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March 2008 Calendar Archive

A list of local, state, and national professional development events of interest to adult & family literacy practitioners in Texas. If you know of other professional development opportunities or important dates of interest to Texas practitioners, please submit them to our Calendar Committee for consideration. For more information join one of our email discussion groups so you will always hear about the latest training opportunities. Click on "Discussion Lists" to read about these discussion lists and how to join.

February 28 - March 1, 2008: The Texas Association for Literacy and Adult Education (TALAE) will hold its Annual Conference in Corpus Christi at the Omni Bayfront Tower Hotel. Call for Presentations is due September 15, 2007. Download the Call for Presentations. [Microsoft® Word document.] Watch the TALAE website for details as the event is planned.

March 1, 2008: Texas Adult Education Teacher Credential: TALAE Conference Session will be held on Saturday, 10:15 a.m.-11:30 a.m. in Corpus Christi, Texas. Texas Adult Education Credential Project staff will facilitate a panel discussion about the Texas Teacher Credential Project. The panel will be comprised of teachers who have completed the Texas Teacher Credential. Participants will discuss their experiences and the value of earning the Credential.

March 5, 2008: Even Start Web Conference will be hosted by Texas LEARNS on Summer Programming. Time: 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Central Time. For more information, contact Texas LEARNS.

March 5, 2008: South Project GREAT Advisory Committee Meeting will be held from 1:00pm to 3:00pm at Adult Education Building in Brownsville.

March 6-7, 2008: Training of Trainers: Principles of Participatory Education, hosted by Literacy Texas in Fort Worth. The goal of this workshop is to give teachers/literacy tutors, who have some experience working with students, the skills and techniques needed to provide quality training for their organization. When you receive your certification from this workshop, you will be certified to train those who work with adult education/literacy students. Even if you are not directly involved with literacy/education as a trained tutor/teacher, you are invited to join us at this training to improve your trainer skills and techniques to expand your abilities, and network with other trainers. Registrants are required to attend both days to be certified. Training times are from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on both Thursday and Friday. The training location is to be announced. For registration information, email at: valcsm@yahoo.com or call: (361) 582-4273.

March 7-8, 2008: The 5th Annual WE LEARN (Net)Working Conference on Women and Literacy will be held at the Lincoln Center at Fordham University, New York, NY. WE LEARN is the Women Expanding—Literacy Education Action Resource Network. The conference is for students, teachers, administrators, researchers, writers, community activists...and anyone interested in women's issues and adult basic literacy. For more information, see the network’s Web page.

March 8, 2008: New Teacher Academy V - Session 4: This Academy is targeted to new teachers in the Adult Education field. The facilitator will provide resources to lesson plans, classroom activities, and brainstorming sessions that will assist the attendees in exploring new methods to address classroom needs. A mentoring component is included in the Academy that will connect an experienced teacher with a novice. This session will be held on Saturday from 8:30 am - 3:30 pm at the El Paso Community College - Valle Verde Campus. The room number will be forwarded to all registrants prior to the training date. This is the last of four workshops. Please email farwestg@farwestgreat.org if you have any questions or call (915) 937-1725.

March 8, 2008: Retention Strategies in the Adult Education Classroom, Harris Middle School (Teacher Resource Room), 325 Pruitt Avenue, San Antonio, TX 78204, (210) 299-1102, Guadalupe Ruvalcaba. Registration is available through iLearning. If you encounter difficulties registering on line, please contact Central Registration by e-mail registration@esc20.net or by calling (210) 370-5671 or 370-5247.

March 8, 2008: BEST Plus Workshop will be held from 8:30 a.m.-3:30p.m. at the Adult Learning Center, 3902 Morgan, Corpus Christi, Texas 78404. The instructor is Yvette Sanchez. South Registration Form.

March 11, 2008: National Leadership Excellence Academy continues with this third of three six-hour face-to-face meetings. For more information on this series, contact Sheryl Jefferson at Texas LEARNS or email Ken Appelt at TCALL

March 14, 2008: Texas Content Standards Training will be held from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at McLennan Community College, Community Service Center, E-Wing Room #234, 4601 N. 19th Street, Waco 76708. This training will provide an overview of Texas Adult Education Standards Project (TAESP) and how to integrate into lesson plans. Participants will be given an implementation guide that includes benchmarks for ABE/ASE and ESL Learners. Must register to attend. Central registration form. For information please contact Mario Mokarzel mm64@txstate.edu or 1-877-798-5522.

March 14-15, 2008: Pre-GED Academy: Focus on Reading and Math - - Session 3. From Print to High-Tech: Adapting and Using Materials to Enhance Learning: Teachers who participate in this session will be able to: identify pre-instructional activities that they can use to introduce students to new concepts that help students make the connection between what is to be learned and how the information can be used in real life. This session will be held on Friday from 4:30 pm -7:30 pm and on Saturday from 8:30 am - 3:30 pm at the Socorro Community Learning Center on 313 S. Rio Vista Rd., El Paso. This is the last of three workshops (remaining follow- up session April 18). Please email farwestg@farwestgreat.org if you have any questions or call (915) 937-1725.

