KLRN launches TV411 adult literacy programming

By Paul de la Peña-Franceschi

KLRN-TV public television has initiated a program that could benefit thousands of South Texans. The adult literacy program officially kicked off its season recently during KLRN's "Learning Place."
TV411 offers programs that teach basic reading, writing, and math skills to adults, specifically those who do not have a high school diploma or G.E.D. Such programs are scarce on television, despite the fact that 70 million American adults are in need of literacy education. In response to this need, Marian Lapsley Schwarz, Ph.D., executive director of the Adult Literacy Media Alliance (ALMA), which produces the series, recognized that television in an ideal medium for reaching adult learners.
In San Antonio, KLRN is working with San Antonio ISD, Northside ISD, North East ISD, and the Educational Service Center Region 20 on a pilot project to use the series in designated classes. That project is part of a larger, national effort headed by the National Center on Adult Literacy to promote the integration of technology into Adult Basic Education, making San Antonio one of a dozen such sites across the country.
"It's particularly timely here in San Antonio especially, we think, paralleling Alamo Workforce Development's Learn a Living Campaign," said Cam Messina, KLRN director of adult learning services. "We see a lot of synergy bubbling up around adult education and efforts to help adults improve their education, wherever they may be. Whether they need a GED or a Ph.D., there's path being smoothed to help them get there."
"There are millions of people in this country who want to strengthen their basic reading, writing, and math skills, so they can be better at their jobs and managing their lives and families, but they often do not have the time or disposition to seek that kind of continuing education in a formal classroom setting," said Dr. Schwarz. "TV411 offers them a way to build these skills at home, at their own pace, in a way that is as entertaining as it is educational. And they see how these skills can be used in practical, everyday uses."
The program uses half-hour segments covering a variety of topics such as family, work, or health. These segments are either dramatic narratives that feature TV411's original cast of characters, or journalistic profiles of various artists, athletes, and other personalities and professionals or learners themselves who demonstrate how reading, writing, and math apply to their lives and careers.
In recent years, there has been a growing need for more basic math education for adults; an estimated 90 million adults in America lack the basic math skills to perform everyday activities. With that in mind, the new ten-episode season has a stronger focus on mathematics, and will introduce two new segments. Math Behind the Arts demonstrates how math is commonly applied to creative endeavors such as music. Calculating Women are two math mavens who show viewers how to go about solving everyday math problems, such as choosing the most cost-effective cell phone plan or figuring out how to lower credit card debt.
In addition to the TV411 television series, ALMA has developed a rich array of supplemental material to accompany the TV411 broadcast: TV411 In Print, a series of 12-page magazine-style workbooks that accompany each episode; TV411 On Line (www.tv411.org) a web site with interactive lessons for adult learners and resources for adult education teachers; and a series of multi-media literacy kits based on themes such as family literacy, finance, and health. ALMA also has a widespread outreach initiative to bring adult literacy education into facilities and organizations such as hospitals, prisons, churches, and labor unions.
TV411 was recently honored as an "Outstanding Educational Program," and has been recognized with back-to-back Emmys from the New York Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
KLRN public television can be found on most cable networks in the Laredo area and has been serving a 30-county area of South Texas for over 40 years. Their goal is to continue to provide quality programs and services that advance education, culture, and community to enrich the lives of people throughout south central Texas.