Return-Path: <nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id h37C5iU06985; Mon, 7 Apr 2003 08:05:44 -0400 (EDT) Date: Mon, 7 Apr 2003 08:05:44 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <3E9545A5@webmail.utk.edu> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: jataylor <jataylor@utk.edu> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-AALPD:118] Isms, Week 2 X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Mailer: WebMail (Hydra) SMTP v3.61.08 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1" Status: O Content-Length: 2711 Lines: 53 Last week, we engaged in a rich conversation that has gone deeper than most discussions on isms, due in part to the solid foundation provided by Focus On Basics (FOB) and the FOB authors! Thanks to Cassie, Rick, Maria, Lou, Margery, Debby, Kay Tee, and others, we now have a grammatical framework with which we are exploring the implications of isms in literacy. Thanks to EVERYONE who participated in exploring the topic so fully. This week I wanted to call our attention to how we go on from here. Please continue to submit questions to the authors as we focus around the heart of the issue, as Sally put it so well, “How do these power relationships affect our ability to create and maintain positive dynamic mutual learning environments in ABE?” What are our challenges in doing this, as Barbara stated, how "open" are teachers, administrators, et al. in having their preconceived conventions challenged? As we proceed this week, please consider the following: 1) Focus on concrete practices - Please continue to share your experiences with anti-ism practices in staff development, as well as in teaching, and program design. It’s ok not to have all the *right* answers – any one person can’t possibly have all the answers. How can what we've learned thus far impact our teaching and staff development practices? 2) Awareness - How can we become more *aware* of each other? How can inquiring into what each of us shares help us to generate greater understanding? How can we increase our references to each other in our messages? 3) Focusing on a center, not sides - When we share, are we advocating from a relatively fixed position or are we open to influence? How can we build around a common focus of staff development practices? 4) Abstractions - Can we try to avoid abstractions? Speaking abstractly, especially electronically, makes it difficult to filter out meaning. If you would like others to read your message and more fully understand what you mean, try to be as succinct as possible. How can our conversations later impact the field of literacy? While teachers make an impact in the lives of the learners they teach; we, on the other hand, make a gentle influence in the practices of teachers. If we tap into the potential we have to learn from each other, and thoughtfully question our habits-of-mind, we are taking steps to create something that any one of us alone could not reach. As we strengthen our connections, we have the potential improve national literacy practices and impact countless lives. I look forward to learning from the rich experiences you have to offer! Best, Jackie Taylor NIFL-AALPD List Moderator jataylor@utk.edu
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