Attention all ABLE-funded adult ESL practitioners (tutors, teachers, administrators).
The next meeting of our SWPDC ESL Network will be Friday, April 25th at Goodwill of Southwestern PA, 2600 East Carson Street, Pittsburgh, 15203 (Southside) from 1:00 - 3:00pm.
You can sign up by going to:
https://www.ecampus.ed.state.pa.us/Activityregistration.asp?activity=4340
Please register on-line before April 21.
Any questions, call 412-661-0811.
Guest Speakers:
1. Sister Janice representing the Latin American community will speak about the needs of ESL learners in the Pittsburgh area
2. Allegheny County Human Services representative who will speak on what services the county can provide for our non-native English speakers
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Co-facilitators: Jackie Abel-Stavropoulos & Doug Masiroff
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New members and visitors are encouraged to attend. Bring a question or just come!
We welcome you to our meetings, usually the 4th Friday of the month, 1:00-3:00pm.
We meet every other month (Feb, Apr, June, Aug, Oct).
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Organizing this blog
Pax!
We need someone with some organizational skills!
In the meantime, let's look at the structure of this blog. There are two (2) ways to add to this blog.
1) If you want to talk about something that is already started, like the NW ESL Network, or Content Standards, you can just "Comment" to that thread (subject). You do not have to register, and you can even "post" (submit) anonomously.
2) If you want to start a NEW thread, then you have to email me (msenger@gecac.org), and I will invite you to be an author. You can then log-in and post your new thread. I would ask all "authors" to post a brief biography on the "Who are we?" thread.
We are still looking for ways to share documents.
If ANYONE has ANY suggestions, questions, or comments, please, please do not hesitate to contact me or any author.
Thanx!
Martin
We need someone with some organizational skills!
In the meantime, let's look at the structure of this blog. There are two (2) ways to add to this blog.
1) If you want to talk about something that is already started, like the NW ESL Network, or Content Standards, you can just "Comment" to that thread (subject). You do not have to register, and you can even "post" (submit) anonomously.
2) If you want to start a NEW thread, then you have to email me (msenger@gecac.org), and I will invite you to be an author. You can then log-in and post your new thread. I would ask all "authors" to post a brief biography on the "Who are we?" thread.
We are still looking for ways to share documents.
If ANYONE has ANY suggestions, questions, or comments, please, please do not hesitate to contact me or any author.
Thanx!
Martin
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Our Disclaimer
Pax!
I have been asked to put a disclaimer up, just in case of... well, I don't really know, but here goes. And to whit:
"The ideas expressed in this publication represent the opinions of individual contributors. These opinions do not necessarily reflect the positions or policies of the US Department of Education, the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the Bureau of Adult Basic and Literacy Education, or the Pennsylvania Association for Adult Continuing Education."
End of quote. Now you know.
Ciao!
I have been asked to put a disclaimer up, just in case of... well, I don't really know, but here goes. And to whit:
"The ideas expressed in this publication represent the opinions of individual contributors. These opinions do not necessarily reflect the positions or policies of the US Department of Education, the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the Bureau of Adult Basic and Literacy Education, or the Pennsylvania Association for Adult Continuing Education."
End of quote. Now you know.
Ciao!
Monday, March 24, 2008
2nd intro-same as the first!
Hello everyone, and welcome!
If you've read the other posts below, you may be getting a sense of deja vu...yes, you have seen most of this before, now it's just easier to find!
My name is Cathie Whitmire. I teach ESL and Civics for the Hispanic American Council of Erie. Our agency serves Latinos, as well as a wide variety of immigrants and refugees from countries throughout the world.
I've been in the field of Adult Ed for 13 years, and prior to teaching at the Council, I worked with adults with multiple disabilities at the Barber National Institute.
