Offers observations about the role of community-based organizations in adult education drawn from the regional perspective of the San Francisco Bay area of northern California. (Author)

Describes innovative technology projects that can help meet the expectations of adult literacy stakeholders. Stresses that the success of wider-scale projects requires attention to local planning, training, technical support, leadership, and resources. (JOW)

Three types of journals useful with adult literacy learners are reader response journals, in which learners record responses to texts; dialog journals, in which teachers and learners alternate entries; and self-esteem journals, assignments that enable reflection on life issues. (SK)

Combining video and other visual aids with a work of fiction shows promise in interesting adult students not only in a particular novel but in other works of fiction. Creative teachers can use such materials to excite adult learners about fiction and reintroduce them to a pleasurable and personal aspect of literacy. (Author/JOW)

Misconceptions include the following: (1) literacy changes the way people think; (2) illiteracy will soon be eradicated; (3) U.S. literacy is far worse than elsewhere; (4) U.S. government has made major investments in literacy; (5) increased public awareness has led to significant improvements; and (6) better applications of technology will solve…

America is becoming a less educated nation (National Commission on Adult Literacy, 2008). While this is frequently measured through comparisons of the number of adults with college degrees, strategies to address sagging educational attainment statistics in the United States are typically focused on K-12 reforms--mostly through expanded definitions…

Describes the development of a program portfolio to document and evaluate the accomplishments of an adult literacy program as a whole--program staff as well as students. Offers suggestions for those who want to use portfolios in program evaluations. (JOW)

Problem-posing is a tool for developing and strengthening critical thinking skills. It is an inductive questioning process that structures dialog in the classroom. Five steps include describing the content, defining the problem, personalizing it, discussing it, and discussing alternatives. (Author/JOW)

Computer technology is not the be-all and end-all in adult literacy education. Although it will not solve all problems, using technology to its fullest potential can help students and teachers work smarter and "deeper." (JOW)

Fourteen Texas community literacy programs received Job Training Partnership Act funds to form local partnerships. The collaborations enabled them to provide comprehensive, coordinated services to educationally disadvantaged people. The enhanced visibility of the programs enabled them to obtain additional funding after the initial grants ended.…

Describes the National Institute for Literacy's Literacy Information and Communication System as a national electronic network for literacy providers that focuses on comprehensiveness, ease of access, consistent format, and availability of support services for the state literacy resource centers whose home pages are linked. Seven websites are…

Provides a description of action research, shares examples from adult literacy education, and suggests implications for the practice of continuing professional education. (JOW)

Looks at the increasing rate of illiteracy in developing countries and the role of family literacy programs in combating the trend. Describes family literacy programs as different from traditional literacy programs in that they are designed to maximize the probability that adults will succeed in transferring their new beliefs, attitudes,…

Health literacy is an area of practice and study that is expanding so quickly in the United States and Canada that it is difficult to keep up with the literature--not to mention the steady stream of conference notices. While this is an exciting new development for both adult education and the health professions, the history of adult literacy is…

Passive learners rarely play a role in their own education, but follow whatever their teachers decide is best for them. Active learners are self-motivated, independent people who take responsibility for themselves. (JOW)