Thursday, December 31, 2020

National Literacy & Library Events ▬ January 2021

National Literacy & Library Events
January 2021

 Braille Literacy Month


Jan. 01      New Year's Day Poetry Marathon Poetry Project
Jan. 02      Science Fiction Day
Jan. 04      Introduction to Structured Word Inquiry OnLine
Jan. 04      What is Dyslexia? An In Depth Look OnLine
Jan. 04      Hawaii International VIRTUAL Conference on Education
Jan. 12      Poetry at Work Day
Jan. 15      VIRTUAL Warm-up Activities for Pronunciation and Speaking 11a
Jan. 15      VIRTUAL Engaging ESL Students Using OER (Open Educational Resources) 4p
Jan. 18      Thesaurus Day
Jan. 22      ALA VIRTUAL Midwinter 2021
Jan. 23      Handwriting Day
Jan. 23      National Reading Day
Jan. 23      I Love My Librarian VIRTUAL 2020 Award
Jan. 24      International Day of Education
Jan. 25      ATIA VIRTUAL Conference & Exhibition   
Jan. 25      Literacy Week, Florida
Jan. 25      News Literacy Week
Jan. 26      Future of Education Technology VIRTUAL Conference
Jan. 27      Mentoring VIRTUAL Summit
Jan. 27      Family Literacy Day VIRTUAL Canada
Jan. 29      Multicultural Children’s Book Day
Jan. 30      Cowboy Poetry VIRTUAL Gathering
Jan. 30      National Reading Recovery Literacy VIRTUAL Conference



Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Literacy – Spanning the US :: Bath ME :: Philadelphia PA :: Lincoln NE

Literacy In The News :: Spanning the US

@MidcoastLit
Midcoast Literacy To Present Free Readers Theater Online
Press Herald: 12.03.2020

Midcoast Literacy, a non-profit organization that provides free literacy tutoring to people of all ages, announces a free, live Readers Theater performance of two children’s books to be streamed online. The event will be held one time only on Saturday, Dec. 12, at 7 p.m. It will feature local professional actors reading “Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse,” by Kevin Henkes and “Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree,” by Robert Barry.

“We are thrilled to be trying out a new way to share children’s literature with families in the towns we serve,” said Don Lader, Midcoast Literacy’s executive director, in a news release. “Originally, we had planned to launch our first-ever Readers Theater performance as a live, in-person event. Now, having made accommodations for the pandemic, we think this online version will be just as entertaining.”

The Readers Theater production will feature actors performing all the parts in the two books over Zoom.  READ MORE ➤➤

Based on 7 readability formulas:
Grade Level: 9
Reading Level: standard / average.
Reader's Age: 13-15 yrs. old
(Eighth and Ninth graders)

 

How thousands of Philadelphians Are Overcoming Literacy Barriers To Cast Their Vote
WURD Radio: 12.05.2020 by Sojourner Ahebee

           CLC   @FreeLibrary      @Center4Literacy

Linda Hyden cast her first ballot shortly before the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. The year was 1964, and she had recently moved to Philadelphia. She was 20 at the time and remembers voting for Lyndon B. Johnson in that presidential election.

“I was 16-years-old when I left North Carolina,” recalled the 75-year-old Philadelphia resident.

Hyden is one of the six million African Americans who left the rural south between 1916 and 1970 in the advent of the Great Migration.

Though the 19th Amendment granted Black women in the United States the right to vote, voter disenfranchisement in the South persisted into the late 60s. It was common for white election officials in the south to tell Black voters they got the election day or polling location wrong.  And Hyden is from the same rural south that instituted literacy tests as a way to disenfranchise Black voters from casting their ballots.

That means theoretically, by law, Hyden would have been eligible to vote in North Carolina when she turned 18.  When she moved to Philadelphia and could take part in the next Presidential Election, she was free of the many voter intimidation tactics that characterized the south.

She’s never missed an election since then, even though she’s one of the 550,000 adults in the city who struggle to read.

And the obstacles to voting when you have low-literacy skills abound.  LISTEN 03.29

Community Learning Center

Free Library of Philadelphia

Center for Literacy


Based on 7 readability formulas:
Grade Level: 10
Reading Level: fairly difficult to read.
Reader's Age: 14-15 yrs. old
(Ninth to Tenth graders)

 

The Refinery

Refugee Women Learning To Run A Small Business With The Help Of Mentors And Businesswomen
Journal Star: 12.08.2020 by Cindy Lange-Kubick

Friday night was graduation night for the entrepreneurs.

