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 i1IFA7I19776; Wed, 18 Feb 2004 10:10:07 -0500 (EST) Date: Wed, 18 Feb 2004 10:10:07 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <002601c3f630$c40a2c50$a7c0c043@ReflectionPool> 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: "Catherine B. King" <cb.king@verizon.net> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-AALPD:1056] Re: Light, not heat X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1158 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; Status: O Content-Length: 9950 Lines: 224 Hello Art, and everyone: We might remember that Jack Mezirow has done some excellent work on adult "transformation" that looks at the adult wholistically, e.g., "Transformative Dimensions of Adult Learning," and "Learning as Transformation," and some other work. I think he also has a website, thought I don't know this for sure. I also like the notion of "emotional intelligence," or "emotional literacy," where, as Art and others suggest, teachers understand human psychology and take into consideration past experiences that have derailed what we understand as a normative process aimed at knowledge development. But I don't like the potential implication in the use of this terminology: That problems in the education of adults may be reduced to <mere> psychology? As Andres so cogently expresses, the problems of illiteracy in adults are multi-dimensional, including having deep roots in the political dimension of a students' history. The development of the "critical pedagogy" movement came about precisely because of the systematic effects of such a history in the larger political climate and how illiteracy may benefit the political powers-that-be. Of course, a focus on the political dimension of illiteracy points to massive "transformations" on the the world scale where, in many power circles, "leaders" see everything and everyone more-and-more through an economic lens--their own; and less-and-less through the tenets of what we understand as democracy. Implicit in this assumption is a social order that considers literacy and continuing educatin as fundamental to that order. But if that's the case, then our efforts to educate fit less-and-less into the general scheme of things--the present "power umbrellas"-- as they stand right now. If we feel marginalized, perhaps that sense is correct and rooted in our being out-of-step with remote but quite influential power orders in the world. We are not, as it were, under the umbrella but marginalized, standing out in the rain. Also, a reduction of the problem to the mere psychology <alone> of the semi-literate adult, if not considered in the larger context of a developing Albert-Memmi-style relationship between the powerful and the powerless, serves to focus on the adult-student alone and not on their awareness of the political import of their own adult education as a whole. In the larger sweep of things, I see very few teachers in k-12 who understand themselves and teaching in the political light that they and it, in fact, stand in. Most view everything through a truncated psychological lens, as if there were no other viewpoint or context to consider. It's not that the psychological lens is wrong; it's that we tend to think that that's the ONLY lens, and that oversight distorts the entire picture by making it one-dimensional. In the present discussion of PD and the psychology of the adult student, I thought it may be important to raise the question, with Andres, of our own political awareness that we may bring to our students. That political awareness as a whole is either a threat to, or a deeply-held moltivating factor of, the larger developments going on in the world today? Catherine King ----- Original Message ----- From: "Art LaChance" <arthur@ellijay.com> To: "Multiple recipients of list" <nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov> Sent: Wednesday, February 18, 2004 8:15 AM Subject: [NIFL-AALPD:1054] Re: Light, not heat > David, Tom, Andres, > > I hate to jump in here in the middle of this but........ > > I've discovered several things over the years. One being that even though a > person may in fact have the structural/sensory capacity to "learn" there can > be overwhelming contributing issues that confound the learning processes > that most likely are not organic. > The tie-breaker in 90% + of all situations I've seen in vocational rehab and > in adult lit is the psychology of the student. Where is the "Emotional > Literacy" (coined by Anthony Gabriel-New Orleans - on the NLA list several > days ago) capacity of the student in relation to accomplishing the academic > work required for remediation. That is the question. While the information > processing equipment may in fact be well within the normal range and quite > useable it may be derailed and rendered totally ineffective by a condition > whose symptoms are eerily similar to those presented by PTSD, as indicated > in the DSM IV. > > My thoughts are that the average adult literacy teacher has only a > smattering of psychology training or awareness that they've achieved as part > of mandated curriculum in college, IF there is a college credit or degree > requirement for the job they're in. > > I would strongly suspect