1

Volume 7, Issue 3

FaLL 2007

The Arkansas Adult

Learning Resource

Center provides equal

access to all programs

and activities.

Accommodations Do Work!!

Pridgett Wynn, Lincoln County Adult Education Director & Chief GED Examiner

In July of 2006, a young man named Terry (not his real name), a seventeen-

year-old student, was brought to the Lincoln County Adult Education Center

by his mother. She was hoping we could help Terry obtain his GED like we

had helped his older brother the year before. But unlike his brother, Terry

had serious learning disabilities and had been in Resource classes while in

public school. Terry was a very shy young man who would not look you in

the eye, wore a hat all the time, and spoke so softly when he talked that you

could not understand him.

When our students take the Tests of Adult Basic Education (TABE) and

their time is up, we mark where the student stopped and allow the student

to complete the test. This helps us determine if time is a factor in the score.

For those students who indicate they have learning disabilities, or if we

suspect they may have learning disabilities, we then administer the TABE

on tape. This gives us an initial indication of the students’ strengths and be-

gins the process of determining the effectiveness of various testing accommo-

dations. This is what we did with Terry.

On the written TABE test, Terry scored in the lowest scale score range on

each section. But when he was administered the TABE test on tape, he

scored in the higher scale score ranges on each section. It was the most

glaring example of an auditory learner I had ever seen. Terry could not read

simple instructions or write good simple sentences, because he spelled

what he heard. He was in a real dilemma.

2007 ESL Summer Institute

Dr. Philip Less

Arkansas Adult Learning

Resource Center

3905 Cooperative Way,

Suite D

Little Rock, AR 72209

Phone: 800-832-6242

501-907-2490

FAX: 501-907-2492

http://www.aalrc.org

Continued on page 5

The Adult Education Section of the Arkansas Department of Workforce

Education provides not only financial and technical assistance for ESL

programs but also professional development for adult education instruc-

tors. For the last seven summers, ESL instructors from across the state

have converged for an intensive multi-day workshop to learn the most up-

to-date methods for teaching ESL students. This summer 50 teachers,

from Siloam Springs to DeQueen and from Monticello to Blytheville, met

from July 23rd to 26th at the Arkansas Adult Learning Resource Center in

Little Rock for the Seventh Annual ESL Summer Institute.

The ESL Institute focused on hands-on activities and strategies for teach-

ing. The trainer for this summer’s institute was Ms. Laurel Pollard, an

educational consultant from Tucson, Arizona. Ms. Pollard has written

four highly successful and practical books for ESL teachers: Zero Prep,

Zero Prep for Beginners, Now You’re Talking, and Yours for the Asking.

Continued on page 8

2

Adult Learning Network

AALRC Staff

Director

Marsha Taylor

___________________

Administrative

Assistant

Wanda Johnson

Professional

Development

Coordinator

Nancy Loftis

Media

Coordinator

Klaus Neu

Secretary

Toccara Pearson

Information

Technology

Specialist

Rob Pollan

Disabilities

Project

Manager

Patti White

NOTICE:

When a workshop has a waiting list,

participants may not send substitutes

from their center to attend in their

place. Registrations are held for par-

ticipants and not for centers.

If you are unable to attend a work-

shop for which you have registered,

please go online to ESC Web and

cancel your registration. Participants

are often placed on waiting lists be-

cause workshops fill up quickly. After

you cancel, ESC Web will send an

email to the first person in line on the

waiting list.

Calendar

All events are at the AALRC unless otherwise noted.

http://www.escweb.net/ar_esc/

Please remember that the AALRC is now

using ESC Web for all workshop/training

registrations. Tips, tricks, and hints may be

found on the AALRC web site at:

http://www.aalrc.org/profdev/ESCWeb.doc

.

If you are still having trouble, you can al-

ways call the AALRC at 1-800-832-6242 or

1-501-907-2490.

