COURSE INFORMATION

Acknowledgement

The office of Adult Literacy and Learning (ALL) wishes to thank the following organizations for making this course possible:                                                              

-          The National Literacy Secretariat (funding)

-          The Brandon Literacy Council (sponsorship)

Course Registration

Please note that you must register with ALL before beginning this course. Our contact information is as follows:

·         Telephone: (204) 945-8247 in Winnipeg or 1-800-282-8069 ext. 8247 (Toll free).

·        Postal Address: Correspondence Courses, 310-800 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3G 0N4

·        E-mail: literacy@gov.mb.ca

·        Fax: (204) 948-1008 

General

Introduction to Teaching Adult Literacy is offered by ALL for Level 1 Literacy Practitioner Certification. It is designed to introduce newcomers in the field to the theory and practice of adult literacy, and is a prerequisite for all other literacy instructor certification courses. It takes approximately 18-20 hours to complete, and is being offered online to provide the convenience of anywhere, anytime learning.  The course is also available via correspondence and in-class.

Objectives

The intent of this course is to:

·        discuss definitions of "literacy"

·        examine the field of adult literacy in Canada and Manitoba

·        familiarize participants with the basic concepts of adult learning theory

·        examine basic practices of teaching adult literacy including content and process

·        introduce participants to online learning

·        provide students with some face-to-face experience in teaching and learning at a local adult literacy program

 

Computer Skills Required

Learners taking the online version of this course should have some experience with:

·        basic computer terminology

·        navigating the World Wide Web

·        using a word processing program

·        sending e-mail with attachments (Note: it is preferable that you use Word for attachments, but you may also use Rich Text Format)

If you are a novice user or are a bit rusty, it may be worthwhile to work through some or all of an introductory course offered here.

In terms of computer requirements, the course has been deliberately designed to be text-based and avoid extensive use of graphics, sound, etc., so that those with less powerful computers and slower Internet access will be able to complete the course with a minimum of frustration and/or technical barriers. If you still experience difficulty, it is recommended that you contact us for a correspondence version of the course or for information regarding the next in-class session.

Resources have been included throughout the course that will help you to explore a topic further if you wish to. Please do not feel you have to read through each and every one as there are a great many and it would take quite a bit of time.  Some of these require intermediate skills (e.g., ability to download and install a program or device), a more powerful computer, and/or a faster modem.  There are also many hyperlinks (underlined words throughout the course). When you click on them, they will take you to an Internet site that provides supplementary information or examples about the topic or concept being discussed. While you are encouraged to visit as many of these as possible, please note that none of the material at the various sites or in the optional resources will be included in the assignments.  You are welcome to come back at any time after the course and explore the resources at your own pace over time.

In addition, please note that the inclusion of these resources is not meant to imply preference or endorsement of a particular site.  It is important to think critically about the resources contained in this course, and judge for yourself whether or not they are relevant and reliable. Some resources for evaluating web sites have been included below (optional):

·        Evaluating Web Resources: Bibliography

·         Hoax? Scholarly Research? Personal Opinion? You Decide!

·        Bibliography on Evaluating Internet Resources

·        Evaluating Web Resources (PowerPoint Presentation)

Finally, it should be noted that the Internet resources are not meant to be exhaustive. In that the Internet evolves on an almost daily basis, you are encouraged to continually seek out additional resources for yourself. 

Note: Although we strive to ensure the links in this course are current, you may encounter a broken link. If so, please email and we will fix it as soon as possible.

Course Package

 

Once you have registered with us and are ready to begin the course, please notify us that you are ready to begin the course and we will send the following two resources for use in the course:

·        Norton, M. (1988). Journeyworkers Approaches to Literacy Education with Adults: Tutor's Handbook. Calgary: The Alberta Educational Communications Corporation.

·        Creative Student Assessment: A Guide to Developing Meaningful Evaluation. Adult Literacy and Continuing Education. Winnipeg, MB. A copy is also available online.

Assignments And Evaluation

The course may be completed at your own pace. There are five modules that you will need to complete written assignments for. A sixth module involves a practicum in which you are required to contact a local literacy program of your choosing and complete an assignment. You may do your practicum while you are working through the course or after you have complete the written modules. Click here to see our directory of adult literacy programs in Manitoba and their contacts, or for assistance in arranging a practicum, please contact us. We often have up-to-date information regarding which programs are willing/able to take on novice tutors in your area.  It is preferable that you complete all of the assignments and send them in as one package so that we do not lose track of individual assignments. However, it is understandable that you may prefer feedback after each module. If so, please make arrangements with us to send in your assignments individually.

All requirements (i.e., written and practicum assignments) must be completed in order to receive the Level 1 Certification.  If you are not interested in the certification, then the practicum is optional. If you choose only to do the written assignments, once they are completed you will receive a "Complete" for the course.

Questions, Comments, Assistance

If you are registered for this course and have any questions, please contact Marie Matheson by any of the following means:

·         Telephone: (204) 726-6027 or 1-800-262-3930

·        Postal Address: Room 102, 340 - 9th Street, Brandon, MB

·        E-mail: mmatheson@gov.mb.ca

·        Fax: (204) 726-6583

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( Page updated 20-Sep-2002 )