Sunday, October 20, 2019

Los Angeles Public Library :: America Learns News

Adult Literacy Program

America Learns News

Every month this year, we are choosing two volunteers AND two learners who inspire us, and we're giving them a $25 Visa gift card as a token of our esteem!

Please join me in recognizing the work of our amazing honorees!

September Volunteers of the Month

Timothy Wager nominated by Zenay Hayward
In grateful recognition of your service as an Adult Literacy Program volunteer at the Lincoln Heights Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library

Linton Bostic nominated by Zachary Valdivia
In grateful recognition of your service as an Adult Literacy Program volunteer at the Washington Irving Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library

September Learners of the Month

Edith Aragon nominated by Jessica Berry
In recognition of your inspiring commitment to your literacy goals at the Junipero Serra Branch Literacy Center of the Los Angeles Public Library

Fabiola Garcia nominated by Alicia Chavarin
In recognition of your commitment to your literacy goals at the Robert Louis Stevenson Branch Literacy Center of the Los Angeles Public Library

The Los Angeles Public Library has 21 literacy centers that offer service at all 73 libraries across the City of Los Angeles.
Services provided by the Adult Literacy Program include:

- Matching volunteer tutors with adults learning how to read and write English. Learners are both native and non-native speakers of English.

- Conversation classes that cover grammar, writing, and practice of conversational English.

- Walk-in tutoring to provide service at the point of need.

- Print and online materials that enhance tutoring and independent learning for adults at all levels of literacy.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Newport Beach Library :: 2019 Gift of Literacy Luncheon


2019 Gift of Literacy Luncheon
Literally Speaking: May/June 2019


Over 200 people attended the 12th annual Gift of Literacy Luncheon held at the Pacific Club in Newport Beach on April 5, 2019. This year’s keynote speaker, Lisa See, spoke about her newly-released (and bestselling) novel, The Island of Sea Women. Each guest received a copy that Ms. See was happy to personalize. Attendees perused the many silent auction and raffle items before being seated and welcomed by professional emcee, Michael Villani. Mr. Villani introduced Newport/Mesa ProLiteracy (NMPL) Event Committee Chair, Helene Chaban who "got things rolling.”

Helene introduced some special guests and spoke movingly about how much the program means to her. She then introduced literacy coordinator, Cherall Weiss, who talked about how having literacy issues makes life a struggle, citing the real life example of a diabetic male who couldn’t read his insulin dosage and how the program has grown with the help of so many generous donors. Then, Ms. Weiss introduced the Learner Speaker, Candace Kirby.

Candace came to NMPL because, even though she was born and raised right here in California, she could not read well enough to help her own two children. She spoke of how she struggled through school and then struggled with the realization that her boys struggled because she could not help them. That is going to change! The Gift of Literacy luncheon is the largest fundraiser of the year for NMPL. This year, the event raised funds to support the ongoing needs of the program.  READ MORE >>

October 26 :: 6 pm
Newport Beach Public Library



Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Let’s Make Better Slideshows via Cult of Pedagogy


Let’s Make Better Slideshows
Cult of Pedagogy: [Podcast 22:25]

OK, look. We need to have a talk. A lot of you are out there giving lectures, presentations, and workshops, and your slideshows need work. Maybe not all of them, but definitely most. I thought I got the message out there a few years ago when I urged people to read Presentation Zen, the book that forever changed my own slideshows. But I didn’t have much of an audience back then, and since that time I’ve seen far too many PowerPoints and other slideshow presentations that still appear to be suffering from some very fixable problems.

So I’m going back in. I’ve put together a list of seven things you can do to make your slideshows better. A lot better. Here we go.

1. PUT IT IN PRESENTATION MODE (PLEASE!!)

I can’t count the number of times I’ve sat down to listen to a presentation, and watched in horror as the presenter simply scrolled through the slides while still in editing mode, where the featured slide takes up about half the screen, the thumbnails of the other slides are visible on the left, and the editing toolbar is still visible across the top. No no no no nooooo!!!

In both PowerPoint and Google Slides, there’s a button you can click to put your slide deck in presentation mode, where the entire screen is filled with just one slide and the animations work as they are supposed to. Doing this gives the audience a rich, full-screen experience with each slide, one at a time, which is much more pleasing than looking at the back end of it all.

2. CUT WAY BACK ON YOUR TEXT

Slides are meant to supplement and enhance your presentation, to provide visual interest and add new dimensions to your message. If your presentation is going to be memorable, the audience should get something from both you AND the slides. The slides themselves shouldn’t BE the presentation.


This seems like common sense, but somehow we have arrived at a place where many, many presenters use the slideshow to deliver the whole presentation: They put ALL the information on the slides and assign themselves the role of simply dictating that information to the audience. Once your audience realizes this is what you’re going to do for every slide, they immediately start looking for ways to occupy their brains for the foreseeable future.

➧ Shorten your bullet points. Instead of writing long sentences or phrases on your slides, try sticking to just short phrases. Then use the notes panel to script out what you’re going to actually say.

