Colleagues,

Have you been introduced to the ALE Wiki?  If so, when was the last time
you visited?  Have you contributed your valuable experience, knowledge,
or wisdom there yet?  Why not?  Do you have comments, suggestions, or
feedback for the "wikiteers"?  We would love to hear from you.  

Projects are nothing without timely, specific, and productive assessment
and evaluation by the people involved.  As we continue to build the ALE
Wiki, it's important for you in the field to let us know if you use it
and how, and whether there are topics missing, or resources to add.  

Take a moment to read the post below from David Rosen, and find out
about the ALE Wiki and where it is today!

Marie Cora
Assessment Discussion List Moderator

================
ALE Wiki soon to be two years old

Colleagues,

To improve practice in our field, teachers need to quickly and easily  
find  the results of research and professional wisdom.  This is a  
practical, everyday concern.  A teacher has a question that needs an  
answer, such as  "What are effective ways to increase student  
persistence?".  "How do you handle a multilevel classroom?" "What is  
the optimum class size for beginning ESOL or basic literacy?" "What  
assessments are used in our field?" "Does my state offer free  
professional development or training?",  "Does getting a GED lead to  
increased earnings?"or  "How can I be an effective advocate for adult  
literacy?"

Suppose there were one place to find answers to these questions, one  
place organized by topic -- and within each topic by teachers'  
questions -- and with lists of web-accessible research and  
professional wisdom sources.  Suppose the topic area included some of  
the best discussions in the field. Suppose that this gold mine of  
professional development, designed to be accessed "just-in-time",   
were free.

That's what the Adult Literacy Education Wiki is becoming.  Some  
topics are nearly there, while others have just scratched the  
surface.  Increasingly, it is becoming the "go to" place for  
teachers, researchers, administrators, and grant writers, both those  
new to the field and old hands.  Launched in December, 2004, at the  
Meeting of the Minds I  practitioner-researcher Symposium in  
Sacramento, California,  it will have is second birthday this year at  
Meeting of the Minds II, November 30- December 2.  The ALE Wiki now  
has 31 topics, 14 topic leaders, over 700 registered users -- 65 of  
whom have posted a brief bio statement,  and  nearly 800 pages of  
text. It was presented at an international conference on Wikis at  
Harvard this year.  A chapter of a new book on communities of  
practice will be  devoted to the ALE Wiki. It includes the work and  
the writing, or links to writing of many of the top people in our  
field from across the world. Not bad for a two year old, especially  
one that was created and raised entirely by volunteers.

You can use the ALE Wiki.  Check it out at:

http://wiki.literacytent.org

You can contribute to it -- it's easy!  Go to:

http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/New_Here%3F

You might want to be a Topic Leader.

http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/Topic_Leaders

If so, e-mail me.

And, of course, the volunteer "wikiteers" appreciate your comments.   
What is useful? What would you like to see to be added or changed?


David J. Rosen
djrosen at comcast.net