Return-Path: <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id i2VFefm21251; Wed, 31 Mar 2004 10:40:42 -0500 (EST) Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 10:40:42 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <20040331153718.24192.qmail@web11003.mail.yahoo.com> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: Ujwala Samant <lalumineuse@yahoo.com> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ESL:10157] Re: layers of meaning X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Status: O Content-Length: 4792 Lines: 156 I meant to write: I am one of the "they" you refer to. Not "I am one of the "the" you refer to.". Apologies, Ujwala --- Ujwala Samant <lalumineuse@yahoo.com> wrote: > Dear Eugenio, > > People are so politically driven. I can't stand > > that. They get so carried > > away and forget the profession they so claim to > > practice and the people the > > pretend to help.< > > Yes I am politically driven. I don't believe in > hiding > that. And I am one of the "the" you refer to, making > this seem oppositional, when really I still believ > we > are all standing on the same platform, perhaps at > different points on it. Everything in our field is > politically driven,look at our funding, which > programmes get funded, what kind of education we > get, > who gets education, which populations get access to > education, all that is politically driven. To ignore > the existence of politics in education is naivete. > > > Andrea, I like the story of your mother. My > father > > is a farmer and learning > > English would never have changed that. A farmer > was > > what he was, like being > > Mexican or a male. He couldn't change that and > > wouldn't either. << > > I found Andrea's story very illuminating because > there > is so much truth in it. We have as a world made > celar > distinctions between intellectual labour and > physical/manual labour. Our artisans are demeaned > and > university education lauded to the extreme. > > >Many times I feel educators place > > value on middle class > > labor only, like working in an office wearing a > tie > > or a dress and heels. > > If their students don't achieve that, then they > have > > not progressed.<< > > One of our partner organisations in India called > SIDH > (Society for the Integrated development of the > Himalayas) has developed an incredible programme to > deal with just that. Their work is becoming well > known > and cited as best practice by agencies like DfID. > Check out their website www.sidh.org There aim is to > educate people within the context of the > surroundings > they live in and keep them in the hills instead of > running to the plains for the city jobs that Indian > education (based very heavily on the colonial model, > to create clerks and babus) prepares them for. > > > >How > > awful is that? That is why I was so turned off by > > the conversation > > yesterday. And, then, they are so pretentious; > > experts sitting on > > pedestals. I'm sure they have good intentions, > but > > they need a reality > > check or just someone to knock them off their > > pedestals. I can't stand the > > hypocrisy in the field, this "I'm your savior > > attitude."<< > > Your perception of them made you see people on their > pedestals. I haven't seen anyone claim to be an > expert. Yet you refer to them as that. Whatever has > made you so upset perhaps has its beginnings much > before Tanya's post about not wanting to drive in > her > county, is my view of your anger. > > > Anyway this will be my last posting on this issue. > < > > Pity, because I found your views interesting. I hope > you will post because that to me is how I learn. > When > discussions like this happen. Often we end up > sharing > resources and very rarely get into discussions on > issues. So if this is your last post, I am sorry. > > > I hope to meet all of > > you some day. I have only been involved in the > > field for five years and I > > am currently a student but will graduate some day > > and would love to work > > with you all. Sometime things get heated up on > list > > serves such as this > > one, but I'm sure in a different setting we would > be > > more civil with each > > other, maybe. << > > Heated discussions as long as they aren't personal > attacks are hardly anything to discourage. Debate > like > this is great for sharing your views. And I for one > am > glad you stopped lurking!! I've met a few people > from > this and other listservs and had great conversations > with them. As a long time participant on this > listserv, I've had many discussions with a number of > participants and haven't agreed with everyone (or > vice > versa) but I still look forward to seeing what they > have to say. > > >When we meet, don't bring your > > pedestals. I prefer the > > we-are-on-the-same-level-eye-contact.< > > Those pedestals are there only if we perceive them > as > being there. Generally it's "Hey, so you're XYZ! > Great > to meet you!" > > regards, > Ujwala > > > > __________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Finance Tax Center - File online. File on > time. > http://taxes.yahoo.com/filing.html __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Finance Tax Center - File online. File on time. http://taxes.yahoo.com/filing.html
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