Return-Path: <nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id f5LEX7f25959; Thu, 21 Jun 2001 10:33:07 -0400 (EDT) Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2001 10:33:07 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <002701c0fa5f$bce2ef40$ce2b1ad8@teleport.com> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "Dominique Brillanceau" <dombril@teleport.com> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-4EFF:1713] Re: purpose, context, and EFF language X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2314.1300 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; Status: O Content-Length: 3422 Lines: 78 Eileen ( her comments are in italic) brought up the subject of using EFF's common language, as formulated in the Blue Book. I believe that's where we should be going. Getting used to a common language takes time and if EFF is really going to be about standards , we have to use the same language. The simplicity of the language is inclusive and allows the learners to come in and understand that education is not done to them but that they are a part of it. I think we stop the spirit of constructivism when we abstract those concepts which have already gone through an abstraction process and ended up as concrete as possible. I also think that "standards", especially in education are a difficult concept for Americans. We only need to look at the K-12 experience in the past 10 years and see how it has evolved into standards across the country. Within the same district , there has always been a school that's better than another and the curriculum varies widely from one school to another. Growing up in France, what was taught in my grade was the same everywhere else in the country, probably at the same time... EFF is a framework which allows people to not feel so constrained by a curriculum (yet). What will happen with the scoring guides for the performance tasks though? This is where the common language of EFF will play a key role and test whether we have internalized the language of the Blue Book or not. Dominique Brillanceau PCC, Oregon > The original question: > What is the difference between purpose and context, when a parent goes back > to school so she can help her kids with homework? I have discussed this but > at times it is still not clear to me. > > To me, the simple answer here is that the purpose is "Learning for access > and orientation," which, according to the Blue Book, "underlies many of the > specific goals adults bring to literacy programs--for example. . .helping > children with schooling. . ." (p. 6) > > The context is the family member role, more specifically the responsibility > to "promote family members' growth and development" through the key activity > "support children's formal education" (p. 10) > But what does this simple answer mean for instruction? Jenny's, Susan's, and > Karen's answers in the last day or so (and others before that--my memory's > going!) are much more meaningful to me than those quotes from the blue book. > > Is this another clue to making EFF trainings and development more responsive > to the needs of practitioners? We have a wonderfully comprehensive framework > that names just about everything learners and teachers could know and do, > but in answer to a question about context and purpose, the names that are > given are not the ones we turn to. We still need to generate ideas in our > own words. Now that the names have been generated and applied, do they > become limiting to everyone who was not a part of the original generation of > them? This is another way of stating Gail Weinstein's point about keeping > EFF constructivist. > > I do find the framework and the given names helpful, AND I think that the > answers to the question that did not talk about common purposes and roles > were more useful to teaching practice than the above quotes that I picked > out. > > _________________________________________________________________ > Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com > >
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