated a group of volunteer tutors to do whatever they could to not let the program come to an end. This group of activists incorporated themselves as The Friends of Literacy (later renamed Library Literacy Friends, Inc.), and with great enthusiasm and purpose, put together an effort that made it possible for all of us to be adult literacy tutors today. "