I currently co-chair the ESL Division of PAACE (Pennsylvania Association for Adult and Continuing Education) along with our Host, Martin Senger (from the Greater Erie Community Action Committee) and Susan Adams (from the YMCA in Philadelphia). PAACE is the host for the Midwinter Conference. (Find more info about it at: www.paacesite.org)
In addition, I facilitate the NWPDC ESL Network with Martin, and am currently acting as a Teacher Leader for the Learner's Lives as Curriculum(c) initiative. I look forward to hearing about, & learning from, all of you!
Thanks,Cathie
If you've read the other posts below, you may be getting a sense of deja vu...yes, you have seen most of this before, now it's just easier to find!
My name is Cathie Whitmire. I teach ESL and Civics for the Hispanic American Council of Erie. Our agency serves Latinos, as well as a wide variety of immigrants and refugees from countries throughout the world.
I've been in the field of Adult Ed for 13 years, and prior to teaching at the Council, I worked with adults with multiple disabilities at the Barber National Institute.
I currently co-chair the ESL Division of PAACE (Pennsylvania Association for Adult and Continuing Education) along with our Host, Martin Senger (from the Greater Erie Community Action Committee) and Susan Adams (from the YMCA in Philadelphia). PAACE is the host for the Midwinter Conference. (Find more info about it at: www.paacesite.org)
In addition, I facilitate the NWPDC ESL Network with Martin, and am currently acting as a Teacher Leader for the Learner's Lives as Curriculum(c) initiative. I look forward to hearing about, & learning from, all of you!
Thanks,Cathie
Re-introductions and Link to Adult ESL Content Standards
I'm very happy we have decided to start a blog for adult ESL practitioners in Pennsylvania. This is a great way for us to keep the networking that happens at the PAACE MWC going through-out the year.
Here is a link to the ABLE page where you can read about how the standards were put together by & for Pennsylvania practitioners:
http://www.able.state.pa.us/able/cwp/view.asp?q=129314
Please consider downloading the document (12 pages of content, plus a helpful glossary of ESL terminology) and distributing it to your fellow teachers, tutors, students, administrators, etc. The text was written to be as clear and jargon-free as possible, while at the same time conveying what students can learn to do in English at each of the NRS levels.
Enjoy!
Keep in mind that if you test a learner in listening and speaking alone (e.g. BEST Plus), the other skill areas such as reading and writing ability may or may not be at the same level. Much depends on your individual learner's academic background in L1 [native language] and L2 [in this case English]. In our program we routinely get a writing sample at the pre-/posttest to help fill in this gap for in-house diagnostic purposes.
By the way, I'm Doug Masiroff. (ESL Specialist, Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council)
Here is a link to the ABLE page where you can read about how the standards were put together by & for Pennsylvania practitioners:
http://www.able.state.pa.us/able/cwp/view.asp?q=129314
Please consider downloading the document (12 pages of content, plus a helpful glossary of ESL terminology) and distributing it to your fellow teachers, tutors, students, administrators, etc. The text was written to be as clear and jargon-free as possible, while at the same time conveying what students can learn to do in English at each of the NRS levels.
Enjoy!
Keep in mind that if you test a learner in listening and speaking alone (e.g. BEST Plus), the other skill areas such as reading and writing ability may or may not be at the same level. Much depends on your individual learner's academic background in L1 [native language] and L2 [in this case English]. In our program we routinely get a writing sample at the pre-/posttest to help fill in this gap for in-house diagnostic purposes.
By the way, I'm Doug Masiroff. (ESL Specialist, Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council)
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Adding Your Own Posts
Pax all!
If you would like to begin your own thread (topic), please email me (MSenger@GECAC.org) and I will invite you in as an Author.
If you would like to begin your own thread (topic), please email me (MSenger@GECAC.org) and I will invite you in as an Author.
Monday, February 25, 2008
What do you need for your ESL professional development?
Through many of the organizations we are affiliated with, we are trying to find out what you need as an ESL teacher to make you a better teacher. What kind of "professional development" would help. One of the ways in which we are trying to reach our fellow ESL teachers and administrators is through a survey. If you would like to fill one out to help us help you, please contact me, Martin Senger at MSenger@GECAC.org
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