Training Leaders in Adult Basic Education
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Notice of Disclosure |
This project is funded by a grant from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and supported by Holyoke Community College.
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Dear Friends and Colleagues,
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The new fiscal year bring changes -- a new workplace, the potential for exciting new collaborations, and a new e-newsletter. As long as we're making changes, we thought "Why not update the look of our regional newsletter -- The Pipeline. We hope you'll enjoy our fresher, condensed e-version that will be "mailed" via the SABES listserv every month. Articles may appear in abbreviated form with links to the full article.
In the future, look to this "open message" section to hear interesting tidbits, observations, and anecdotes shared by the SABES staff.
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SABES Relocation |
 We're Moving >>> into a firehouse!
By September 1, SABES will be open for business in the new Picknelly Adult & Family Education Center (PAFEC) located on the 4th floor of the new Holyoke Transportation Center at 206 Maple Street in Holyoke, MA.
This multi-use facility has a host of partners and purposes including:- bus services provided by both Peter Pan and the PVTA on the 1st floor;
- day care services on the 2nd floor provided by Holyoke/ Springfield/Chicopee Head Start;
- ABE/ESOL classes on the 3rd and 4th floors, courtesy of DESE and HCC-funded programs including the Juntos partners (HALO, CEP, NEFWC and HCC Adult Learning Center).
- Holyoke Community College will also be providing classes and academic support services during the day and evening on the fourth floor.
Please update your records and your GPS accordingly! Our e-mail, phone and fax information will remain the same. And don't forget to mark your calendar for our open house, [day, date, time]. We look forward to seeing you in our new home.
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Assessment Update
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TABE CLAS-E Writing: 
The TABE CLAS-E (Complete Language Assessment System for English) Writing is the assessment tool currently required by MA DESE to
measure learning gains in ESOL students' writing. (It replaces the REEP.) All staff planning to administer or score the
test are required to be trained in it. SABES
has been offering trainings all summer and will continue to offer them
throughout the fall. The next training
in Western Mass. is scheduled for early October.
TABE 9/10:
TABE 9/10 has replaced TABE 7/8 as
the required assessment tool for those programs not using the MAPT and for
those programs assessing their ABE students in Writing. For those practitioners who were trained in
forms 7 & 8 in FY10, there is an on-line Moodle training available by going to
http://moodle.literacytent.org/ and following the directions on the
website. Those not certified in FY10 to
administer TABE 7/8 and those who are new users of TABE will need to attend a
face-to-face training offered by SABES this fall.
TABE 9/10 Literacy Level:
TABE Literacy has also been changed
to form 9/10 and all practitioners must attend a short face-to-face training
offered by SABES this fall.
Announcements
of these trainings will be sent via the SABESWest Listserv and will be posted
on the SABES Calendar.
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Tech Tidbits
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Feeling like a dum dum about DimDim? Dim and dimmer?? DimDim is a free web-conferencing technology that is easy to access and does not require locally installed programs. It is all based on your existing web browser. SABES will be offering the SMARTT New User and other trainings via this medium. In short, it allows a trainer or teacher to broadcast a live image of their desktop to anyone possessing the DimDim-hosted link. Thus, a trainer can email the link to participants, users access the internet and the link provided, and can see the trainer or teacher's computer desktop. Combined with a conference call, this makes for a slick real-time distance learning medium.
The main advantage of DimDim versus Yugma, which serves the same function and has been used by SABES in the past, is that DimDim does not require software to be downloaded to a participant's local computer. Check it out at http://www.dimdim.com/and keep an eye out for upcoming trainings using this tool.
Cognos for the Classroom? How could that possibly be??
Goals: To aid the integration of goals into the classroom, there is an excellent report that can be found in Cognos. With a click of the mouse, you can view and print an entire list of students that have been or are in your class and see all the goals they have set and all of the goals they have met. Not only is this great for planning, but it also aids follow up quite a bit.
Learn how to do this by seeing the tutorials at sabes.org/smartt labeled "Creating a Goals Report by Class in Cognos" In the beginning of November, there will be a training focusing on this report.
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Do It Yourself Social Networking and Collaboration: Wiggio versus Ning
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Wiggio and Ning are both web-based applications (found at wiggio.com and
ning.com, respectively) that serve as virtual collaboration and social
networking spaces. Using either of these
services, one can create blogs, discussion forums, task lists, joint calendars,
file sharing and much more. Below is a
table comparing how Ning and Wiggion differ on these features. It is created by Akira Kamiya, the Technology
Coordinator of the Boston SABES office.