October 3 – Leadership Excellence Academy – Session 1 – ID: 61908

October 4 – GED Examiners’ Regional Meeting – Jonesboro Holiday Inn –

ID: 57108

October 8-10 – Literacy Task Analysis – ID: 60688

October 9 – GED Examiners’ Regional Meeting - Russellville – The Depot –

ID: 57107

October 11-12 – ESL Basics – Session 2 (Days 3-4)

October 17 – El/Civics - ID: 60698

October 17 – Office 2007 Overview - ID: 60643

October 18 – PowerPoint – ID: 60677

October 18-19 – Administrators’ Meeting - Little Rock Hilton

October 25-26 – AACAE Conference – North Little Rock Wyndham

November 5-6 – Literacy Tasks Analysis – Session 2 (Days 4-5)

November 8-9 – ESL Basics – Session 3 (Days 5-6)

November 13 – Beginning Excel – ID: 60678

November 14 – Movie Maker – ID: 60617

November 15-16 – Teaching With Manipulatives – ID: 60681

November 15-16 – Adult Education Advisory Council – Midsouth Community

College – West Memphis

November 21-23 – AALRC Closed

November 28 – Leadership Excellence Academy – Session 2

December 4-5 – Bridges out of Poverty/Applying Bridges – ID: 60695

December 7 – WAGE Council Meeting

December 19-January 2 – AALRC Closed

Local programs funded

with state or federal

adult education funds

must adhere to Arkan-

sas Department of Fi-

nance and Administra-

tion guidelines when

requesting travel reim-

bursement.

TRAVEL

Reimburse-

ment

3

Adult Learning Network

Bridges Out of Poverty Seminar

The Bridges Out of Poverty Seminar is for any organization that works with people from poverty.

Only a deeper understanding of their challenges—and strengths—will help you partner with them

to create opportunities for success. Bridges Out of Poverty represents a powerful tool for change.

Based in part on Dr. Ruby Payne’s myth-shattering A Framework for Understanding Poverty,

Bridges reaches out to the millions of service providers and businesses whose daily work con-

nects them with the lives of people in poverty.

Bridges training contains case studies, detailed analysis, helpful charts and exercises, and specific

solutions you and your organization can implement right now to:

Redesign programs to better serve people in poverty;

Build skill sets for management to help guide employees;

Upgrade training for front-line staff like receptionists, case workers, and managers;

Improve treatment outcomes in health care and behavioral health care; and

Increase the likelihood of moving from welfare to work.

The book Bridges Out of Poverty is used as a training manual in the seminars and includes chap-

ters on relationship building, mentoring, redesigning programs, and community collaboration.

Applying Bridges Concepts

Learn Strategies That Build Relationships and Improve Outcomes

This workshop is an extension of the Bridges Out of Poverty (Day One) seminar. The content of

the first day is typically extended into a second day to allow for more discussion and interaction. In

this workshop, participants will learn more about language experience, cognitive issues, and barri-

ers to change.

Participants will learn how to use mental models to communicate effectively, and to assist clients

from poverty to learn quickly, explore options, and develop future stories. Participants will also ex-

plore the skills of mediation, relationship building, and mentoring.

This workshop introduces strategies for changing program designs, policies, and procedures to

improve outcomes. Participants will use case studies and an examination of the client’s lifecycle to

identify principles of change. The presenter for this workshop will be Monica Bein from Owasso,

Oklahoma. Monica's Master's degree in speech pathology has led to international experiences.

She studied in France and worked in Bosnian and Romanian orphanages providing staff training

and therapy for children with special needs. She is often called upon to provide expertise for local

magazines, newspapers, and other news media. She collaborates with several community agen-

cies.

This two-day workshop is scheduled for December 4-5, 2007 at the Resource Center.

AR Association for Continuing and Adult Education

and

Arkansas Literacy Councils, Inc.

2007 Conference Registration

Adult Learning Rocks in AR

Wyndham Riverfront Hotel

North Little Rock

October 25 & 26, 2007

For more information: http://aalrc.org/news/conferences.aspx

DON’T FORGET TO REGISTER:

4

Adult Learning Network

News from the Disabilities Project Manager

Focus on Local Program Disabilities Training for FY 2007-08

The focus of the AALRC training regarding adults and disabilities this year is on workshops for local pro-

grams at their location. Workshops available for this more individualized approach include:

Demystifying AD/HD (2 days; an overview of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder)

Don’t Panic! (½

day or 1 day; an overview of Panic Disorder)

Teaching Adults with Learning Disabilities for Adult Education Programs (2 non-consecutive days)

Teaching Adults with Learning Disabilities for Literacy Programs (2 non-consecutive days)

For more detailed descriptions of these workshops, please go to

http://aalrc.org/resources/ld/ld_workshops.pdf

There are several reasons to offer these workshops via local format:

Workshops will be tailored to fit the needs of each specific program;

There are fewer participants per session than in a statewide training;

Participants have more opportunities to relate new information to their specific program, instruction,

and students;

Administrators are able to attend the local training with their staff, thus encouraging support and im

plementation of new knowledge;

Participants have opportunities to brainstorm implementation strategies together as a program-wide

effort; and

Specific program goals and objectives regarding implementation can be determined in the course of

the workshop.

