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 j3KFRSG13279; Wed, 20 Apr 2005 11:27:28 -0400 (EDT) Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 11:27:28 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <4266745A.1010103@comcast.net> 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: "David J. Rosen" <djrosen@comcast.net> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-AALPD:2067] Students' roles in health literacy X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Status: O Content-Length: 1877 Lines: 35 NIFL-AALPD colleagues, One challenging area of adult literacy education professional development is health. Many teachers are uncomfortable incorporating health issues in their ESOL/ESL, ABE or GED/EDP classes. Health literacy may require medical knowledge, or it may involve talking about parts of the body (as in the case of HIV/AIDS; breast, cervical or prostate cancer) or behaviors such as drug or alcohol abuse, topics with which teachers often are not comfortable, or which they feel they are not qualified to teach. In many cases, however, students are comfortable talking about health issues such as these, and in some cases they are experts. For example, they may be health workers or health professionals. In Boston we sometimes have people in ESOL classes who have been medical or health education practitioners in their countries: nurses, doctors....and some have also been teachers. In ABE and GED classes we often have students who are experienced healthcare paraprofessionals, home health care aides, for example. So, here's my question -- for adult learner leaders and for others on the panel: how could a teacher who wants to introduce health literacy issues into the classroom take advantage of students' health knowledge and expertise? Does anyone have some examples of this being done? Or does anyone have other examples of student leadership in health that you would like to mention? (Of course I want to hear from Massachusetts people, who probably have a lot to say about this, but I am equally interested to hear from those of you in Delaware, Texas, Vermont, Florida, and other states. I believe that one of the founders, and Board Members of VALUE in her working life is a nurse in Indiana. If she has joined this discussion, it would be great to hear from her about this, too. David J. Rosen djrosen@comcast.net
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