tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51044019537910227342020-02-28T20:15:05.171-08:00This site is dedicated to celebrating the amazing tutors, teachers, mentors and program coordinators that America Learns has the opportunity to serve. Every month, you'll find the absolute best new tutoring, mentoring, teaching and program management strategies that have been created, tried and proven by the thousands of individuals using the America Learns Network.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger68125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104401953791022734.post-58312353329510530162011-11-16T07:48:00.001-08:002012-05-03T10:15:20.208-07:00

Apologies for being so silent for so many months.  Since March, the number of organizations that we serve across the U.S. has doubled.  We’re now serving education, youth development, and other nonprofit and social justice-focused organizations across 37 states, D.C., and several countries outside of the U.S.!  We’ve been focused on building our infrastructure to make sure that we can serve our

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104401953791022734.post-3150511692179670962011-03-15T11:10:00.001-07:002011-03-15T11:29:34.419-07:00

Background Meet India "We wish more teachers discussed these issues," were comments that India's students shared after she implemented the strategy, "'That's So Gay' -- How That Phrase Can Hurt." Earlier this school year, India, a beginning teacher who teaches high school Algebra and Geometry at PUC

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104401953791022734.post-23275643442481897822011-01-26T08:26:00.001-08:002011-01-26T08:53:12.084-08:00

Background   Meet Emmy Around our office, Emmy has become known as Emmy “Effective Flexibility” Meinke. This Girls Inc. of Alameda County AmeriCorps member provides us with an awesome model of what being an aware, responsive educator and mentor can look like.  Effective

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104401953791022734.post-48997730538626259802010-11-30T15:21:00.001-08:002010-11-30T15:35:53.482-08:00

Background Here’s the fifth of five strategies for this Strategy Tuesday.  We hope you’ve enjoyed learning from the outstanding tutors, mentors and sports coaches who we’ve highlighted today.  To receive additional strategies via e-mail each month, be sure to sign up for our “Superstars Alerts” on the right. - - -

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104401953791022734.post-7760694984157459822010-11-30T14:44:00.001-08:002010-11-30T21:59:15.838-08:00

Background Here’s the fourth of five strategies for this Strategy Tuesday. The strategy comes from Alexandria Murnan, an ESL tutor and AmeriCorps member with Literacy AmeriCorps Palm Beach County. Below, you’ll get some great advice from Alexandria on how to teach adult ESL students to express regret in English.

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104401953791022734.post-68723221033797528752010-11-30T13:20:00.001-08:002010-11-30T13:24:13.044-08:00

Background Here’s the third of five strategies for this Strategy Tuesday. The strategy comes from Danica Ancell, a thoughtful service learning student and mentor with Long Beach BLAST in Long Beach, CA. Below, you’ll learn how Danica created a strategy at the beginning of the school year to begin learning about

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104401953791022734.post-10892861031725769162010-11-30T11:44:00.001-08:002010-11-30T12:07:09.090-08:00

Background Here’s the second of five strategies for this Strategy Tuesday. The strategy comes from Sara Smith, an awesome AmeriCorps member with Girls Inc. of Alameda County in San Leandro, CA. Below, you’ll learn how Sara taught her students how to turn around days that aren’t going so well.  Please let us know

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104401953791022734.post-63065170950210603002010-11-30T11:20:00.001-08:002011-02-24T16:52:51.703-08:00

Background You survived Black Friday.  You conquered Cyber Monday.  It’s now time for the first ever STRATEGY TUESDAY. Yes, we’re starting a new post-Thanksgiving tradition here at America Learns.  From today forward, on the first Tuesday following Thanksgiving, we’ll be sharing five of the best strategies that have

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104401953791022734.post-54802898284964085262010-10-25T22:01:00.000-07:002010-11-01T10:14:55.187-07:00

Background AMERICORPS MEMBERS’ ON-THE-GROUND REALITIES Most of the challenges that AmeriCorps members run into while tutoring and serving as school-based mentors don’t have to do with content issues, but with interpersonal ones. In fact, if you study the 28,896 reflection &

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104401953791022734.post-43793768100772297632010-08-31T17:52:00.001-07:002010-09-08T10:07:58.313-07:00

Background     We have three big goals over here. To make sure that every tutor, mentor and coach we serve is getting the personalized support they need to deliver the best services possible. To make sure that every tutor, mentor and coach we serve is making time for meaningful reflection and planning.