For more information or to schedule a workshop for your program, please contact Patti White at

prwhite@madisoncounty.net

or 800.569.3539.

I

nstructional Tips for Teaching Writing for Students with Learning Disabilities

Adults with learning disabilities sometimes have difficulty with writing assignments for a variety of reasons,

including problems expressing their thoughts in writing, coordination and fine motor skills, spelling, me-

chanics, and visual perception. There are a number of instructional strategies that may help – here are a

few that may be helpful for some students:

Allow access to a keyboard for writing practice for students with fine motor difficulties.

For practice with both writing and reading, encourage students to work in pairs at a keyboard. Tell

them to communicate with each other for five minutes without using any spoken language or body l

anguage. This can reinforce the idea of both reading and writing as effective means of communica

tion.

Use Microsoft Word to create paper with rows to write on that has alternating white/color rows for

writing. (Use the .insert table. function.) It looks like this:

Use a spellchecker with auditory feedback, like the Franklin Language Master.

Encourage the use of block fonts (sans serif) when the student is using a keyboard. Some good

5

Adult Learning Network

AALRC

Advisory

Committee

Dubs Byers,

Chair,

Pine Bluff

Emily Barrier,

Little Rock

Harriet Branch,

Monticello

Sharon Ellis,

Secretary,

Fort Smith

Jennifer Hurst,

Pine Bluff

Lloyd Huskey,

Little Rock

Steven Lilly,

Lonoke

Charlotte

Robertson,

Little Rock

Trece Shepherd

Williams,

Helena

Billy Upson,

Texarkana

Nancy

Whitmire,

Vice-Chair,

Batesville

Accommodations Do Work!!

ones are Verdana, Arial, and Primer Print. There are also fonts avail

able that are written as dashed lines so the student can practice tracing

the letters if you print them out really big. There are a number of these

fonts available for free at

http://desktoppub.about.com/od/fonts/p/schoolfree.htm

.

If the student is using Microsoft Word, here are a few things to remember:

A right-click on the mouse following a word will pull up a list of choices;

one is for synonyms. This is helpful for students with limited vocabular-

ies. There’s also a quick link to the thesaurus on that list.

Go to

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306993/

for directions on installing

and using the .Language Bar,. a Microsoft tool that will read text out

loud, among other functions.

Teach your student how to highlight the text for remembering phrases or

sentences they may want to revise later.

Change the line spacing to double or more to reduce clutter.

To further reduce clutter, change the spacing between words. (Click

.Edit,. then .Replace.. Type one space in the line by .Find what:. and

several spaces in the line by .Replace with:.. Then click .Replace All..

Use the .AutoCorrect. feature located in the .Tools. menu. This is an

extensive database of commonly misspelled and mistyped words and

abbreviations that will be replaced with the correct ones when typed.

You can add or delete from this list. Consider adding words the student

consistently has trouble spelling. (And no, this doesn’t help them spell

better, but it DOES allow them to practice writing fluently without so

many discouraging mistakes.)

Increase the font size.

Use a different background color while writing. (Click .Format,. then

.Background,. then choose the color you want.)

Use the .Auto Text. function in the .Insert. menu to reduce keystrokes

and speed up the writing process.

Switch to .Outline. view under the .View. menu to help students organ

ize their writing more quickly.

Encourage the student to add graphics to their text. Google Images has mil

lions you can search with a key word at

www.google.com/images

.

Use visual mapping software like .Inspiration™. to quickly brainstorm, organize,

add graphics or videos, color-code, etc. for a pre-writing activity. Watch the

AALRC website for the next available .Inspiration. training.

News from the Disabilities Project Manager

Continued from page 1

The good news was we now knew what Terry needed. The challenge was meeting

his needs with only one full-time teacher in the classroom. We were able to secure

the books on tape from the AALRC which allowed Terry to work in the classroom.

The more successful Terry became in the classroom, the more he began to blos-

som. He began to open up to us and the other students in the classroom. He be-

gan to look us in the eye when he spoke to us and to speak up when he had some-

thing to say. We were able to secure the accommodations needed for Terry to

take the GED test on tape. Terry received his GED and is now employed.

