Volunteer Hours This School Year: 1215 | |
|
There's no shortage of things to celebrate this month! At Literacy Source, the start of fall brings a jam-packed roster of students and some exciting new classes, all of which are in-person and feature important community partnerships that Literacy Source continues to build: (1) Level 1-2 Speaking & Listening Class (SPL partnership), (2) an additional Computer Basics Class (in partnership with Seattle Housing Authority), and (3) Cooking Matters, where students and Hunger Intervention Program volunteers cook and eat meals together in class, focusing on recipes, groceries, and healthy cooking.
We also just kicked off Hispanic Heritage Month on September 15! This year's theme is “Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together", which seems fitting for the 21% of our students that identify as Hispanic or Latino. They come to Literacy Source in the hopes of building a better future, and we are excited to celebrate their accomplishments and contributions to our educational community and to the community at large.
Finally, it's National Literacy Month, which speaks to the very heart of our work here at Literacy Source. There are so many stats that demonstrate how important literacy is in creating a more hopeful future both for the individual and the rest of society. Here are some that are particularly striking:
We are so lucky to have YOU as a part of our community, and as we mentioned last month, we look forward to hearing from you as part of our community feedback effort this year about your your experience volunteering at Literacy Source. Please read more about our preliminary student focus group results and complete our volunteer feedback survey below.
In community,
Liz Wurster
Communications Coordinator
| |
We want to hear from you! | |
|
We've asked the students and heard their feedback, now it's your turn! We focused on which social service programs they needed help with the most, what school resources they think are the most helpful, and what they like or dislike about our school.
We are continuing to dig into the data, but so far what is clear is that our students value the volunteers who work with them. They said that their "class assistants' help is very important for the learning process" because they are able to explain so well and help them in small group discussions. Similarly, they emphasized how important their tutors are because they give them extra practice and additional materials outside of class.
Now we want to hear from you! We want to know what you think about our programs and how we can best help you succeed here. This survey will be open until October 17 and will be completely anonymous.
| |
To some, AI is scary. To others, it's promising. But one thing is for sure, it's not going anywhere. And in our role as partners in our students' personalized educational journey, we can't ignore it. Artificial Intelligence is everywhere, including in the devices of our students. And while this has presented some challenges in the classroom, such as English Language Learners exclusively using Google Translate, which doesn't allow for cognitive processing in English, or our GED students using ChatGPT to write their essays, our instructors are constantly working together to develop strategies around harnessing the capabilities of AI to create personalized learning experiences that cater to the diverse needs of our adult learners. For example, AI can be useful to refine writing, creating pictures to accompany text, generating words with similar phonemes (e.g., words for ELLs that have a long A sound), or to generate prompt text, especially if using an effective frameworks like RACEF (Role, Action, Context, Examples, Format - see graphic below). | |
By using AI as a tool for collaboration, our instructors and volunteers can enhance the partnerships we build with students to increase engagement and ensure that our resources are accessible to all, fostering an environment where every individual can thrive. We invite you to join us in our upcoming roundtable discussion (details below) to explore how AI can enrich your volunteering experience with Literacy Source. | |
Teaching Tip: Building Trust | | |
|
When you embark on a new teaching assignment, what do you think about? I find myself wondering what my students will be like, what kind of curriculum I will use, the extent of available resources, and what skills we will learn together. I also think about how I will connect with a new group of students, and how we can build trust together. According to educator and researcher Zaretta Hammond, it is a mistake to “ignore the quality of our interactions with students and instead focus primarily on the curriculum. In culturally responsive teaching, relationships are as important as the curriculum” (Hammond 72). Foundational to those relationships is trust between a student and teacher. Hammond details many reasons why trust is essential to meaningful learning partnerships in chapter 5 of her book. I highly recommend reading her work! In this teaching tip, I will share some strategies that I use to build trust with my students.
You can read the full teaching tip here.
Megan Dalton, ESOL Instructor
| |
Additional Needs for Fall Term | |
|
Class Assistant Positions
In-Person at Lake City Center:
- ESOL 1/2 class (listening/speaking) - Tuesday & Thursday: 1:15 – 2:45pm
- ESOL 2/3 class - Monday & Wednesday: 11am - 1pm
| |
|
(1) Volunteer Roundtable Discussion
Using AI in Instruction & Tutoring
Tuesday, October 15th 5:30 – 6:30pm
Join the Zoom meeting with this link
Literacy Source students are using AI, translation, and in-person (family members) language support to access classes and learning. This is great, but sometimes can conflict with the goal of actually practicing language and skills in English. We want to provide a supportive learning environment and help students gain skills in making choices to use learning supports, including AI and translation, in ways that help their learning. Let’s have a discussion about ways you see your students using AI and translation, and what we can do as teachers and tutors to be explicit about how to use them productively, and when to engage in productive struggle with producing English on your own.