March 18, 2008: Math Education: Preparing Students to Succeed in the Knowledge Economy. This free broadcast from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Central Time is part of the U.S. Department of Education “Education News Parents Can Use” television series about ways to ensure children's educational success. Satellite coordinates for each broadcast are provided free of charge to all broadcast stations and outlets but requires pre-registration for the 2007-2008 season at http://registerevent.ed.gov.

March 25, 2008: Texas Adult Education Credential Project Advisory Committee Meeting, Texas State University-Round Rock Higher Education Learning Center, Room 456, 1555 University Boulevard, Round Rock 78665. For information, please contact Mario Mokarzel, mm64@txstate.edu or 1-866-798-8767. Meeting will start at 12 noon and conclude at 3 pm.

March 26 - 28, 2008: Special Learning Needs Training Series conducted by Neil Sturomski and Nancie Payne continues with this third of four 3-day (9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily) training events. For more information on this series, contact Tracy Hendrix at Texas LEARNS or email Ken Appelt at TCALL.

March 27, 2008:BEST Plus Refresherwill be held from 1:00 – 5:00 pm at Bowie-Cass Adult Education Cooperative located at 3201 Lincoln Drive in Texarkana. For more information, please contact Jim Ratliff at (936) 435-8330 or jratliff@esc6.net

March 28, 2008: ESOL Academy II will be held from 1:00 p.m.- 4:00 p.m. at Terrazas Branch Public Library Meeting Room, Austin, Texas 76702, Heide Spruck Wrigley will facilitate. This third of three 3 hour face-to-face sessions will include demonstration lessons and hands-on activities that can be used directly in the adult ESL classroom. Strategy-based lessons designed around peer to peer and small group interaction will be used to increase students’ oral communication and reading comprehension skills. Participants will work with a mentor teacher between face-to-face sessions with the facilitator. (Session is Closed).

March 29, 2008: ESOL Academy: Techniques for Teaching Adult ESOL will be held from 9 AM to 4 PM at Austin Community College-Highland Business Center, 5930 Middle Fiskville Road, Room 103.2, Austin. This twenty-four (24) hour course, held from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm on four Saturdays - and led by Dr. Heide Wrigley - is for ESOL teachers who want to “beef up” their everyday teaching skills and for newer teachers of Adult ESOL. You will learn about and practice developing new strategies, activities, and lessons that will support your students’ learning. This workshop will let you increase your repertoire of skills and make it easier to make informed decisions about what to teach and why. After participation in the Academy and engagement with the ideas presented, you will know why some activities and approaches are more effective than others in fostering second language acquisition and promoting deeper learning. Session IV of IV. Must register to attend. Central registration form. For information please contact Mario Mokarzel mm64@txstate.edu or 1-877-798-5522.

March 29, 2008: Content Standards will be held from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm at Tyler Junior College, West Campus located at 1530 SSW Loop 323 in Tyler. For more information, please contact Jim Ratliff at (936) 435-8330 or jratliff@esc6.net

March 29, 2008: Multi-Level ESL Training will be held from 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. (9 hour training with one hour for lunch) at Midland College 3600 N. Garfield, Midland. Trainer is Mildred Rugger. Please contact Lynda Webb for further information 432-685-4566 or lwebb@midland.edu. You must register to attend. West Registration Form.

March 29, 2008: Writing Components Training will be held from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm (6 hr. training with one hr. for lunch) at Odessa College –ABE-Annex B, Odessa, TX 79764. Trainer is Susan Pittman. Please contact Laura Hermosillo for further information 432-335-6385 or lhermosillo@odessa.edu. You must register to attend. West Registration Form.

March 29, 2008: Reading Strategies Workshop will be held from 8:30 a.m.- 3:30 p.m. at Laredo Community College, West End Washington Street, Laredo, 78040. The instructor is Dr Steifer. South Registration Form.

March 29, 2008: Math Initiatives Workshop will be held from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at Laredo Community College, West End Washington Street, Laredo, 78040. The instructor is Serapio Serna.

March 29, 2008: Content Standards Workshop will be held from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at Laredo Community College, West End Washington Street, Laredo, 78040. The instructor is Sandy Schnieder.

March 29, 2008: BEST Plus will be held at 1066 W. Magnolia, Ft Worth from 8:30 pm to 3:30 pm. Participants who successfully complete this certification process will be able to give both the computer adapted and print based version of this new oral proficiency test. This test was developed by the Center for Applied Linguistics. It is an individually administered face-to-face scripted oral interview designed to assess the English language Proficiency of adult English language learners. This test can be used for program placement, progress, program evaluation and diagnosis. BEST Plus scores can be converted to SPL descriptors that align with NRS Functioning Level Descriptors. For more information contact Dorris Baker (972) 749-2506 or Aida Martinez (817) 852-1000.

March 30 - April 1, 2008: 17th Annual National Conference on Family Literacy will be hosted by National Center for Family Literacy in Louisville, Kentucky. Watch the NCFL Website for more details.