Take a look at the great work being done at Literacy Volunteers!
News items contents:- Upcoming Literacy Training with Robin Lovrien
- Deadline for registration is this Friday, Sept 18!
- My Summer as the LVWC-WaldoReads Book Lady
- WC Community Reads Project Seeks Participants
- Lit Vol fall tutoring plans & opportunities
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Virtual Learning with Adult Learners of ESL & Basic Skills
Empowering and Enriching Tutor Skills
At a time when in-person instruction is nearly impossible, the directors of the Literacy Volunteer programs across Maine are delighted to offer YOU, our tutors, this Zoom training to expand your skills for online instruction and for Teaching adult Learners of ESL & Basic Skills.
Robin Lovrien, Ph.D.; M.Sp.Ed: LD, who lives in Steuben, and serves on the Waldo County LV Advisory board, will provide unlimited online sessions for tutors on topics of their choice. Robin is a veteran teacher and trainer/coach of teachers who has worked with teachers of adult English learners all over the country for many years. She has previously provided in-person and remote professional development for tuto. Most of you already know her as a popular LVWC trainer and potluck visitor.
The introductory session for this exciting learning series will be delivered via Zoom at these times:
Tuesday, September 22 from 10:30 AM t0 12:00 PM.
Thursday, September 24 at 5:30-7:00 PM
(The Tuesday session REPEATED on Thursday for those who want to continue the conversation or who can’t make the Tuesday session)
if you'd LOVE to attend one of these sessions
Let Denise know by Friday, Sept. 18!!
(The Zoom invite will come from the Brunswick LV affiliate.)
In this introductory session, Robin will give more details of her experience working with tutors and her passion for providing instruction to adult learners that makes a difference! Then, she will open up the session to YOU so that you can voice YOUR needs, wants and hopes for topics for future sessions. Many of the future sessions will be for personnel from all programs; some will be contracted by a specific program for its own tutors.
We NEED YOUR input to be sure the sessions are tailored as closely as possible to JUST what YOU need and would look forward to learning. Join your colleagues from across the state on 9/22 or 9/24 to give YOUR input and learn what is in store for YOU!
This is training is jointly offered through partnership of all Literacy Volunteer Affiliates in Maine. |
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| My Summer as the LVWC Book Lady |
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For many in the education world, the summer is a quiet time for planning and reflection. But for Literacy Volunteers, this summer took a different spin. A partnership with Community Food for Children (which emerged from participation in a year or two of planning meetings) led to a summer initiative to deliver meals and books to children and their families in eight low income housing neighborhoods in Waldo County.
But for LVWC-Waldo Reads, very Monday and Thursday, starting at 8:30 a.m., volunteers arrived at WCTC to pack up the food. Another volunteer or two joined Denise in the book room where we cleaned the well-loved books often covered with fingerprints and dust indicating they might have sat in someone’s attic for a while. But the books donated were inviting, high quality classics and favorites, including picture books, chapter books and some one-of-a-kind activity books. We sorted them into age groups and topics before dividing into labeled boxes that went into the back of Denise’s RAV, along with a five gallon jug of ice water and a box of cups, hand sanitizer and masks. Lastly, a sign was attached to the side of Denise’s van, announcing “Book Lady is Here” – a sign made more charming thanks to literacy volunteer Bonnie Swiderek’s creation of the reading rooster!
See News Center Maine news story at link #1 below
AND...click on link #2 below -- to download a document with photos and more information
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Waldo Reads Together
Seeking Participants |
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Wendy Kasten (Chair, Aging Well in Waldo County & former Literacy Volunteer) is initiating a county-wide Community Reads project and seeking participants and partners. She's exploring grant opportunities with upcoming deadlines to order a few hundred copies of one book, Free copies of books could be placed at several libraries for people to obtain, while others might prefer to buy or download their own. Zoom-based book discussion would be organized around selected titles.
She's shared some suggested titles:- I Know Why the caged Bird Sings – Maya Angelou (her autobiography)
- Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry – Mildred Taylor (actually written for youth, based on Taylor’s family stories, a family story set in the South in sharecropping days.
- The Land – Mildred Taylor, also based on her family, during reconstruction in the south.
- The Nickel Boys -Colson Whitehead -Set in Fl in 1960’s, recent book
- Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boys – Gary Schmidt – late 19th century MAINE, a racially biased land grab in southern Maine, written for youth market, beautifully written
- Out of Nowhere – Maria Padian – Set in MAINE, a fictional town Enniston, issues arising with African refugees in Maine schools. Written for youth audience.
- Other????
While AWWC will act as lead on this, Wendy hopes for partnerships from organizations throughout the county. I've committed LV as a partner, but I'm not sure how active I can be on the committee.
If you are interested in being on the committee to help select titles and plan the program, please let me know or you can contact Wendy directly ASAP at wkasten@kent.edu
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Literacy Volunteers Fall Plans
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Tutoring Opportunities |
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I'm delighted to report that Present tutoring activities include 10 tutor-learning partner matches still ongoing! While not all have been able to continue for various reasons, I am grateful for those who have found a way to continue, showing ongoing dedication of both learner and tutor. Tutors are meeting mostly by Zoom; others are meeting outside or in well-ventilated, spacious rooms they've found on their own. Belfast Adult Ed Learning Center is open and running classes, following protocols created by RSU 71. These include social distancing and wearing masks.
My schedule: I have been offered the opportunity to teach college writing at Thomas College, which now occupies me on Mondays & Wednesdays. My LV days are now Tuesday, Thursday & Friday.
My office location: I have been working from home since mid-March (aside from my days of book delivery!). My office has been moved to what was formerly Carolyn Haskell's office. (She has accepted position as director of adult ed in Dover-Foxcroft). I plan to move back into the office on Thursdays and Fridays sometime soon--although I know I'll be embarking on some continued book delivery also on those days.
Tutoring location options include WCTC (Waldo County Tech Center) library and a Belfast Adult Ed classroom. (The BAE room designated for tutoring is too small to maintain healthy distance.) BAE also has outside picnic tables.
Tutor Needs: I am seeking tutors for the following adult learners:. - A 49 year old man who dropped out of 8th grade. He sounds motivated, struggling with health issues and has an ultimate goal of "getting his GED." I have not yet done an assessment.
- A Reentry Center resident who is in his late 20s, reads at the 2nd grade level. Tutoring can be offered to him through Zoom or outside meetings when weather allows.
- School-age (elementary-middle school) youth in the neighborhoods I've described. This is still in the exploratory stage!
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My deepest gratitude to each of you for staying with LV - WaldoReads in these uncertain times, helping address the varying literacy needs of Waldo County residents.
Please stay in touch,
stay safe & stay healthy. |
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