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Features
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Ning
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Wiggio
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Notes
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Discussion Board / Forum
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Yes
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Yes*
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Wiggio is a bit noisy with the addition of listing of
activities and calendar events
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File Sharing
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Yes*
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Yes
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* via 3rd party plug in Box.Net
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Audio Streaming
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Yes*
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NO
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*only via a premium paid account
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Video Streaming
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Yes*
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NO**
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*only via a 3rd party plug in
** you can embed a link to youtube though
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Calendar
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Yes*
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Yes
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* via 3rd party plug in Zoho Calendar
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Polling
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NO*
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Yes
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* via 3rd party plug in Poll Daddy
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Customizable appearance
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Yes*
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NO
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* Also can be set up with a branded domain via a premium
acct.
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Sub Groups [sub sets of audience]
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Yes
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NO**
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* This is dove via the creation of a new separate wiggio (free)
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Set Up as Private Space
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Yes
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Yes
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Both allow you restrict access by administrator
invitation only
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Synchronous Phone Conference
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NO
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Yes*
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* requires users call an out of state long distance #
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Alerts to Text Message
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NO*
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Yes
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Summary:
One main difference that is helpful
to understand is that with Ning you logon into the particular Ning community exclusively.
With Wiggio you login to your own account which may be connected to many
different wiggios. Wiggio seems better suited for team
collaboration amongst a group of peers, with file sharing, calendar and polling
features Ning seems better
suited for an instructor / student type structure due to its deeper
customization abilities and more robust forum feature
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ACLS-SABES Professional Development Priorities for FY'11
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Over the past few months, SABES and ACLS have developed
an extensive roadmap to guide us in the delivery of trainings for the upcoming
year. The landmarks on this journey center on four professional development initiatives
that are linked to the following MA ABE Strategic Plan's goals:
- Access to Services,
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System Effectiveness and
Quality,
- Preparation for
Learner's Next Steps
SABES' activities and resources in FY11 will
focus on strengthening the capacity of practitioners and programs in meeting
their goals in the areas above. The four staff development targets include: - Customized assistance to Tier IV or under-performing programs
- Support and substance in the content areas (e.g. Reading, Math and Writing)
- Strategies for counseling and advising for next steps for students at all levels
- Activities that encourage the use of professional standards and content
Please contact any of the staff at SABES West with your
ideas on how we might integrate these important resources into your program or
classroom. |
WMass. ABE Licensure Cohort
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SABES West would like to sponsor a support group
for those interested in obtaining the ABE Teacher's License. Group
members would meet once a month on the same day of the month (e.g., second
Saturdays) for four hours and work on their license portfolio in real time on
computers. Refreshments and encouragement are provided for free! Interested teachers should have had at least
2400 classroom or tutoring hours because at that level of experience the state
waives 80% of the license requirements. Carey Reid, from the SABES
Central Resource
Center, would coordinate
the group and provide the necessary coaching. Carey has been leading the ABE
licensure effort in MA for SABES for the past 7 years and has top shelf
credentials for this role.
If you are interested or have any questions on the licensure
process please contact Carey directly at creid@worlded.org.
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Upcoming Regional Trainings & Events
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For detailed information on professional development opportunities, visit the SABES statewide calendar and stay tuned to the Sabeswest listserv.
All activities will be held at the Holyoke Multi-modal Center's Picknelly Adult & Family Education Center, 4th Floor, 206 Maple Street in Holyoke, unless otherwise noted. Pre-registration is required for all SABES' events. Low registrations
result in the cancellation of workshops. Please register at least 1
full week prior to the date of the activity. 3-Option Registration
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As The Pipeline went to press, SABES was still firming up its menu for FY'11 activities. We have listed below what is
currently scheduled, but please stay updated through our statewide calendar and
our regional listserv announcements.
September 2010
- Annual Directors' Conference, ACLS-sponsored
(held in Falmouth, MA)
- SMARTT New User
- BEST-Plus Training
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October 2010
- TABE CLAS-E Writing
- SMARTT Update: Starting the New Year
- Intro to Cognos
- TABE 9/10 Literacy
- Volunteer Coordinators
Group
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System for Adult Bascic Education Support | Holyoke Community College | 303 Homestead Avenue | Holyoke | MA | 01040
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