Finding Our Way: Digital Technologies and E-Learning for Adult Literacy Students, Educators and Programs

October 23, 2011

Finding Our Way from Alpha Plus is a must-have resource for anyone working in adult literacy.

Written by Maria Moriarty, this literature review from 2005-2011 that looks at digital reading; digital skills and employment; learning disabilities and assistive technology; the digital divide; anywhere/anytime learning; collaborative learning; and professional development in technology for literacy educators.

It examines how technology has been used to enhance learning and professional development. It also asks the question: Where do we go from here?

The report includes some excellent discussion and carefully examines how technology is being integrated into literacy today.

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

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Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

QuickWrites: What they are and how to use them

October 15, 2011

“Quick writes” are short, timed writing activities. They can be used with elementary, junior high, senior high or adult learners. They can be used to teach native and non-native speakers alike. They’re designed to encourage spontaneous, impromptu writing and help learners build a practice of writing more.

Here are some resources to get you started:

Creative QuickWrite ideas from the University of Alberta

QuickWrite ideas from the University of Prince Edward Island

6 Ways to Use Quick Writes

100 Quickwrites by Linda Rief (book excerpt)

1000 Ideas for writing (expert of 100 of those ideas)

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

Comments Off on QuickWrites: What they are and how to use them | education, Literacy, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

Improving Adult Literacy Instruction: Options for Practice and Research

October 13, 2011

The National Academies Press has just made “Improving Adult Literacy Instruction: Options for Practice and Research” (http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13242)  available. You can download the .pdf for free if you register on their site. (Look on the left hand side, about half way down, under ordering options.)

This is a huge resource document and the contents include:

  1. Introduction
  2. Foundations of Reading and Writing
  3. Literacy Instruction for Adults
  4. Principles of Learning for Instructional Design
  5. Motivation, Engagement, and Persistence
  6. Technology to Promote Adult Literacy
  7. Learning, Reading, and Writing Disabilities
  8. Literacy Development of English Language Learners
  9. Conclusions and Recommendations

References

Appendices

A: Biographical Sketches of Committee Members and Staff

B: Literacy in a Digital Age

C: Search Procedures and Reviewed Studies of Adult Literacy Instruction

D: Interventions to Develop the Component Literacy Skills of Low Literate Adults

Index

This is an in-depth report with multiple individual and organizational authors. It’s worth going through it chapter by chapter and discussing the ideas with others as you go. I’ve just downloaded it and I’m looking forward to delving into it!

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

Comments Off on Improving Adult Literacy Instruction: Options for Practice and Research | education, Literacy, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

Interested in Learning How to Use Webinars for Literacy PD, Programming and Promotion?

October 5, 2011

This event has passed.

Check out the webinar recording and resources that we shared.

Are you interested in learning how to use e-learning and webinar technology for literacy?

Join me for this special webinar that I’ll be hosting. I’ve gathered together some professional pioneers who are leading the way when it comes to using e-learning technology in the literacy field. Each “pioneer” is at a different stage along the continuum:

  • One pioneer has led a province-wide initiative to launch a literacy webinars for professional development.
  • Another expert has mobilized people in her organization to agree to the idea of launching webinars and has begun developing a program, but has not yet had her first webinar.
  • A third pioneer is intensely curious and likes the idea of doing webinars for literacy and is grappling with some questions from within her organization.

I’ve convinced them all to join me for an open dialogue on how to incorporate e-learning and webinar technology into the literacy field. I’m hoping that the intended outcome will be that participants will realize that it may be easier than you think. By working together and learning from each other, we can advance the use of technology in the literacy field.

Join the conversation:

How to Use Webinars for Literacy: PD, Programming and Promotion

Friday, October 28, 2011
09:00 Mountain Time / 11:00 Eastern (Convert that to your local time zone.)

Allison Mullin (Ontario Literacy Coalition), Courtney Hare (Momentum) and others discuss their experience using webinars for professional development and marketing in the literacy field. This event is an interactive discussion for literacy professionals at schools, non-profit and community based organizations.

Join us, tell us about your experience and ask questions from professionals who are using webinars for PD, programming and promotion of literacy.

This is a free event, but registration is required, due to space limitations. Register here.

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

Comments Off on Interested in Learning How to Use Webinars for Literacy PD, Programming and Promotion? | education, Literacy, technology, webinar | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

Free PD Resource: 3 Early Literacy Professional Development Webinar Recordings

September 28, 2011

Are you looking for some material for your next PD or staff meeting to get your early literacy practitioners thinking? Webinars are a great way to build knowledge and generate discussion in your team. You can ask participants to watch the webinar before the meeting and come prepared to talk about it, or you can watch the webinar as a group and then have a dialogue about it.

Get Ready to Read has posted three freely available webinars for early literacy on their site. You can watch the programs and download the slide presentations for each of these three topics:

Shared Book Reading

Reading with children provides valuable opportunities for enriching vocabulary and other important oral language skills as well as for extending basic knowledge about the world. Viewers will learn how to maximize language growth through shared book reading. They will also find out how to increase children’s understanding of concepts of print, how books work, and the wonders of letters and words on a page. Activities will be demonstrated to help prepare children to become motivated, equipped, and successful readers and writers.

Phonological (Sound) Awareness

Phonological awareness, or the insight that words are made up of discrete parts, is one of the strongest indicators of future reading success. Viewers will learn how to use books, songs and conversation to increase youngsters’ ability to learn important preliteracy concepts through play with sounds and syllables. Enjoyable activities will be described and modeled to help children rhyme as well as identify, separate, and blend sounds with words.

Speech to Print Connection

Children can be empowered to match what they know best – speech – with what they need to learn to read – print. Through children’s first exposure to the alphabet, the speech to print connection is built. Activities to strengthen letter naming and children’s own name recognition serve as the springboard for establishing sound-symbol relationships and word recognition. Enjoyable group activities demonstrate how early literacy can be promoted to prepare children for later reading success.

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Share this post: Free PD Resource: 3 Early Literacy Professional Development Webinar Recordings http://wp.me/pNAh3-Tw

Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

Comments Off on Free PD Resource: 3 Early Literacy Professional Development Webinar Recordings | education, Literacy, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

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