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104401953791022734.post-53277306454914501672010-05-21T12:43:00.000-07:002010-05-21T14:43:18.524-07:00

It’s rare that we post anything on our Network Superstars blog beyond our more formal, monthly celebrations of the amazing volunteers, AmeriCorps members, coaches, and student teachers we serve; but, the following PowerPoint deck just came across our computer screens, and we think it’s worthy of a special mention.  Recently, Girls For A Change coaches Gloria Downey and Michele Robertson were

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104401953791022734.post-34028243715415064392010-04-27T14:54:00.000-07:002010-04-27T15:49:33.306-07:00

Background   ELEANOR ROUSE. AWESOME. Eleanor Rouse has almost single handedly built up the somatic (mind, body, and heart) side of the America Learns National Strategy Library. During the 2009-10 school year, this Girls For A Change coach created a number of innovative, effective strategies to

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104401953791022734.post-29302014202614802422010-04-27T14:50:00.000-07:002010-04-28T09:51:17.674-07:00

Background WHAT ARE THEY PUTTING IN THEIR WATER? Literacy AmeriCorps Palm Beach County does an absolutely amazing job of recruiting, training and supporting its AmeriCorps members.  If you ever need to find some of the most talented, creative, passionate tutors and staff members serving adult learners, look

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104401953791022734.post-29386871794304126252010-02-25T17:54:00.000-08:002010-02-26T07:43:40.500-08:00

Background         YOU KNOW THE SITUATION.  One of the most common challenges faced by tutors, mentors, and others in the youth development space revolves around engagement.  How do I engage my student in a learning opportunity when it seems like the student doesn’t want to learn? NOW, APPLY THAT ISSUE TO TEACHING WRITING.

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104401953791022734.post-72748630553132426402010-01-27T15:03:00.000-08:002010-02-25T15:03:22.340-08:00

Background           IMAGINE THIS SCENARIO: You’re tutoring a bunch of 6th, 7th and 8th graders afterschool One of the students misbehaves all of the time You and your fellow tutors all have walkie talkies - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - YOUR CHALLENGE

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104401953791022734.post-10102903486420845942009-12-28T15:47:00.001-08:002009-12-28T22:42:09.047-08:00

Background     Breakfast cereal.  It can be a part of a healthy breakfast.  Thanks to Annette Hilger, it can now be a part of a healthy tutoring session. Annette Hilger is a coach with IUPUI’s America Reads*America Counts program (a Federal Work-Study tutoring program for children in grades K-9).  Annette, a freshman Pre-Physical

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104401953791022734.post-90362866367119235462009-11-30T10:01:00.000-08:002009-12-28T22:33:06.073-08:00

In honor of Cyber Monday, we're not just highlighting one strategy today.  We're highlighting 52! You'll find each of these strategies in our award-winning book for families, family literacy programs, and pre-schools, Bonding While Learning. While the book retails for $16.95, it's totally free to download and print through December 11th.

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104401953791022734.post-39868779500770605402009-10-25T23:38:00.001-07:002009-10-28T09:29:41.040-07:00

Background For the first time, we’re not only introducing our latest America Learns Network Superstar in writing, but also via video. Below, you’ll have an opportunity to meet Megan Conners.  The 23 year old AmeriCorps NCCC alumnus just began serving as an adult literacy and ESL tutor through Literacy AmeriCorps Palm Beach

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104401953791022734.post-53031904536494166642009-09-15T10:17:00.001-07:002009-09-16T10:08:28.431-07:00

Background A core component of our work involves tracking and responding to the specific goals and challenges being tackled by the tutors, mentors, coaches and new teachers we serve. This month, we want to share three of the top ten challenges that tend to top the list every September, along with some of the strategies that individuals we

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104401953791022734.post-28042717356162866472009-06-26T00:48:00.000-07:002009-09-15T10:41:26.060-07:00

Dear Network Superstars visitors, This summer, we’re taking a brief hiatus from publicly celebrating the amazing teachers, tutors, mentors and coaches we serve. Here’s why: We’re adding a substantial number of first-of-its-kind features to our flagship service, the America Learns Performance Measurement & Learning Network. We’re recruiting and training a number of new team members

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104401953791022734.post-42732228944758137772009-05-20T12:17:00.001-07:002009-06-01T11:28:42.591-07:00

Background                 Check out this video about GFC!

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104401953791022734.post-6398161703250872032009-04-06T23:00:00.001-07:002009-04-07T20:09:41.003-07:00

Our Second Program Staff Member Superstar! Meghan (in purple) with a few GFC girls   Meet Meghan Arrigo, the Western Regional Program Director of Girls For A Change.  When Meghan found herself needing to take on the management of about 50 volunteers, she discovered a surprise bonus with the

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104401953791022734.post-38923982384526681732009-03-17T22:18:00.000-07:002009-03-20T09:38:03.740-07:00

Background     When we read Casey Cebulski’s Cave Monster strategy, we were blown away by the thought behind it. Check this Out. Casey is a City of Lakes AmeriCorps member.  He works with third and fourth graders at Andersen Elementary in Minneapolis, MN. Several weeks ago,

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104401953791022734.post-7535776916669240902009-03-17T20:50:00.000-07:002009-04-07T20:08:20.085-07:00

Background THE FIRST EVER! Every so often, we’ll post interviews with and tips from program directors and program coordinators who are using the America Learns Performance Measurement & Learning Network.   These Program Staff Superstars have either found

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104401953791022734.post-89347906804018495032009-03-13T07:52:00.000-07:002009-03-19T07:53:22.728-07:00

Thanks so much to those of you who participated in the effort to name the superhero who now represents the America Learns Network Superstars. The winning name by far was…  The Illuminator.  The name was originally suggested by long-time Network member Val Harris at Project READ.  Project READ is an adult literacy tutoring

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0