that should some investigative body take a good > long hard look at the successful adult literacy classrooms and/or teachers > they will find an inate ability to address this issue residing within those > teachers and/or staff. The end result being to encourage the student to > extend themselves into the unknown and risk the failure they are so > sensitive towards. I'm not talking about the standard calling all teachers > into an auditorium and passing out questionaires or an abbreviated telephone > interview - I'm talking about real-life long term observations into the > methodology utilized by those successful teachers IN the classroom, again > over time. > > The PD that is being served up looks suspiciously like somebody's > interpretation of somebody elses "research" that was accomplished through > associating past and present known theories with some specific curriculum > delivery - ad infinitum. And no viable conclusion yet, or we wouldn't be > looking still. Nobody that I know of has approached the issue of examining > deeply into the situations where a child or adult who's been informally OR > formally diagnosed as LD etc, or any suggestions of same, has circumvented > that "disability" and learned to read or write or do math. What we've done > is pass it off as anecdotal and labeled it as probably a sad mistake by the > professionals involved- assigned it a rationale and gone on with life - ahhh > too bad. What is the underlying factor that provided the impetus for the > student to break through that internal resistance and open up to the threat > of failure thence to become successful doing what the role models in their > life told them was impossible for them ? This is the key, this is the > underlying factor, this is the turning point, in teaching and in learning. > Curriculum style matters but it represents not a fraction of the impact of > the internal emotional barriers set up by those who fear non-acceptance or > failure. To recognize it and deal with it effectively in somebody else is > critical. Big problem especially when most of us have difficulty > recognizing who we are - really. > > Art > > > Art LaChance > Gilmer Learning Center > Ellijay, GA > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "David Rosen" <djrosen@comcast.net> > To: "Multiple recipients of list" <nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov> > Sent: Wednesday, February 18, 2004 7:49 AM > Subject: [NIFL-AALPD:1050] Re: Light, not heat > > > > Tom, > > > > Andres Muro has responded to my request with serious arguments and > > citations. George Demetrion has added his own arguments and citations. > > I, and perhaps others, would be interested to hear yours. If you > > disagree with Andres and or George, what do you disagree with? Why? > > What evidence do you have from theory or research? And please, on this > > list, connect your arguments and evidence with recommendations for > > professional development. > > > > Thanks. > > > > David > > > > David J. Rosen > > djrosen@comcast.net > > > > On Saturday, February 14, 2004, at 09:31 PM, David Rosen wrote: > > > > > Andres and Tom, > > > > > > If you want me -- and very likely other NIFL-AALPD readers -- to pay > > > attention to your arguments, please use reason and cite evidence. > > > Abjure ad hominem arguments, sweeping generalizations, sarcasm, and > > > shouting (capitalized words are considered shouting in the e-list > > > environment.) > > > > > > Tom, concisely, what are your arguments, and what is your evidence, > > > especially scientifically-based evidence which you may have for your > > > arguments about reading and spelling as they apply to adults. What > > > scientifically-based research on adults is the basis of your (and > > > Robert Sweet's) arguments? Are you arguing, for example, that the > > > reason that _all_ adults in America cannot read is that they did not > > > have as children (and now as adults do not have) teachers who were > > > well trained in phonics methods? (If not all? Then how many, what > > > percent? What's your evidence?) > > > > > > Andres, are you saying that phonics-based approaches will not be of > > > significant help to dyslexic adults who have difficulty decoding > > > words, or are you saying that this is just one group of adults who > > > have reading difficulty and that there are others? Lay it out for us. > > > What are the various causes of adult reading difficulty? What's your > > > evidence? > > > > > > And please, if you can, tell us what you think the implications of > > > your arguments are for staff development, the focus of this list. How > > > should we be "training" teachers of native English speaking adults who > > > cannot read at all or who are reading at NALS Level 1 for example? > > > Should the training be different for teachers of adults who are > > > learning English, SPL 1-3, for example? What should teachers of > > > adults know and be able to do to help adults who can read (who have > > > decoding skills, some automaticity, and a fairly good vocabulary) but > > > who cannot read well, or critically? > > > > > > Shed some light, please. > > > > > > Thanks, > > > > > > David J. Rosen > > > djrosen@comcast,net > > > > > > >
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