[NIFL-4EFF:1884] Re: What does a transparent approach mean?

From: Marcia Anderson (manderson@newcastle.k12.pa.us)
Date: Mon Oct 29 2001 - 10:34:41 EST


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From: "Marcia Anderson" <manderson@newcastle.k12.pa.us>
To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov>
Subject: [NIFL-4EFF:1884] Re: What does a transparent approach mean?
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I am responding to this in part because I see the term pedagogy used at
times in these discussions.  Pedagogy relates to children--the correct term
for adults is andraogy and refers educating adults.

This discussion on  transparency has been quite interesting and is one that
we, as a staff are now addressing.  I appreciate that it has occurred
because we sometimes forget how iimportant it is that our learners
understand why they are doing what they are doing.

Thanks for listening.

Marcia Anderson
----- Original Message -----
From: <AndresMuro@aol.com>
To: "Multiple recipients of list" <nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov>
Sent: Tuesday, October 23, 2001 10:48 AM
Subject: [NIFL-4EFF:1866] Re: What does a transparent approach mean?


> The problem as I see it, is that there are two types of practitioners. One
group includes those that have devoted extensive time to the field, have
studied, have practiced, and have pedagogical expertise.
>
> The other group are those who are new to the field and don't come from a
background in adult ed. Maybe they got a teaching job by chance, most likely
part-time and have little time for professional development.
>
> The first group consists of teachers who essentially know how to teach
effectively incorporating family, vocation, education and community issues
into the class. They may also have an understanding of philosophical and
ideological issues that inform about pedagogy.
>
> Many in this group do not need EFF. In fact they may find EFF constraining
and both philosophically and ideologically objectionable. I find a few
elements of EFF ideologically objectionable, but more than that I find
attempts to impose something on everyone, even more ideologically
objectionable.
>
> The second group constitutes a very broad spectrum of our field. I believe
that the EFF approach was developed in response to the limitations of this
group. It intends to be "transparent", I guess so that anyone can use it
effectively and with ease (I wonder if this is still the case after some
decided to deconstruct transparent). However, it may be confusing to many
teachers with lack of experience and lack of time. Moreover, I don't see EFF
as the solution to part-time teachers with no background and little time for
professional development.
>
> Andres
>
>
> In a message dated Tue, 23 Oct 2001 10:05:07 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
Bonnie Fortini <bfortini@acad.umm.maine.edu> writes:
>
> > And herein resides the rub!  While we can deal with the transparency of
> > technology by mastering the tool- from fountain pen or mechanical pencil
> > to computer (personally, I am still working on the electric pencil
> > sharpener in our office that seems bent upon eating my pencils), EFF
asks
> > to be noticed.  Watching students (and practitioners) find themselves in
> > the framework or roles has been an instructive experience for me.  So
many
> > of the students in our program have, for so many reasons, never "had a
> > clue" about becoming an effective individual.  The tools in EFF are
often
> > the first glimmer of goals and plans for some of them.  And the fact
that
> > EFF began in and continues to return to the field to be refined and
> > informed predisposes the process to some level of resonance with our
> > students.
> >
> > If the approach needs to be transparent, then perhaps it should be
"second
> > nature" for practitioners who should become "fluent" in the application
> > of the EFF tools. The struggle to understand and implement EFF is part
of
> > the tool kit, and if that isn't "taking responsibility for learning,"
> > "reflect and evaluate," and all the communication skills at least, then
I
> > don't know what is.
> >
> > Bonnie F.
>



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