Thank you to Klaus Neu, Patti White, Janice Hanlon, and to the instructor and

paraprofessionals who worked with Terry for all their help. Believe me: Accommo-

dations do work!!!

6

Adult Learning Network

Adult Education

Advisory Council

Patricia Bates, Chair

El Dorado

Ben Aldama,

Vice-Chair, Rogers

Jim Allen,

Fayetteville

Diane Cary,

Magnolia

Steve Clayton,

Jonesboro

Pat Collins,

Russellville

Sharon Ellis,

Fort Smith

Denise Hester

Blytheville

Lloyd Huskey,

North Little Rock

Margaret Jarrett,

Monticello

Steven Lilly,

Lonoke

Carolyn Moody,

Mountain Home

Bobbie Sanders,

Little Rock

Diane Shores,

Helena

Flora Simon,

Dumas

Marsha Taylor,

Little Rock

Dr. Carrie Boden

Dr. Carrie Boden was recently appointed Associate Professor of Adult Education

and Coordinator of the Adult Education Graduate Program at the University of Ar-

kansas at Little Rock. Dr. Boden replaces Dr. Charlotte Robertson, who retired in

July of this year. .I have big shoes to fill. Charlotte is beloved; she is so well-

known throughout the state and is excellent in all that she does,. Boden said.

Dr. Boden comes to the University of Arkansas at Little

Rock from Friends University in Wichita, Kansas, where

she has worked extensively with adult students. In her role

as Associate Professor, she taught writing, humanities,

literature, education, and English as a Second Language

courses. Over her nine years at Friends, Boden’s adminis-

trative assignments included serving as director of the Pro-

gram for Adult College Education, coordinator of English

and Languages for the College of Adult and Professional

Studies, and coordinator of the university-wide General

Education Program. For the past five years, Boden co-

coordinated a Sister Cities International exchange be-

tween Friends University and La Universidad La Salle in

Cancún, México.

As a researcher, Dr. Boden’s focus has been on adult learners, specifically on the

connections between personal beliefs and how well students learn. Most recently,

she has presented her findings at national and international conferences in Mil-

waukee, Wisconsin; Montego Bay, Jamaica; Granada, Spain; Havana, Cuba; and

Detroit, Michigan. Her publications include articles in The International Journal of

Learning, book chapters in The Encyclopedia of Ethnic American Literature, and

text books such as The College of Adult and Professional Studies Companion

and The Search for Meaning in a Changing World: An Interdisciplinary Reader.

International adult education is one of Dr. Boden’s interests, and her awards and

honors include The Sister Cities International Innovation Award for Technology

and Communication and a Fulbright-Hays Award for Project ECHO, for which she

traveled with a group of educators to Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil. In 1995,

Dr. Boden served as a delegate at the Non-Government Organization Forum on

Women in Beijing, China.

Dr. Boden holds a Ph.D. in Education from Kansas State University in Manhattan,

Kansas; a M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Wichita State University in Wichita,

Kansas; and a B.A. in English Language and Literature from Bethel College in

North Newton, Kansas.

Dr. Boden plans to build on the existing strengths of the Adult Education Program

at UALR. .The adult education program at UALR is grounded in the larger adult

education field, and I like that. Until now, I have been focused on this very small

subset of adult education, adult higher education, but in this program I will be able

to focus on other important aspects of the field such as literacy and adult educa-

tion in corrections settings,. Boden said. .I have been welcomed into the commu-

nity, and this increases my excitement about being here and about the opportuni-

ties I will have to collaborate and build partnerships within and beyond UALR,.

Boden said.

New Associate Professor of Adult Education at

University of Arkansas in Little

Rock

7

Adult Learning Network

Tech

Talk

Note: To link to any web address (URL) in this newsletter, go the AALRC's home page at

http://aalrc.org, look up this newsletter, and then just click on the appropriate link.

Microsoft Office 2007

Did you know that the AALRC has one free copy of Microsoft Office 2007 Enterprise ($679.99

retail) available for all of our centers. If your center has not received your free copy, please con-

tact Rob Pollan (

rob@aalrc.org

). Please note that Office 2007 will only run on Windows XP or

Windows Vista (one free copy per center only). You can also purchase Office 2007 through the

AALRC for $26 per copy.