(2) Zoom Skills Workshops
As fall term is approaching, please help students get off to a good start to the term by honing your Zoom teaching skills and being ready to help students trouble shoot online in the first week of term by attending one of the pre-term Zoom Skills Workshops coming up. We know you may be familiar with Zoom yourself but you may be helping students online, unable to see their screens, or maybe hear them! Join our instructor Allie to review and practice teaching these skills so you can assist students with troubleshooting. This training is required for all new classroom assistants and online tutors, and optional for returning volunteers. Please join the Zoom Skills Google Classroom and RSVP for the workshop you would like to attend:
Wednesday, September 25th 11am - 12pm
OR
Thursday, September 26th from 6 - 7pm
(3) Community Volunteer Training
Saturday October 19th, 8:30 – 1pm
Evergreen Goodwill, Job Training & Education Center
We are excited to be back and part of this free, in-person, volunteer training! Together with a city wide group of non-profit organizations we will be presenting free workshops for all community volunteers working with adult learners! Workshops include:
- Creating Belonging Through Accessible and Trauma-Informed Engagement
- Anti-Racism
- Financial Education for New Arrivals
- Citizenship Test Preparation
- Working & Communicating with Adult Learners
- Communicating with English Language Learners
- Workforce Development (Resume writing, Northstar)
- Education and Career Pathways
- Volunteer to Volunteer mentorship and Why it's Important
| |
- Daniel Schreiber (ESOL Tutor)
- Paulina Siparsky (Computer Class assistant)
- Joanne Abelson (Citizenship Mock Interviews)
| |
|
Literacy Source partnered with three individuals who became new citizens in the past month: one from each: Congo, Ethiopia, and Nicaragua.
Congratulations!
| | |
|
An Evening with Fran Lebowitz
Sunday, Sept 22: 7:30pm (Benaroya Hall, $37-$60)
In a cultural landscape filled with endless pundits and talking heads, Fran Lebowitz stands out as one of our most insightful social commentators. Her Netflix series Pretend It’s a City, directed by Martin Scorcese, offers an unforgettable glimpse into her world view, and has exposed her to a new generation of loyal fans.
In this intimate evening in Seattle, Fran will offer her acerbic views on current events and the media – as well as pet peeves including tourists, baggage-claim areas, after-shave lotion, adults who roller skate, children who speak French, or anyone who is unduly tan. In addition, she will share her unique take on the current state of our Union.
The New York Times Book Review calls Lebowitz an "important humorist in the classic tradition." Purveyor of urban cool, Lebowitz is a cultural satirist whom many call the heir to Dorothy Parker.
Saturday Family Concert: Neon Brass Party
Saturday, Sept 28: 11am (Wyncote NW Forum, $10-$22, 22 and under FREE)
Bring on the big band and funk it up with Seattle’s favorite street band, Neon Brass Party! With a focus on creating space for individuality and amplifying joy throughout the community, Neon Brass Party makes any location party central. Their music stylings range from Latin, to funk, to hip hop, and they’re sure to get audiences of all ages moving and grooving to the tunes. As with all of our Saturday Family Concerts, this event is free for ages 22 and under.
Taste of Iceland presents "How Words Shape a City"
Fri, Oct 4: 1-3pm (National Nordic Museum, FREE)
Join us for a conversation with Einar Þorsteinsson, Mayor of Reykjavik and former journalist, best-selling Icelandic authors Ragnar Jónasson and Yrsa Sigurðardóttir, Seattle Civic Poet Shin Yu Pai, former Redmond Poet Laureate Melanie Noel and moderated by Stesha Brandon, The Seattle Public Library’s Literature & Humanities Program Manager and Program Manager at Seattle City of Literature.
Reykjavik and Seattle are vibrant sister cities celebrated for their unique cultures, stunning coastal landscapes, and rich literary histories. As UNESCO Cities of Literature, they proudly promote and celebrate their literary heritage and creativity.
Nestled between coastlines and mountains, Reykjavík and Seattle draw inspiration from their dramatic surroundings. Can the power of words continue to shape these cities as vibrant literary hubs? Both cities thrive on a deep tradition of storytelling and poetry, with numerous authors, bookstores, and literary festivals enriching their cultural fabric.
| |
|
Our next New Volunteer Orientation (via Zoom) will be on October 2 at either 1pm or 7pm.
Potential volunteers are invited to register online here.
| |
|
Fall Term: Sept 30 - Dec 12
Fall Term Calendar
2024 -25 Class Calendar
Do you have questions or comments about volunteering at Literacy Source?
Volunteer Question/Feedback Form
|
|
Miss any of our past volunteer newsletters? You can access archived newsletters at the bottom of the Volunteer Resources of our webpage. | | | | |
