New
Directions for the EL/Civics
Education Resource Center
by Jenny Sandlin
We are
excited to be continuing work this year on the English Literacy Civics
Education Resource Center, a website designed for EL/Civics teachers
and students. This website is made possible through an English Literacy
Civics Education Grant funded by the US Department of Education and
the Texas Education Agency. The Center is administered by Brenham Community
Education (a partnership between Brenham Independent School District
and Blinn College), in conjunction with the Department of Educational
Administration and Human Resource Development at Texas A&M University, with
support from the Texas Center for Adult Literacy and Learning at Texas
A&M
University. This site is now an archive and is no longer hosted
on the TCALL website. Resources for EL Civics can be found at http://www-tcall.tamu.edu/litresources/elcres.htm
As we
enter this new year of funding, we have several new and continuing goals
for the Center. First, as a response to data collected in focus groups
with practitioners and learners, we will strive to make the site more
user-friendly and useful, especially to adult learners. In order to achieve
this goal we will be working on translating a significant portion of the
site into Spanish, starting with the links and materials for adult learners.
We also wanted to make the site more navigable to adult learners, and
have begun by adding a link on the home page specifically for adult learners
which will take them directly to activities designed for them.
Our second
goal is to help facilitate other individuals and programs working on obtaining
or carrying out EL/Civics projects. To meet this goal we will provide
resources about the Federal EL/Civics program and information about writing
grants for this program. We will also facilitate communication between
EL/Civics programs by providing contact information and program descriptions.
Finally,
we want to continue adding materials and links that will be relevant to
EL/Civics educators and learners both in Texas and throughout the nation.
We will continue searching the web for relevant sites, and also welcome
suggestions from readers and site visitors for EL/Civics-related websites
they find particularly engaging.
SOME SAMPLE LINKS
We want
to encourage you to visit the site if you have not already done so, and
to come back if you have not been in a while. Here is a sample of some
of the resources you will find when you come see us!
Parent and School Involvement Activities
Helping Your Child Series
http://www.ed.gov/parents/academic/help/succeed/index.html
The Helping Your Child publication
series aims to provide parents with the tools and information necessary
to help their children succeed in school and life. These booklets feature
practical lessons and activities to help their school aged and preschool
children master reading, understand the value of homework and develop
the skills necessary to achieve.
Civic Participation and Community Action Activities
On-line Learning Activities From The Change Agent
http://www.nelrc.org/ This link takes you
to on-line interactive learning activities designed for students. Currently
there are activities addressing three issues of social justice: Economic
Security and Justice, Immigration, and The Media and You. These activities
include quizzes, reading and writing lessons, and web projects.
Civic Participation and Community Action Activities
Activities for Integrating Civics in Adult English Language Learning
http://www.cal.org/
This site, sponsored by the National Center for ESL Literacy Education,
hopefully should be growing soon as teachers submit more lesson plans.
So far there are several lesson plans centered on using music to integrate
civics education into the ESL classroom, as well as activities centered
around Black History Month. In both of these areas, there are activities
geared towards beginning, intermediate, and advanced learners. You can
also contact NCLE and submit your own civics lesson plans.
Voting and Government Agencies Activities
The PBS Democracy Project
http://www.pbs.org/elections/
This extensive site offers information
related to democracy and voting in the US. Here you will find a timeline
exploring the history of voting in America, a place to discuss
current issues, and an extensive glossary of campaign and voting-related
vocabulary. In the "Read Between the Lines" section of the site, you will
find information about how to dissect a candidate's political ad, how to
interpret a political debate, how to evaluate a candidate's platform, how
to assess a candidate's
website, and how to view news critically.
More Feedback, Please!
Visit
our new site and then tell us what you think! We welcome suggestions for
new websites or resources to include on the site, as well as feedback
about site navigation or content.
Please
contact Jenny Sandlin, e-mail: jsandlin@coe.tamu.edu
for feedback regarding content and to suggest new resources and Melaney
Dodson, e-mail: melaney@tamu.edu for
technical feedback.
About the Author
Jenny Sandlin is an Assistant Professor in the Department of EAHRD at
TAMU. Her academic interests inlcude critical literacy, workforce education,
and curriculum in adult education.
  
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