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NALD Resource Library

Ontario Works Information

Literacy Services Plan for Toronto and York Region 2010-2011

The Literacy Services Plan is an outcome of the MTML community planning process,and provides a detailed and comprehensive analysis of the literacy services available across the region; helps to coordinate those literacy services; and provides the MTCU with the information they need to provide resources to the literacy field

Funded by the Adult Education Policy Unit of the Ministry of Education, the objective of this project was to investigate "partnerships that maximize existing resources and support collaboration to strengthen the delivery of adult education programs at the local community level."

This is one of three projects funded across Ontario to understand the unique characteristics of adult learning partnerships in particular regions. Click here for the full report. Click here for the executive summary.

Beyond Worksheets - a social and holistic approach to adult numeracy

by Tom Ciancone, Flora Hood, and Joy Lehmann

The purpose of this MTML project was to develop an approach for contextualizing the teaching of numeracy in adult literacy and workforce literacy environments. With support and funding from the National Literacy Secretariat and the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, MTML worked with project consultants and resource developers to bring this approach together into a report, with accompanying workshop materials, that we hope will be useful for literacy programs throughout the province. Click here to download the practitioner summary.

Guide to free internet training and computer access in Toronto and York Region

by Tanya Bhatia

This guide was created to assist people who are looking for free Internet access and/or basic computer training programs in Toronto and York Region. It was created in response to inquiries from the general public about computer literacy on the Literacy Access Network information and referral hotline (416) 961-5557. It is intended that this guide be used as a starting point for information and individuals interested in finding out more are encouraged to contact the providers directly. A map of organizations listed in this guide is available at: www.mtml.ca/lan.htm.

Community-Driven Policies for Successful and Sustainable Literacy Programs in Toronto and York Region

by Natasha Webster

In spring of 2006, MTML initiated a series of literacy community meetings to discuss and gather community perspectives on literacy strengths and challenges in Toronto and York region. The meetings were well attended by literacy workers, learners, and other interested members of the community. Our discussions were rich and full of exciting ideas and prospects. It was refreshing to work together on big picture problem solving bringing shared experiences, concerns, and resources together.

From the data, or perspectives gathered, we developed the attached report. The report is a summary of recommendations and ideas developed at the public meetings. It is also illustrates the wealth of knowledge and expertise available, but still under-utilized, at the community-level for planning and problem solving. Five major areas of concern emerged during all the meetings. They are:

1. Strengthening Community Connections
2. Generating Program Resilience
3. Encouraging and Sustaining Learner-Driven Initiatives
4. Embracing Diversity and Inclusiveness
5. Building Identity and Public Education

The report summarizes that variety of solutions and strategies proposed by focus group participants. It does not outline the best approaches to implement these ideas. Rather, we hope that report will serve as a catalyst for further discussion and exploration.

Common Assessment Working Group Manual

by Natasha Webster

This document outlines two sets of agreements: the Common Assessment and the Information & Referral Agreements. Agency members of the Central, East, West, and York Local Literacy Committees accept these two sets of agreements. The agreements outline a set of protocols to provide a framework for smooth transition in both Common Assessment and Information & Referral. The overarching goal of this document is to ensure consistency and continuity between Literacy and Basic Skills (LBS) funded programs and other services. This will benefit both learners and programs by providing a constant and transparent common assessment and information & referral process across the field. The document is linked to he heading above.

Accessible Communications Tipsheet

by Glenn Pound

Tips and resources to help make your communications environment more accessible for people with low literacy. For more information, contact MTML at 416-961-4013.

Colleen D'Souza Ed.

MTML worked with the Women’s Counselling Referral and Education Centre (WCREC) on this project, which was designed to help literacy learners to access counselling services by bringing workers in both the counselling and the literacy fields to a better understanding of each other’s work. As part of this project MTML and WCREC delivered three workshops. Some very useful materials were developed for these workshops and they have been collected here in this resource manual available for download.

Connecting Policy with Research

by Maurice Taylor and Glenn Pound

This policy digest contrasts the learning lives of adult literacy students with the media perceptions of adult literacy. This digest connects the main research findings to policy implications at the local, provincial, and federal level.

People Over Programs

by Norm S. Rowen

Some Characteristics of More Integrated Planning and Delivery of Employment and Training Programs and Some Possible Directions and Supports for Communities

Don't Talk To Me About Vowels

by Guy Ewing

A resource book on sounding out words based on the experience of community literacy programs In and around metro toronto.

A collection of exerpts, used in the MTML tutor training, is attached to the above heading.
ISBN: 0-9696213-6

This insightful book:
	describes and discusses how people in community literacy programs work with phonics,
	discusses learning phonics as an everyday part of literacy learning,
	includes tutor training exercises and "working ideas" to use for exercises with learners,
	outlines techniques for phonics work with adult beginning readers.

What Doesn't Get Written Down: How Experienced Literacy Workers Move from the Generalities of Training Plans to the Specifics of Daily Practice (PDF 716 KB)

Part of MTML's Adapting for a New Environment Project, this resource outlines the second set of workshops offered through this project. The workshops looked at the interaction between written documentation and spoken language in the new Literacy and Basic Skills environment, which requires written "training plans" as one kind of documentation. To initiate discussion three experienced literacy workers offered presentations on how they go from supporting learning work to developing written training plans. The manual outlines their various discussions and is provided free from MTML.

This manual depicts the experience of a regional adult education network, MTML, in developing an archive. It provides objective criteria for getting such a project started, as well as subjective anecdotes to support you in completing it. An archives project can be both tedious and inspiring, depending on the perspective taken. Faced with boxes of records and files, getting started can be overwhelming but a little perspective may provide the inspiration you need.

Please contact MTML for more information.