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 i7S5CLR28498; Sat, 28 Aug 2004 01:12:21 -0400 (EDT) Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2004 01:12:21 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <BD557D17.295D%varshna@grandecom.net> 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: Varshna Narumanchi-Jackson <varshna@grandecom.net> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-4EFF:2808] Re: Literacy Tour--Tom Sticht X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit Content-type: text/plain; Status: O Content-Length: 1888 Lines: 34 First, I would like to say that I was fortunate to have been in Tom Sticht's audience in Austin, Texas. He delivered a lot of information in a short amount of time and in a very lively, entertaining manner. I strongly recommend folks to attend. Some parts of his talk, especially the parts about the history of literacy efforts in the US and through UNESCO, were new to me. I didn't come across anything like it in my graduate program, and I don't have the luxury or know-how to visit the National Archives. I'm glad he does, and I'm grateful that he is taking the time to share his expertise with the field. I'm now waiting for the book! At the same time, I would like to suggest that his speech also stirred in me a profound awareness of how valuable nonprofit, grassroots efforts are to strengthening literacy in the US and worldwide. I say this because I read some indirect criticism into Mr. Sticht's comments about the lack of awareness amongst his audience for NIFL, NALS, NAAL, IALS, etc. Yes, few hands went up after each resource was named. The audience Mr. Sticht addressed in Austin were, as far as I could tell, administrators who took the results of his survey in stride. Mr. Sticht, I think, would appreciate their philosophy is based on the notion of "each one teach one" as he mentioned in his speech. I hope he will continue to support volunteers who want to "teach someone to read" even if these volunteers have never seen a test item on the NALS. It is probably a true statement that, in many states, more adults are served by volunteers from nonprofit literacy organizations than are served by federally/state funded ABE programs. If we were to wait until there were enough individuals formally educated to teach reading to all of the adults who want to learn to read or learn to read better, well, we might still be waiting. Varshna Jackson Austin, TX
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