Valuable Literacy Resource Available

G'Anne Sparks

TUTORS, TEACHERS, LEARNERS
If you haven't yet checked out the Southern LINCS web site (http://slincs.coe.utk.edu/) I strongly advise you to do so--soon. The name comes from Literacy Information aNd Communications System; the Southern Part refers to our region. It is actually a sub-site of the National Institute for Literacy's site (http://novel.nil.GOV/). By definition LINCS focuses on "meeting the needs of the primary end users -- literacy practitioners and adult learners ...... designed to be a comprehensive system that provides free, timely, easy, and efficient access to the most relevant literacy-related resources." That just about sums it up, but exactly what does that mean to you?

• It's easy to find your way around; refer to to the Site Map. Pay special attention to What's New -- there's losts of good stuff here.

• You can find lessons and teaching tools already prepared, ready for you to use.

• You can view the current 'Top Ten' literacy sites, as well as the archived selections. I especially enjoyed the information in 'Multiple Intelligences for Adult Literacy and Adult Education' and 'Assistive Technology: Meeting the needs of Adults with Learning Disabilities.' There's also a site on 'What You've Always Wanted to Know about Immigration but Were Afraid to Ask.'

• You can read student writings and get tips on how to use more writing in your lessons.

• You can readily connect to any number of literacy-related sites to find out what others are doing, to learn all about upcoming events, and to easily locate literacy statistics.

• I'm partial to the NC Literacy Resource Center's web site. It's clearly organized, offers a variety of topics and is kept current. An especially nice touch is the inclusion of a Learner Spot and a Teacher Spot.
  (G'Anne Sparks, Hendersonville, NC 9/98)