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Learning Outcomes
Demonstrations Development (2000) A report in binder format which presents 22 demonstrations on
15 subjects concerning Communications - Levels 3 and 4 (Ontario). Assists
literacy practitioners in assessing learners and encourages practitioners to
develop and use demonstrations based upon the samples provided. Delivering Instruction to
Adult Learners, Revised Edition (2001) A one-stop guide for trainers or instructors of adults in the
professions, industry, or business. It includes fundamental principles of and
strategies for achieving clear communication, motivating learners, setting
objectives, planning lessons, using effective teaching methods, designing
appropriate testing, and evaluating courses and programs. Bridging the Gap Between
Literacy & Technology (2000) A two-part curriculum guide that provides literacy practitioners
with tools to help them incorporate technology into a literacy curriculum.
Includes an Educational Component and a Computer Component. Teaching of the Four Elements: An Introduction to Science, CD-ROM Mchigeeng Adult Education Program in association with Ningwakwe Learning Press Invites instructors and learners into the fascinating world of
science by using hands-on experiments, demonstrations and projects. The
Medicine Wheel is used to introduce basic science concepts and also stresses
the importance of understanding that all things in the world are related and
impact on other things in the world. Literacy and
Disability (2000) Demonstrates an obvious need to improve the literacy skills
among people who have disabilities. Makes recommendations, which focus on
trainer education and enhancing the relationships between the disability and
literacy communities. Building Workplace
Essential Skills (2000) Designed to help students develop skills in three essential
areas - reading text, using documents and solving numerical problems. Exercices
designed so that the students use authentic workplace documents as source
materials. Problems embedded in a context of workplace. |
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Making Literacy a Union Issue by Sylvia Sioufi The Canadian Union of Public Employees, Canada's largest union, hosts a national conference on workplace literacy and basic skills. Canadian workers and their families face a world of increasing complexity where everyday tasks now require greater literacy skills. Nowhere is this more evident than in the workplace. For CUPE members the changing economy means new and shifting job demands and the need to continually upgrade their skills. As Judy Darcy, CUPE National President told conference participants, "the demands that employers have placed on workers have changed. The expectations of workers to keep up with that change are enormous and the fact is that workers are willing to learn, are willing to change but they are not getting the support and resources in order to be able to do that." Workplace literacy programs are key to providing the support and resources many workers need. That is why a group of fifty CUPE members and staff from across the country gathered this past January in Hull, Quebec to take part in the Union's first literacy conference. The conference aimed to recognize the work that CUPE locals and others in the labour movement have done to advance the issue of literacy and to share the collective expertise that has been developed. A key goal was to provide participants with an understanding of why literacy is a union issue and what literacy means from a labour perspective. CUPE National Executive Board member Claude Généreux said dignity and respect are the real reasons why people join unions, and literacy is at the heart of it. "There is a dignity that comes from being able to read your own collective agreement," he said, "a dignity that comes from being fully involved in your union." The conference offered participants hands-on tools and resources to take action on workplace literacy. Workshops covered topics such as how to get started, exploring different union-based program models, where to get the money, and reaching more members through clear language. The conference was part of CUPE's national literacy project, a new initiative funded by the federal government's National Literacy Secretariat. Participants took part in a strategy building session to identify priorities for the next phase of the national project. "Raising awareness of the importance of this issue throughout our union so that we can broaden considerably the work that we are doing around literacy is clearly the most important next step," said Darcy. Perhaps the most valuable aspect of the conference is that it provided a forum to exchange personal stories. We heard about the increase in self-confidence and self-esteem that workers have gained. We heard about workers with 20 years service who were finally able to read postings and to apply to training and jobs that were closed to them before. We heard about members who were able to spend time with their kids on the computer for the first time. We heard about members starting to read and understand their collective agreements and being prepared to stand up for their rights. These stories illustrate the impact literacy programs have on CUPE members and their families. They highlight why now more than ever literacy is a union issue. |
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