The six women made up the first class at The Refinery, a program designed to give immigrant and refugee women the opportunity to achieve economic independence and social capital.

A 10-week program that offered business education and professional mentorships — by women, for women.

The virtual ceremony, courtesy of COVID-19, lasted 15 minutes.

═════════►
Their mentors’ faces appeared in the video, too, and so did the businesswomen who taught them, and Kelly Ross, who dreamed up the nonprofit, created a program and made it happen.

═════════►
She started the nonprofit in September and launched its first program — The Refinery — the day after Labor Day. She plans to have three more classes in 2021.

The idea was born out of work with refugee and immigrant women and a need that she saw going unfilled, particularly for women who were still learning English.  READ MORE ➤➤

Based on 7 readability formulas:
Grade Level: 11
Reading Level: fairly difficult to read.
Reader's Age: 15-17 yrs. old
(Tenth to Eleventh graders)


Monday, December 28, 2020

Banking & ATM’s ▬ How Stuff Works

Banking & ATM’s

Banks & Banking
How Stuff Works

You put your bank card in, you take your bank card out. Wait for the beep and wave your dollars all about. Seems so easy a kid could do it, but the technology inside is pretty cool. Learn about these automated tellers or how banks work in this Banking & ATM channel

How to Write a Check

Many people don't write checks anymore — or didn't grow up having to fill them out. Still, there are times when the old check is the most convenient (or only) method of payment. So how do you fill one out?

How to Find Your Bank's Routing Number

Even if you have no need for a checkbook, you still need your bank's routing number to set up online payment. So where do you find it?

How Living Without a Bank Account Works

Millions of people have figured out how to get by without a bank account, whether by choice or force of circumstance.

What does it mean to reconcile a checking account?

By reconciling your checking account, you’ll be able to keep a close eye on your account’s balance. You can learn more about reconciling a checking account by reading this article.

10 Things You Can Do at an ATM Besides Draw Cash

When ATMs entered our daily lives in the '80s, an industry grew around the goal of making banking and living more efficient. But what can you do at an ATM aside from withdrawing cash?

More Money Topics to Explore

Auto Insurance

Family Finance

Family Budget Travel

Budgeting & Saving

Finance for New Adults

Credit & Debt Management

Financial Planning

Online Banking

Planning for College

Retirement Planning

Taxes

READ MORE ➤➤


Based on 7 readability formulas:
Grade Level: 7
Reading Level: fairly easy to read.
Reader's Age: 11-13 yrs. old
(Sixth and Seventh graders)


Sunday, December 27, 2020

Literacy – Spanning North America :: Long Beach CA :: Fishersville VA :: Cleveland OH :: Fort St. John BC

Literacy In The News :: Spanning North America

@LBCityLibrary

New LB Reads' Article Club

The new LB Reads' Article Club invites adult learners to join our virtual meeting where we'll learn about national and international events with easy-to-read news stories and fun activities.

Our club meets the first Saturday of the month @ 10AM.

El Club de Noticias de LB Reads los invita a aprender inglés leyendo sencillos reportajes sobre acontecimientos nacionales e internacionales, además de divertidas actividades.

El club se reúne cada primer sábado del mes a las 3 pm.  READ MORE ➤➤

Readability Consensus
Based on 7 readability formulas:
Grade Level: 11
Reading Level: difficult to read.
Reader's Age: 15-17 yrs. old
(Tenth to Eleventh graders)


LEARNVA

Literacy Group Moving To Online & Willing To Train New Tutors For The Staunton, County & Waynesboro Areas
Staunton News Leader: 12.02.2020 by Laura Peters

Judith Shuey is concerned for those who have a hard time reading and have lost their jobs. She says it's going to be harder for them to get back out there and find a job when they are struggling with literacy. 

"Many people have lost jobs during this pandemic and when those jobs open up again or there are new jobs, they require a higher literacy," Shuey said. "If our people aren't served in this time, they will be left behind."

That's where Learn English and Reading Now, or LEARN, comes in. Shuey is the executive director for the program.

LEARN is an adult literacy, volunteer organization that provides free tutoring in reading and English in the Staunton, Augusta County and Waynesboro areas. The group's mission is to increase opportunities for adults in our community through literacy.

In 2019, they served 55 people in the area.

It was established in 1981 as an affiliate of Literacy Volunteers of America.  READ MORE ➤➤

Readability Consensus
Based on 7 readability formulas:
Grade Level: 8
Reading Level: standard / average.
Reader's Age: 12-14 yrs. old
(Seventh and Eighth graders)


@seedsofliteracy

Maryland Couple Finds Hope Across State Lines at Seeds
* Seeds of Literacy Blog: 12.02.2020

Launched in September, Seeds of Literacy’s Virtual Classroom has become a lifeline to learning for students across the country.

