Return-Path: <nifl-fobasics@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id iB4JekF18962; Sat, 4 Dec 2004 14:40:46 -0500 (EST) Date: Sat, 4 Dec 2004 14:40:46 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <A7290282-462B-11D9-8C8A-00039381D39E@comcast.net> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-fobasics@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-fobasics@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-fobasics@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: David Rosen <djrosen@comcast.net> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-fobasics@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-FOBASICS:1230] RE: Plateaus for ABE readers--2nd/3rd+Big Ideas X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.619) Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed Status: O Content-Length: 3314 Lines: 91 Chris, Thanks for sharing this great narrative of a teaching moment which includes critical thinking. > Imagine the uproar that ensued when I told them that nine states took > the right to vote away from anyone incarcerated for a felony in > perpetuity. Perhaps we should suspend the right to vote for all who are eligible to vote, but don't. If they knew their right were going to be taken away, they might exercise it. This might be an interesting question for students to debate. > The question they asked was, "How did Columbus know the world was > round." Many years ago, in Liberia, west Africa, some colleagues ran a multi-week high school science program which was built on one question: What shape is the earth, and what proof do you have? They learned a lot of science -- real science learning, not just memorizing. David J. Rosen djrosen@comcast.net On Dec 4, 2004, at 12:38 AM, Chris Badger wrote: > Andrea, > > I work in a correctional/drug treatment setting. Many of my students, > admittedly, are not terribly sophisticated in their thinking. but they > want > to be treated that way from time to time. During the month leading up > to the > last election, a discussion developed in class as to whether inmates > should > have the right to vote. They saw the inability to become part of the > election process as one more instance where society was failing them. > I saw > it as instance where society was punishing them by taking some of their > rights away temporarily. TEACHING MOMENT!!!!!!! > > I brought in copies of the "Constitution" and we went over parts of > it. We > spent about forty-five minutes a day, four days a week discussing > voting > rights, the needs of the many over the needs of the few, the respective > roles of Congress, the Presidency and the Supreme Court. Finally, I > brought > an essay that explained the stance of the various states relating to > the > voting rights of offenders and ex-offenders. Imagine the uproar that > ensued > when I told them that nine states took the right to vote away from > anyone > incarcerated for a felony in perpetuity. The class transformed itself > from a > group of disinterested adults to a group of men who were on fire with > interest. > > My point, thought perhaps badly stated at the outset, is that > illiterate and > marginally literate adults common experiences with other adults but > have > never had the ability or the opportunity to explore these experiences. > I try > to give them that chance and our occasional discussions give ride to > reading > lessons taken from low-level readers and spelling test using words I > have > had them copy from my chalk-talk sessions, and even trivia contests. > Look, I > get bored teaching cat, rat, sat, bat, fat.... > So I try to up the level of interest. > > A final note. Our lesson today came from a the movie Christopher > Columbus I > showed at the beginning of the week.. The question they asked was, > "How did > Columbus know the world was round." My answer was, "First you must > understand that the Greek figured that out in 600 BCE." They didn't > follow > all of it but many can now read the words Greek, round, Columbus, > tropic, > and explore. Trust me. If the teacher studies and questions, so will > the > students.
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