Field trip #2 / Center for Adult Learning

For this field trip, I went to the Center for Adult Learning in the downtown Jacksonville Public Library in Duval County. 

The Center for Adult Learning (CAL) is a non-profit organization. The Center is dedicated to improve adults’ basic education needs and has been in service to the community since 1985. CAL Learning’s mission is “Helping Jacksonville Public Library customers obtain the literacy skills they require in order to more effectively utilize library resources and become more informed, proactive members of the community.” The Center offers free classes for adults aged 18 or older, whose reading level is below the sixth grade level, or who do not speak English Language. Each year the Center directly serves around 1000 adults.

When I entered there, the welcoming desk was on my left and the sign in book. I signed in and went to explore the center. In front of me, there was a small library full of ESL books, books help in reading in general, CDs and DVDs. On my right, there were three tables with comfortable armchairs to set and read. Walking deeper there was the computer lab. It is isolated enough to eliminate distractions to the learner. It has 16 computers, and when I was there, there was a reading class at the lab. On my left, there were three private classroom spaces are continually used by instructors and volunteers meeting with groups and individuals. Two of them were occupied at that time, one by ESL student and the other by a reading class. As groups outgrow these smaller classroom spaces, the library provides larger meeting rooms on the second and third floors. At the left corner there was office space shared by CAL employees, administration and the Learn to Read program.  The Center has four full-time, seven part-time instructors, and five volunteering ESL tutors.

I met there Sharon Jaskula, the literacy program manager for the Center. Jaskula has served the Center for the last twenty-three years.  She explained the four programs that are offered by the Center for Adult Learning: Computer-assisted instruction, Small group reading and math instruction, Small group English language instruction, and Spanish Language Orientation for Refugees.

Here is the explanation of the four programs:

A nice thing catch my attention when I entered the center is a ‘Brag Board’ display in the lobby that greets visitors to CAL.  Post-it notes are used to celebrate the accomplishment of learners publicly. It is a nice way to encourage the learner to do their best. 

Literature Circle

In my opinion, literature circles is a great help for any student to reach deeper understanding of what they read; However, with ESL students literature circles become more beneficial and helpful. Although ESL students might understand each word in a text, a lot of them did not get the whole or general meaning. Thus, literature circles help them to comprehend the whole meaning from each other.

One way to use technology in enhancing literature circle is to create their favorite characters in the way they actually look in the story. This exercise will help the student to understand the descriptive adjectives. Another way is to create some cartoon or animation for some parts of the story. These strategies will help in combining pictures with text. In addition, for a book that contains some descriptions, the students can create concept map in the class to understand the details. For example, they can create a concept map for the characters.

Moreover, I think blogs are great tool to discuss any topic. For instance, the coordinator can post the questions and the other students can answer the questions and comments on each other or correct each other. The Media hunter can also easily post the pictures s/he found. Additionally, the students can look for the meaning of new vocabulary easily via the online dictionaries, and the vocabulary elaborator can post the links of the reliable dictionaries they can look at.   

Audiobook Experience

Around two or three weeks ago, I listened to Anthony Robbins’ “Awaken the Giant Within” and now I’m in the second chapter of “The Tipping Point” by Malcolm Gladwell. Those books are my first experience in listening to audio books. “Awaken the Giant Within” is recorded in one and a half hour. So, I thought each day I’d listen to 15 minutes and complete it in 6 days. The first day I started listen to it, I get so attracted to it and I listened to one hour without noticing that it’s been an hour! I was listening while I’m cooking, so I did not notice until I finished my cooking. The second day I listen to the remaining half an hour while I was exercising. I enjoyed the audiobook experience. I found that I enjoy listening while I’m moving much more setting and reading.

“The Tipping Point” is around eight hours and half. So far, I listened to two hours. I am also enjoying the experience. However, a big difference between the two books is that “Awaken the Giant Within” was read in more enthusiastic way than “The Tipping Point.” Also, the beginning of each chapter and some quotes in “Awaken the Giant Within” was read by other voices. Moreover, in “The Tipping Point,” I noticed the number of new vocabulary for me is more that the other book. So, a negative thing about listening to a book is that it is sometimes hard to go back to get the meaning of the word, or sometimes I cannot get the spelling to find the meaning.

Another negative thing about audio books is that even though I enjoy the experience, I did lose the track sometimes. For example, Robbins was counting six points, and I was counting how many spoons I put in my cooking. Suddenly, I notice that he said (the sixth point is...) and I did not know what is the fourth and fifth, so I had to repeat it.  Also, when anyone talked to me while I’m listening I loss a lot. So, I have to repeat the not only the time when they spoke with me, but around five minutes before.

A reflection of DailyLit 5 min reading email delivered book experience

I chose to subscribe to MBA Mondays by Fred Wilson. I chose it because I’m thinking seriously of taking a double major in MBA, and I don’t have a lot of time to read more about it before taking a decision, so I thought this is the perfect opportunity to read about MBA for just five minutes daily. Something I really like about reading this way is that I cannot give myself excuses not to read because it just for 5 minutes. Additionally, it is very easy to read them immediately when I receive the email. I don’t have to download what I’ll read because it appears in the body of the email. This is also so helpful when I’m outside and want to read from my phone, or when I know that I’ll be waiting but not for a long time. However, a drawback of it is that I sometimes forget what I just read yesterday! So I have to go back to refresh my memory. Also, sometimes I miss the reading for a day or two, so the next day I discover that and go back to read the whole thing, and it sometimes become a little bit long for the time I devote for them. Overall, I think the 5 minutes reading email is a new experience and I’m enjoying it. However, I do not think choosing to read something needs some concentration is the right choice.  

Talking Books / Special Needs Library

In the main library at 303 North Laura St. there is a complete section for the people who need special equipment to read. This section is in the Conference Level downstairs of Main Library. 

There are great big collection of books on cassette includes mysteries, westerns, romances, biographies, travel, current events, how-to, children's and young adult books, and even books in foreign languages.

Also, there is a collection of movies in VHS or DVD format with narration during pauses in the dialogue for people with visual impairments.

Special Needs Library has many technologies to assist the visually or hearing impaired. Foe example, for the visually disable people are JAWS, OpenBook, Kurzweil3000, Zoomtext, and VideoEye. These are screen-readers or programs to make the screen clearer for people with low vision.

For the hearing impaired there is Sorenson Video Relay System, which is for people who want to use American Sign Language. 

Digital player
(Picture from Jacksonville taking library blog)

Talking book cassette
(Picture from Jacksonville taking library blog)

Some of the activities the Special Needs Library do is showing a movie in Closed Caption for the deaf, hearing impaired, their friends and family on the first Thursday of each month at 10:30 a.m. Also, on the third Friday of each month at 10:00 a.m. the Special Needs Library show a Described Movie program for the blind, visually disable and senior citizens.

For more information visit the Talking Books / Special Needs Library website at:

http://jpl.coj.net/lib/talkingbooks.html 

And their blog at:

http://jaxtbl-coea.blogspot.com/