Anaya and Isaac, who live in Maryland, are grateful for discovering the warm, welcoming way Seeds helps pupils thrive.

Anaya met her future husband, Isaac, in 2010, when Anaya (who has a master’s degree in public health from Boston University) moved to Tanzania to spearhead global health initiatives. The couple married in 2015 and settled in Maryland.

Isaac, who is fluent in Swahili and Maasai, wanted to sharpen his English skills and began taking adult-education classes at the Washington Literacy Center. When the center was forced to close as a result of COVID-19, the couple began searching for a safe alternative that would allow Isaac to continue his studies.

“We looked for education programs online that were virtual,” Anaya says. “Our Google search included virtual adult education and adult literacy, and Seeds came up.”

“We are so impressed with the way Seeds is creating a program tailor made for Isaac’s needs and that they do the same for everyone.”

One link takes students and tutors to the Virtual Classroom, with no complicated schedules to remember. The Virtual Classroom is open during the same hours as Seeds’ on-site locations (Monday through Thursday: Morning 9-11am, Afternoon 1-3pm, and Evening 6-8pm), and the staff continues to be able to pair tutors and students, just as they would in the classroom.  READ MORE ➤➤

Readability Consensus
Based on 7 readability formulas:
Grade Level: 11
Reading Level: difficult to read.
Reader's Age: 15-17 yrs. old
(Tenth to Eleventh graders)

* Newsletters ◻ Blogs ◻ Stories

 

@FSJLitSoc

Rotary Drive Thru Breakfast raises $6,000 for Fort St. John Literacy Society
Alaska Highway News: 12.04.2020

Fort St. John Rotarians visited the Fort St. John Literacy Society on Dec. 3 to present a $6,000 donation, raised with the community’s support at this year's Rotary Drive Thru Breakfast.

These funds will put more than 1,700 books into the hands of children in our community through the Literacy Society and its partnership with the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. There are 823 local children registered in this FREE program, which delivers one book a month to children aged 0-5, helping to build their literacy and social-emotional skills.

“Literacy is so important to our children and future generations. Having a child not only be excited about receiving a gift in the mail, but having something for a parent or sibling to read to them and having the opportunity to read back is incredible,” said Rotarian Vince van Wieringen. “This program does such a great thing for children all over the world, and we are happy to be able to help.”

“By increasing literacy at all levels, the community benefits in many ways including broader social inclusion and full participation in society such as social, civic, and political engagement,” said Jessica Kalman, Executive Director, Fort St. John Literacy Society. “The Imagination Library helps to prepare children for school, and builds early years literacy that is not only affordable for families, but delivered at home, where many often learn better. It builds family connection and social communication skills by encouraging caregivers to read and participate in the stories."  READ MORE ➤➤

 

Readability Consensus
Based on 7 readability formulas:
Grade Level: 11
Reading Level: difficult to read.
Reader's Age: 15-17 yrs. old
(Tenth to Eleventh graders)


Saturday, December 26, 2020

Four Reasons Why Libraries are as Important as Ever ▬ SHP

Four Reasons Why Libraries are as Important as Ever

Library of Congress
SHP: 7.27.2018 by Lauren Della Bella

Libraries are a vibrant, essential part of local communities and places of learning. That’s why, like many across the internet, we couldn’t disagree more with a now-retracted opinion piece that appeared recently on Forbes.com, calling for the removal of publicly funded libraries to be replaced by local Amazon bookstores.

Libraries are community innovation spaces

Most people who think of libraries as outdated relics full of dusty pages, outdated books and a hawkish librarian who prowls the stacks listening for noises above a whisper haven’t actually been in a library in quite some time. In fact, most libraries are a modern, beautiful nexus of knowledge and collaboration in a community.

Libraries are digital hubs

Libraries have wisely used public funds to stay up to date with technology and readership trends. Although print books aren’t exactly going away—at least, not according to sales numbers—those who prefer digital and audio versions of books can still benefit from a membership to the local library.  Libraries recognize that generational needs and differences often influence a preference for whether content is delivered in printed, digital or audio form and they provide all of these options.

Libraries are worth the investment

Taxes and levies are a sensitive subject, and helping a community understand the benefit of public funding for facilities is something we deal with a lot. Despite the arguments, it remains clear that public investments in libraries have a net economic benefit. Depending on the specific state, for every $1 of public revenue collected for libraries, between $4 and $8 in resources are returned to the community.

