ITSLIFE - Learning for Teaching

 

Adult Literacy, Numeracy and ESOL Core Curricula with Access for All (DfES, 2002) all downloadable from:

www.dcsf.gov.uk/curriculum_literacy

www.dcsf.gov.uk/curriculum_numeracy

www.dcsf.gov.uk/curriculum_esol

 

Basic and Key Skills on the Support4Learning web site. As usual with this site, a good set of links on to other sites related to both Basic Skills and Key Skills http://www.support4learning.org.uk/education/key_skills.cfm

 

The Basic Skills Agency site has loads of useful material, under various headings. Overall, the site looks pretty good, and is one you need to visit to keep in touch with Basic Skills, but isn't quite as informative and easy to use as you would expect from such a high profile organisation in the field of basic skills. http://www.basic-skills.co.uk/

 

Basic skills on weblinks at http://www.sheffcol.ac.uk/links/Basic_Education/

 

BBC Key Skills is a good little site aimed at young people, with video content, tutor resources and more. Well worth a look and at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/keyskills/

 

Cox, P. and Smith, V.  (2004) From little acorns: towards a strategy for spreading good practice within colleges. London: LSDA

www.lsda.org.uk/files/PDF/1393.pdf

 

The essential skills professional development and resource centre at the University of Warwick has some useful links at http://www.essentialskills-pdrc.co.uk/links.htm

 

The Key Skills Support Programme (KSSP) is here to help you with teaching and learning, organisation, and support for key skills and increasingly Skills for Life. At http://www.keyskillssupport.net/

 

Integrating Key Skills and Basic Skills This guide is designed to illustrate how the synergy between the skills underpinning key skills and the skills described in detail in the Adult Literacy and Numeracy standards and the core curricula can be drawn together for the benefit of students and organisations. To download a copy see http://www.lsda.org.uk/files/pdf/1505.pdf

 

KeySkills4u is a 'students web site', which doesn't really tell you what it does, but what it contains includes 'Key Skills trainer', to help the development of Key Skills. There are questions tucked away at the bottom of the home page about key skills which are: http://www.keyskills4u.com/index.asp

 

The Life project - The ‘key competences in life skills’ project, or LIFE for short, is a collaborative partnership between ten training institutions and public/private agencies drawn from six countries across Europe. The project is supported by the European Union through the Leonardo da Vinci programme, aimed at improving the vocational education systems of Europe. It is Co-ordinated by Norton Radstock College, and will be a useful source of information, resources and training materials as the project develops. The project aims to develop a train the trainer programme to provide subject orientated vocational teachers with the necessary skills to integrate key skills for life competences into their vocational areas. 

http://www.life-keyskills.info/

 

The literacy trust is an excellent source of resources, comment and analysis which covers more than just literacy:

The key skills and basic skills section has some useful background information, and links to other resources, and is at http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/Database/keyskills.html

Literacy and Social Inclusion: The policy challenge

Is a discussion paper produced by the National Literacy Trust. It will be of interest to anyone concerned about the contribution, and consequences, of poor literacy skills to social exclusion, and invites responses in order to stimulate discussion and consider the implications for policy, research and practice. Download it from: www.literacytrust.org.uk/socialinclusion/policychallenge.html

The trust web site home page is at: http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/

 

Make the right Connection is the BBC Northern Ireland's web site for promoting learning and providing advice and support. It has sections on:

essential skills; inclusive learning and a series of learner stories.

The site is at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/learning/lifelong/mrc/index.shtml

 

The Network for workplace language, literacy and numeracy

Offers 'all workplace language, literacy and numeracy (LLN) stakeholders a wide - ranging portfolio of information to support good practice LLN delivery and success in the workplace.'

Try the Vault which offers a growing collection of resources, case studies and links to help plan and deliver workplace literacy, language and numeracy learning programmes.

 

Any resources or samples that you would be willing to share or advertise would be welcomed. http://www.thenetwork.co.uk/thetoolkit/vault/vault.htm

http://www.thenetwork.co.uk/

 

Professor Freedman's Maths Help - A clever and well constructed site which has won awards in various countries, and has tutorials written by students amongst other things. I tried a maths test, and got some wrong (which could have been me or the test !!). The site introduces itself like this - 'This site provides information about basic maths, algebra, study skills, math anxiety and learning styles and specifically addresses the needs of the community college adult learner. A student who is frustrated by college maths can be helped by identifying his individual learning style and recognizing the instructor's teaching style. This site provides links for students and teachers to information about learning styles, study skills tips, and ways to reduce math anxiety. This site gives the student access to tutorials, algebra assignments, math videos, and a forum for discussing with the professor a variety of math topics.' http://www.mathpower.com/

 

Raising Standards: A contextual guide to Support Success in Literacy, Numeracy and ESOL Provision (DfES, 2005)

www.dcsf.gov.uk/readwriteplus/raisingstandards/

The Raising Standards guides have been updated – look out for the new versions at www.sflip.org.uk

 

Read Write Plus from the DfES Which states its aim as : 'Our aim is to make this website the main source of information and advice on all aspects of implementing Skills for Life. We will extend and update the website on a regular basis so that you can be confident of finding the latest information on the strategy'. This is an essential site for the whole area of Basic Skills, and is updated and added to on a regular basis. If you're not sure where to start, try the 'using this site' section at http://www.dfes.gov.uk/readwriteplus/Using_the_Site Home page at http://www.dfes.gov.uk/readwriteplus/read_write_plus

 

Skills for life core curriculum - Skills for Life Core Curricula (Literacy, Numeracy and English for Speakers of Other Languages), all available to download from http://www.sflqi.org.uk/materials/pd_elements/link1.htm

 

Skills for Life Improvement Programme Assessment and Learning Guidance - The web site says 'Learner motivation is a key to learner success.  Assessment that is done “with learners” rather than “to them” helps individuals better understand themselves and their learning, builds self-esteem and helps unlock intrinsic motivation.

This collection of short guidance documents looks at how the assessment process can best be managed at different stages in the learner’s journey into and through further education sector provision.  It considers how tools to determine literacy and numeracy abilities and needs can be used to best effect within a learner centred process.

Looks very useful http://www.sflip.org.uk/resources/assessmentguidance.aspx

Skills for Life Quick Reference Guide - The Moser report "A Fresh Start" was published in March 1999 and this was subsequently launched by the Government as "Skills for Life: The National Strategy for improving adult literacy and numeracy skills" in April 2001. This national strategy has resulted in radical changes to Literacy, Numeracy and ESOL provision in England. The pace of change and development since The Moser Report has been rapid. This booklet aims to provide a quick reference guide and resource including 'Who's Who' in Skills for Life, key documents, and some useful sources of information and resources. The LSC commissioned the attached document as an internal document, but as it has proved to be useful and beneficial, we decided it was only appropriate to share it with our providers and stakeholders. Skills for Life Quick Reference Guide July 2003 (doc 548 kb)