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 j53LGiG14087; Fri, 3 Jun 2005 17:16:45 -0400 (EDT) Date: Fri, 3 Jun 2005 17:16:45 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <BAY107-F4066BC80C67F1D2DB1911CF070@phx.gbl> 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: "Eileen Eckert" <eileeneckert@hotmail.com> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-AALPD:2189] RE: challenges of learner leadership X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Status: O Content-Length: 5839 Lines: 122 I think the message below (sorry, there was no name attached to the email address), and the one to which it responds (Ernest's), re-direct attention to the important issues of power relationships among teachers and students, and they <can> direct our attention to power relationships in society as a whole. Who is served by current policies and decisions, who makes decisions, in whose interests? Andrea, Jane, David, and Bonnie bring up ways teachers can come to better understand and possibly empathize with students (by becoming learners again, being in a position of vulnerability) and maybe share learning experiences as in David and Bonnie's examples. Beyond the how-to, though, is still the "why." Most people seem to believe that the way education is a change agent is through individual skill development, that those who develop knowledge and skills and earn credentials are better equipped for better-paying jobs and that education is therefore an individual path to success. I'd argue that conditions and patterns of development in the U.S. require a major change of mind--a paradigm shift--for all of us, and that here is where students and teachers can meet as equals, because our system of education in general and of teacher education in particular do little to foster the ability to think critically about the world and our place in it. In 1998, 20% of the people owned 98% of the wealth, and that was under Clinton. Disparities in ownership of wealth have only gotten worse since then. When 80% of the people are competing for less than 2% of the wealth, then an individual's educational endeavors and attainment cannot play that big a role in his or her advancement and success. The promise of democracy, thepromise of social and economic mobility and reward for hard work, has eroded past the point of sustainability. African-American men's life expectancy is now, I believe, under 50, and the epidemic rates of diabetes, hypertension, asthma and other diseases, and violence that kill poor people are not simply matters of individual responsibility. We have unprecedented numbers of people in prison. Many people have to work 2 or 3 jobs to make ends meet. This is not normal. It is not "just the way it is." It's not okay. So having students teach others how to use the computer is good, all those things people have mentioned are good, but if we really want to make a difference for students and teachers and all of us, and contribute to a common good, then teachers and students can become co-investigators of the sources of some of the problems we all face, and collaborators in finding solutions. Eileen From: BlastGrant@aol.com Reply-To: nifl-aalpd@nifl.gov To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-AALPD:2184] RE: challenges of learner leadership Date: Fri, 3 Jun 2005 10:03:55 -0400 (EDT) I'd like to pick up the thread from Ernest Best's post on May 13th. It was a challenging, thought provoking post. Ernest wrote about one of the hardest areas of student leadership and ABE -- real equality between student leaders and educators. Ernest took the question past student leadership and raised the question of respect and condescension to students in all of ABE. This topic gets to the center of traditional education: Teachers have knowledge, students are there to learn that knowledge. Its not equal. Participatory education and student leadership change that fundamental relationship. This is not a black and white topic. Its not about giving all power to the students. We can't just say "We're all equal here." Because we're not. There are real differences in skills, knowledge, and access to the system. But the power does not all flow in one direction. Students bring as much to the table as educators. Students and teachers have different knowledge, different strengths, different blindspots. The question is how do we learn to communicate with each other about them. Two weeks ago at a student leadership training here in New Mexico a teacher said "Students, you have to understand that we teachers are not trained in how to do student leadership. In teacher training, we are taught to be traditional teachers. We teach you. We are not taught how to work with you as equals. All of these topics about culture and voice and leadership are great, its why I am here. But they are new to me. I was taught how to write a curriculum and a lesson plan. I know how to make a good test. You want me to teach you as an equal, but I don't know how. I was not taught that way by my teachers, and I don't know how to teach you that way. I'm still learning how to do that." These are learnable skills. When I first started working with student leaders, I had to learn the hard way. When would I let my ego get the better of me and start to think that I knew what the students needed to do, students left. In my mind, they were right. When I stayed true to having students' ideas and values lead, the projects worked. When a student leadership project isn't working, the first place I look is at the communication and trust between the students and the teachers. Over time, building trust and real equality with students have become the most important things I've learned as an educator. I think that building trust and taking leadership from students are also some of the most important skills a classroom teacher can develop. These are not just new teaching skills. For a lot of us, they are a new way to relate to people. Its a multicultural skill. To be student centered, participatory, or student led, we have to learn to share power with people from different economic classes, education levels, cultures, races and genders. And where can teachers learn these skills?
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