Because of the economy of scale—and the savings associated with sharing and reusing resources—libraries save community residents money. They help local job markets by training the talent pipeline and they provide access to meeting spaces, technology and other resources for civic groups, clubs and neighborhood organizations.

Libraries are beautiful

As an architecture and design firm, we’re obviously biased here, but the design of libraries are often focal points in cities and towns across America. They reflect the local aesthetic and give every citizen a town treasure of which they can be proud.

Some of the most famous libraries are architectural marvels that awe and inspire the masses. In America, we’re collectively drawn to beaux-arts style of our national Library of Congress—the oldest federal cultural institution in the country and largest library in the world.  READ MORE ➤➤

Based on 7 readability formulas:
Grade Level: 13
Reading Level: difficult to read.
Reader's Age: 18-19 yrs. old
(college level entry)


Friday, December 25, 2020

ProLiteracy Learning Upgrade Challenge

ProLiteracy Learning Upgrade Challenge

ProLiteracy: Dec 2020

Learning Upgrade Challenge

Education providers, instructors, and learners can join the ProLiteracy Learning Upgrade Challenge to compete for rewards based on activity during each challenge trimester.

The Challenge follows three 4-month long trimesters to match adult education calendars. During each cycle, new providers can sign up for the ProLiteracy Challenge and receive instructor training to get started. Instructors onboard adult learners into the smartphone app, and then learners work on lessons that meet their individual needs. Instructors track learner progress to monitor and motivate learners. Providers celebrate learner success, and the Challenge rewards the top providers, instructors, and learners each cycle.

The 2021 cycle beings on January 1, 2021.

Followed by May 1, 2021

and September 1, 2021.

To join the challenge, fill out the form.

ProLiteracy Challenge Audience

Any adult literacy or adult education provider can participate in the ProLiteracy Challenge. Providers who have never used or piloted Learning Upgrade will be provided pilot licenses for the 4-month period. Providers who have purchased Learning Upgrade licenses can join the challenge too!

Award Categories

Each cycle the ProLiteracy Challenge will award prizes to the top program and top instructor based on the percentage of learners who have completed the most hours. The top learner prizes will be awarded for most hours, lessons, and certificates completed. There will also be a prize for the best personal impact story related to Learning Upgrade. The prize categories are:

➤ Top program (1 winner)

 Top instructor (1 winner)

 Learner(s) who completed the most … (up-to 3 winners)

 Hours

 Lessons

 Certificates

 The best personal impact story related to Learning Upgrade (1 winner)

The top personal impact story will be chosen by a ProLiteracy committee. Personal impact stories will be judged based on how Learning Upgrade has helped, affected, or changed the learning process of the user. Personal impact stories may include supporting images and videos, although not mandatory.

SUBMIT YOUR PERSONAL IMPACT STORY

 

Prizes

Top Program and Top Instructor can choose from one of the following prize options:

 Learning Upgrade Licenses – up to 100 student licenses, a $5000 value provided by Learning Upgrade

 Southwest Airlines Voucher (round trip—a $400 value)

 $200 New Readers Press Gift Card

Top program and instructor winners from all challenges run in 2020 will be entered into a special drawing to win a scholarship to the 2021 ProLiteracy Conference on Adult Education (up to a $500 value).

Top Student for each of the 3 categories can choose one the following prize options:

 Southwest Airlines Voucher (roundtrip—a $400 value)

 A $200 Visa gift card

READ MORE ➤➤

Based on 7 readability formulas:
Grade Level: 11
Reading Level: difficult to read.
Reader's Age: 15-17 yrs. old
(Tenth to Eleventh graders)


Thursday, December 24, 2020

No Right To Read: Profiteering Corporations Creep Into Prison Libraries ▬ People”s World

No Right To Read: Profiteering Corporations Creep Into Prison Libraries

@prisonbookprog
People”s World: 12.22.2020 by Kaitlin Peterson

When thinking about what incarcerated people need, perhaps a library is not the first thing that comes to mind. However, the population within prison walls is typically one that reads more than those on the outside. As a public librarian, I’ve long been keenly aware of the positive role prison libraries play in the lives of incarcerated people, but I also knew that recently things have been changing—and not necessarily for the better. Consultations with other professionals in the field confirmed it: The creep of profiteering corporations into prison libraries is increasingly threatening the access of incarcerated people to books.

