[NIFL-FOBASICS:1471] RE: Expertise in Low Literacy Learners Question

Certainly our population has expertise in many areas - auto mechanic, cook, crop harvesting, surviving in this world. I thingk that calling their attention to this expertise is a positive thing and I do it all of the time!

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From: PHCSJean.2164047@bloglines.com
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Subject: [NIFL-FOBASICS:1469] Expertise in Low Literacy Learners Question
Date: Thu, 1 Sep 2005 13:43:52 -0400 (EDT)
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Good day everyone!
The endless dissertation process continues. I've encountered
a new hurdle in the committee review process, and I'm hoping you all might
have some feedback for me.

I'm doing my work on the metacognitive processes
of low literacy learners during the reading process and comparing it with
their metacognitive processes during something they would perceive themselves
to be experts at. I'm considering metacognition to be thinking about thinking,
sort of self reflecting on the how-do-I-do-this. Ultimately, I think there
may be some transfer of learning opportunities between the way the expert
area is thought about and the reading development, but that's way off. At
this point, I'm getting ready to do the interviews.

The psychology professor
on my committee has a HUGE issue with using the term "expert" with the population.
(I will be working with public ABE programs and an incarcerated population
who are all native English speakers.) She thinks that the term could be offensive
and intimidating. I believe that everyone is gifted in some area and has strength
in something. In the ABE population, it just isn't reading, and all too often
they get stuck in that 2nd-3rd grade level and never make the transition to
fluent reading and comprehension. I'm looking to see if there is something
to help unlock that--whatever it might be.

Here's the question. In your
experience, which I suspect is similar to mine, have you seen areas of expertise
in your students? Do you think the term "expert" would be problematic?

Any other insights would be much appreciated.

Jean Marrapodi
Providence
Assembly of God Learning Center
Providence, RI