Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Health Literacy is HOT!

I have been writing a lot about health literacy the past few weeks. It is really something I am feeling passionate about lately. Probably because my family has had so many healthcare issues.



In my first post about HL, I mentioned that I went to an in-service on this topic. It was taught by a woman, Elissa Director, who founded the Health Coalition of NJ. Like I said in that post, this in-service was very informative and I wish it had been longer.


Great News! At the upcoming Literacy for Life conference, this workshop is being offered: "What Tutors Can Do to Increase Health Literacy." This is a double session workshop, from 9:30 to 12:45, jam packed with fabulous information to help us tutors make an impact in our students lives with health literacy. Not only that, you are guaranteed to take away some valuable information to make your own self more health literate!


Here is the workshop description:

Navigating the US healthcare system is extremely challenging. Two decades of research indicate that today's health information is presented in ways that is not usable by most Americans. Participants will examine the changing definitions of health literacy, the impact of low literacy on health, and the role that culture plays in determining health practices and beliefs. We will identify some of the many literacy tasks needed to understand and act on health information and how to incorporate skill-building activities into tutoring sessions. In addition to providing useful health literacy resources for adult literacy students, each attendee will receive a copy of Staying Healthy: An English Learner's Guide to Health Care and Health Living.


Let me just say that Health Literacy is really HOT right now, in the literacy world that is! I think it is even bigger than financial literacy. Anyone tutoring right now should know the information being taught in this class. Anyone tutoring an ESOL student should be REQUIRED to take this class.


PLEASE SIGN UP!! You will not regret it. You have my personal guarantee.


Click HERE go to the conference page. Or even better, give me a call at the LVNJ office and I will sign you up over the phone.


Cheers!

Friday, March 25, 2011

From A to Z: Weekly Treasures




Hmmm. I am really unsure how I feel about this first article I found on EducationNews.org. On the one hand I know from personal experience how difficult it really is to tell the level of a person's intelligence simply by testing. On the other hand it is really the only tool available to determine the levels across a broad range of people.

I do however agree that testing can be improved, but then that requires more funding and more manpower. Shouldn't those resources go to helping people instead of testing them. Read the article, Maliteracy Practice in the Assessment of Adult Literacy , and see what you think. I am interested in know your thoughts!



I am so impressed by anyone who holds these large conferences. Mainly because I know how much work goes into them.


I love to hear about a literacy program getting honored!




A very informative article from about the problem of health illiteracy specifically regarding consent forms.


More stories that illustrate how important health literacy is. I love the line at the very end: “I never ask, ‘Do you understand?’ ” she added, “because they say, ‘Uh-huh,’ and you don’t know what they understand. So instead I’ll say, ‘I know your daughter is going to want to know about this, so what are you going to tell her?’ ” From the journalgazette.net.



I did not know this! Obama Administration Announces Start of Student Exam Window for 2011 National Financial Capability Challenge.

Does anyone have a high school student who took this? I am really interested to find out the results!


April is National Financial Literacy Month. Check this unofficial website to learn about the 30 steps to financial wellness.





And finally this, it is powerful.

Monday, March 21, 2011

My First Vlog

I have been wanting to do a Vlog for a while now. I love to keep things fresh and exciting! This video I captured recently seemed like the perfect choice for my first one.


This is a video of my middle daughter Katy who is 6 years old. She has wanted to learn to read for a long time now and has worked really hard this year in Kindergarten. She has figured out most of her phonics and has learned many sight words. I am so proud of her, and so happy that she loves books as much as I do.


Here she is reading Green Eggs and Ham, her favorite book, all by herself.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Literacy for Life 2011

I am doing a promo today for the conference I am working on. This is an annual event for LVNJ and this will be my second year working on and attending the conference. It is going to be an exciting and informative event and I encourage any adult tutors or educators who are in the area to COME!


Click on the logo below to get to the registration page at LVNJ.org


Tuesday, March 15, 2011

It's Personal


I have been putting this off for a long time. I didn't really want to write about the personal stuff going on in my life right now, mostly because I am unsure if I should really feel free to do that on a blog. Most people I know tend to keep their personal lives hidden and shy away from sharing. This is not how I am in life, and this blog, while only a snapshot of a small part of my life, is an outlet. When the ideas for writing start forming in my head, I need to release them before they become stagnant.


I haven't been tutoring for the past two weeks. My poor student. I will get to why in a minute, first here is the back story of my family. I am married and have three beautiful daughters, Maddie who is 10 and super bright and energetic. Katy is 6 and so loveable and bubbly. Then there is Ally who is 3 and truly the spoiled baby of the bunch. I always say she rules the house. My husband is young and energetic and helps out around the house all the time.

6 Years ago my husband suffered a grand mal seizure while sleeping one night. Long story short he had a benign tumor in his brain. He had it removed and has been taking medication to prevent any further seizures. He has been basically seizure free for about 5 years. So for 5 years we have been moving along. I increased my responsibilities outside of the home, believing that everything was copacetic. I love to keep busy and use my brain so I signed up for as many things as I could that would allow me to do that.

Wednesday March 2, 2011, Tom (my husband) and Maddie were driving in the mini-van, on the way home from picking up a desk we bought on CL. While driving on a very busy 2 lane highway, he had a grand mal seizure. He crashed into 10 cars sitting in a used car lot and then slowly came to a stop on the side of the road. The airbag deployed and saved his life, and my daughter was wearing her seat belt which saved her life. The car was destroyed.

Now they are both healing, mentally and physically. For me I have been going 100 miles an hour ever since it happened. This is how I operate, I can't sit around and wait for things to happen, I need to make them happen on my own and in my own way. Life does not work that way, and I have to let go and give in to what is being directed to me. Flat tires happen (and did happen), even when I am already stressed enough. Power window motors die while I wish it didn't all happen at once, I can't control that.

The reason I share all this is on my tutoring blog is because tutoring is part of my life now. Even though tutoring is not always personal, our lives are and one tiny stone thrown causes multiple ripples. When I feel out of control in my personal life, it affects every aspect of my life. My husband can't drive now, I have to be available to pick up and drop off all my kids. My car was totalled, it was the most reliable source of transportation we owned that could fit our whole family. These "stones" could create havoc, but I am choosing not to let them.

While my first priority is to my family I always think about the affects on my other priorities in life. I may need to shift a few things now and maybe give some things up, but tutoring is still a priority to me and a passion, so I want to keep it!

I have a new car (well new to me) my family is home safe and sound, and I can go back to my tutoring this week with the realization that no matter how hard I try I can not control everything.