➧ Make more slides. Take one slide that has a lot of information and spread that text over several slides, rather than cramming it all together on one.

➧ Create a handout. Many presenters and instructors want to put lots of information on their slides so they can provide those slides to students or audience members after the presentation, for reference.

3. UPDATE YOUR ASSETS

One of the simplest ways to improve your slideshows is to update outdated artwork and fonts.

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NEED SOME FRESH TEMPLATES?

I have just created a set of four slideshow templates that you might want to get for yourself. They’re available in PowerPoint for Windows and Google Slides. Each one contains 27 different slide designs, and they also come with a separate template for a 2-page handout, styled to look similar to the slideshow, so you can create a PDF to accompany your presentation.

The templates also come with a collection of video tutorials that show you exactly how to customize them for your use. Click on each design below to preview the whole template, or scroll to the bottom to get the bundle of all four designs at a discount!  READ MORE >>


Sunday, October 13, 2019

Redlands Library :: Give The Gift Of Literacy — Become A Reading Hero


Give The Gift Of Literacy — Become A Reading Hero
Redlands Community News: 7.19.2019 by Jan Fowler

Can you imagine for a minute what it must feel like to receive a beautiful birthday or holiday card and not be able to read it? Or to have children or grandchildren and not be able to help them with homework?

Or perhaps be unable to advance to a job in a warehouse because you can’t read the boxes?

Not only is our ability to read crucial to our independence and overall self-image, but has a profound impact on our ability to get a job and earn a living.

It may come as a shock to you, as it did me, that there are an estimated 32 million adults throughout the country who go through the motions of daily living hiding the fact that they can’t read. And while 32 million people need literacy help, only 3 million ever get it.

Locally, however, an Adult Literacy program came about at A.K. Smiley Public Library in 2010 under the guidance of Trudy Waldron and Katherine Gifford to help meet the needs of men and women in our town who are unable to read.  READ MORE >>

Monday, October 7, 2019

Ventura Co Library :: Students Earn Diplomas Through Career Online High School


Students Earn Diplomas Through Career Online High School at Ventura County Library
Ventura Breeze: 7.03.2019

Family, friends, and the community attended as graduates from Ventura County Library’s Career Online High School received their diplomas. During the graduation ceremony, held on Wednesday, June 26, in the Topping Room of the E.P. Foster Library, graduates in cap and gown shared their stories and their plans for the future.

Career Online High School (COHS) is offered by the Ventura County Library’s READ Adult Literacy Program in partnership with Gale, a Cengage company. COHS provides adults the opportunity to earn an accredited high school diploma and career certificate by utilizing the flexibility of the Internet to accommodate busy adult schedules, at no cost to students.

Tutor Training Orientation
Oct 21, 2019
5 - 8:30 pm
Please call and make a reservation:
(805) 677-7160

Friday, October 4, 2019

Oceanside Library :: Family Literacy Event Debut :: LEARN :: Oct. 5


Family Literacy Event Debut Oct. 5

Oceanside Public Library invites the community to Family Fun Time at the Library event on Saturday, October 5 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. in the Civic Center Library Community Rooms and courtyard at 330 N. Coast Highway. Oceanside READS Adult Literacy Program will be debuting its first LEARN Together event for families as they enjoy music and book themed activities.

Families will delight in an interactive musical performance by Joyful Jumping Music, an internationally recognized early childhood music and movement program. Other activities will include a book walk, prize drawing, crafts, and a play area. All book themed, of course!

Oceanside Public Library is proud to introduce LEARN Together, a new family literacy program, in partnership with Oceanside READS adult literacy services. The program is designed to support families with adult learners to encourage education in the home. =Oceanside READS provides support to adults learning to read and write in English, complete their GED, develop computer skills, pursue citizenship, and other life skills. =LEARN Together programs are designed to help adult learners with school aged children to create an involved, fun, and responsive learning environment in their homes.

This program is made possible through funding from California Library Literacy Services and the Friends of the Oceanside Public Library.

For more information on Oceanside Public Library programs and services, please visit the Library’s website or call (760) 435-5600.

For more information regarding Oceanside’s literacy programs, please call 760-435-5680.

Tuesday, October 1, 2019

Camarena Library :: Why Is Literacy Important?


Why Is Literacy Important?

Literacy is important because it is the foundation upon which people are able to interact with the world, educate themselves, and thus contribute to society as well as their own well being.

This is a brief interview from one of our tutors, Mark Hurych. He is a retired teacher who is very passionate about helping others improve their literacy skills.

1. Why do you volunteer your time to help adults with their literacy skills?
“Personally I find that when I have the opportunity to support someone in meeting their needs for being able to speak their mind I feel grateful. I feel I am a better person for it.”

2. What advice would you give to someone considering becoming a literacy tutor?
“I guess if your head is in it and your heart is in it, your head and your heart sort of get paid like this: I tell my students they have to SPEND time and PAY attention to improve their skill sets. In the end I feel like I'm paid in full.”

“In conclusion, adult learners, and the need for improved adult literacy, deserve our attention and efforts because these people deserve the opportunity not just to survive, but to flourish!