═════════►
James Friedman, a former volunteer who ran a program that allowed distribution of books at the Allegheny library, explained what he sees as the real motivation for the tablet program: The point of getting tablets into incarcerated people’s hands, Friedman says, is to be able to sell access to communication like texting or video chat and games that he calls “time-wasters on your phone” that are hyper-monetized. “It’s basically a way to milk people of their commissary funds without selling them any physical goods.” On top of all this, just 214 titles are available on the tablets.

Few books, lots of profits

And then there are the private prison libraries.

═════════►
The Books to Prison Project reports being unable to send free dictionaries and blank notebooks to some areas because the contract between the prison system and a private commissary vendor stipulates that such items can only be received through commissary purchases.

According to Newsweek, it costs inmates 5¢ per minute to read books, listen to music, or play games; 25¢ per minute for video visitations; 25¢ per written message; and 50¢ to send a photo with a message. Wages in the state’s prisons range from 4¢ to 58¢ an hour, Prison Policy Initiative estimates.

Profiteering practices in prison facilities are difficult to challenge.  READ MORE ➤➤

Based on 7 readability formulas:
Grade Level: 13
Reading Level: difficult to read.
Reader's Age: 18-19 yrs. old
(college level entry)


Wednesday, December 23, 2020

Literacy – Spanning the US :: Nashville TN :: Fairmont WV :: Winter Park FL

Literacy In The News :: Spanning the US

@NashvilleLit

Showing Up to Learn and Grow: Nashville Adult Literacy Council Pivots in the Pandemic
Parnassus Musing: 11.25.2020

Reading with family — the kind of moment made possible by the work of the Nashville Adult Literacy Council!

Normally right now we’d be preparing for our busiest day of the year, the day after Thanksgiving. And we’d be getting ready for Small Business Saturday, when we ask our community to shop local and, in return, give a portion of the day’s receipts to a Nashville nonprofit. Of course, it’s not a normal year.

We can’t have crowds inside the bookstore in the middle of a pandemic. So instead, all through the holiday weekend, we’ll be adding to our tally for an organization we really believe in: Nashville Adult Literacy Council (NALC). As you’ll see, they had to think fast and learn a whole new way of helping Nashvillians, and we’re so glad to hear that not only are they continuing their important work, but expanding it, too. Here’s a Q&A with CEO Kim Karesh.  READ MORE ➤➤

Based on 7 readability formulas:
Grade Level: 9
Reading Level: standard / average.
Reader's Age: 13-15 yrs. old
(Eighth and Ninth graders)

 

The Ability To Read
Times WV: 11.29.2020 by Frank Jarman | Marion County Family Resource

A few years ago I was watching a morning TV show and the gentleman who had cooked during a cooking session on the show was asked to read the cue card that exited the show to a commercial because the hosts were eating his food and had their mouths full. He looked back at the folks directing him to read the card and back at the card a couple times and eventually, tearfully admitted, “I can’t read.”

I still can feel the emotions I felt that day for that great chef. He had been so successful as a restaurant owner, he had celebrities come and enjoy his food and somehow this TV morning show had contacted him and asked him to come and prepare something on their show. And he could not read. And worse, he had to admit it on live TV no less. But he is not alone.

There are 32 million adults in the United States who cannot read. Not that they can not read on a high school level, they just never learned to read. Another 36 million cannot read well enough to get a job. And according to the National Institute for Literacy, those numbers are climbing.

═════════►
Fortunately, here in Marion County and across the country, there is help for folks who, for whatever reason did not learn to read. Here in Marion County we have the Literacy Volunteers of Marion County. READ MORE ➤➤

Based on 7 readability formulas:
Grade Level: 8
Reading Level: fairly easy to read.
Reader's Age: 12-14 yrs. old
(Seventh and Eighth graders)

 

@ALL4Literacy

Dr. Cletus Georges MD, Named Volunteer of the Month by Adult Literacy League
KTVN: 12.01.2020

Dr. Cletus Georges, MD, a leading medical expert and community advocate in Florida, was recently named the Volunteer of the Month at the Adult Literacy League after having volunteered for the league for two years.

Dr. Georges said he was humbled by the recognition, which he earned in September, and he is excited to continue to make a huge impact on the league. The Adult Literacy League’s aim is to give its students the literacy tools they need to achieve their unique visions and, in turn, change the world.

Some students who receive support from the league aim to become citizens of the United States, whereas others would love to simply be able to follow along in hymnals at their churches. Meanwhile, some students simply want to master the science and art of reading so that they can confidently read their children bedtime stories.  READ MORE ➤➤

Based on 7 readability formulas:
Grade Level: 11
Reading Level: fairly difficult to read.
Reader's Age: 15-17 yrs. old
(Tenth to Eleventh graders)