There is also a free alternative to Microsoft Office called OpenOffice. Go to

www.openoffice.org

and download the latest OpenOffice software. This is totally free and it can open files in Micro-

soft Office formats and save to Microsoft Office Formats. You can install OpenOffice on as many

computers as you want, but do not confuse this with Microsoft Office (see Microsoft license infor-

mation above).

Microsoft Software

We can purchase all Microsoft software at deep educational discounts. Please let us know if you

are interested. We are trying to get a large group purchase of Windows operating systems to-

gether so we can get a better discount.

Microsoft’s educational discount program works by using a number system that they assign to

each operating system, Windows XP is worth 1 point but server software is worth several points.

We need an additional 150 points to be able to get Windows XP and other operating systems for

a price of around $25 (excluding servers). So if you are wanting to upgrade to Windows XP,

Windows Vista, or are considering a server purchase, please let us know so we can make a

group purchase and receive the deeper discounts.

Are you considering getting new computers anytime soon. If you are purchasing computers for

your lab, I highly recommend getting Windows XP instead of Vista because you will probably run

into compatibility problems with your educational software using Vista. Also, Vista has tight se-

curity - which is a good thing because it keeps bad people out of your computer, but it can create

issues when trying to install software or make system changes.

If you are set on purchasing Vista, make sure that all the programs you use are compatible with

Vista before making your purchase. When checking program compatibility on the manufacturers

website, be sure to check the version number closely because the software manufacturer may

have a version that is compatible with Vista, but that may not be the version you have and you

may have to pay for an upgrade. Vista seems to work fine for Office use; you will just have to be-

come accustomed to new ways of doing things, and as stated above - be sure to check out any

software compatibility issues before making your purchase.

Windows Vista

8

Adult Learning Network

Adult Education Section Federal Review

Group photo of the ESL Summer Institute 2007 class

2007 ESL Summer Institute

Dr. Philip Less

The Division of Adult Education and Literacy, Office of Vocational Adult Education, visited the Arkansas

Adult Education Section to conduct a site review in August. Allison Hill, Chris Coro, and Bill Bivens from

Washington D.C. and Josephine Reed-Taylor from Georgia were team members.

The review included interviews of state staff members, AALRC staff members, WIA partners, and Literacy

Council and Adult Education Directors. Site visits were conducted at four local programs. The state office

will receive a written report from the team in 45 days. They take the information gathered in Arkansas back

to Washington and work with others there to verify the review. Once the report is sent to Arkansas, the

state office will have 45 days to respond.

The team gave commendations on the Professional Development offered through the AALRC, WIA Col-

laborations, and the Shared Youth Vision (AR Youth Development Council). Several findings were cited.

Of those, it was found that the Request for Proposal process needs to be revised and recomputed; ex-

penses concerning GED examiner training and the testing office cannot be paid with federal funds; the cur-

rent assessment policy does not meet NRS guidelines; time and effort sheets must be adjusted; EL Civics

must have a new funding competition; and the 2003 Adult Education Policy Manual needs to be updated.

Recommendations were also suggested:

EL Civics – Civics instruction (history, government, legal systems, etc.) should be equally bal-

anced with English Literacy instruction (life skills).

Program Reviews – Good to see that the recommendations from the last review were imple-

mented quickly. They could see the improvement.

MIS – Impressed with what AR has done with the system. However, dual enrollment is a con-

cern with counting students more than one time for state numbers. Staff needs to be cross-

trained to better assist the field.

The issues raised by the Federal team are already being addressed by the state office and will be dealt

with in a timely manner. The state office found this a great experience to share the great things being done

in Arkansas as well as see what needs to be improved.

The topics that were covered in this summer’s four-

day workshop included: effective interaction rou-

tines, student motivation and retention, building

classroom community, multi-level options, helping

students take charge of their own learning, learning

outside the classroom, working with low beginning

students, vocabulary and reading activities, and

stress reduction activities for teachers and stu-

dents. Ms. Pollard also shared many resources

with the participants, including Out and About by

Hemmert and Kappra, and sections from her new-

est book, Wow! Stories from Real Life, which she

co-authored with Dr. Natalie Hess, who was last

year’s summer institute trainer.

For further information about the Adult Education ESL Summer Institute or teaching English as a

Second Language to adults, contact Dr. Philip Less at the Arkansas Department of Workforce

Education at 501-682-1970.

Continued from page 1