Return-Path: <nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id e8TG0n929565; Fri, 29 Sep 2000 12:00:49 -0400 (EDT) Date: Fri, 29 Sep 2000 12:00:49 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <LAW-F208kMrWEHoQoPD000071f5@hotmail.com> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "Kay Taggart" <kayt51@hotmail.com> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-POVRACELIT:67] real strategies X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Status: O Content-Length: 2718 Lines: 49 Discussion on this list has been focusing on the big picture and theory, and I have enjoyed reading viewpoints. I do understand the need to work against those systems that consistently reproduce racism, classism, etc. This is a necessary but often an overwhelming and daunting task. Can we also take a look at, and share, some specific strategies we have used to at least try to "chip away" at the dominant oppressive system in smaller ways? For instance, one activity I like to do in instructor/tutor training is to directly address the idea that the literacy students "don't know anything." I have heard this phrase from the mouths of many instructional staff members for years. (From white and non-white staff members alike.) I realized that the staff was valuing a rather narrow subset of academic knowledge -- to the exclusion of lots of other knowledge that students brought with them. I developed a short "quiz" for the staff -- a quiz that included a wide variety of questions dealing with non-academic topics about which the staff was largely unfamiliar. In just a few minutes, the staff was very uncomfortable because it was impossible for them to "ace" the "test." I gave them the answers, had them self-check, asked them to reveal their scores. When they all scored poorly, I exclaimed, "Boy! You don't know anything!!" They all protested vigorously, saying that they knew all knew A LOT -- it just wasn't on the test. Of course, from there we began discussing the types of knowledge students bring to class -- knowledge that isn't traditionally valued in the academic classroom. This led into discussion about how we can begin valuing this knowledge and use it as a bridge to the more formal academic skills students sought in the classroom. I realize that this type of training may not deal directly with racism and classism directly. And perhaps it will do little to fight the bigger, white-dominated oppressive system. But, smaller strategies such as this may have the potential to broaden classroom content to be more inclusive of knowledge, skills, ideas, concepts, etc. brought to adult literacy classes by literacy students from different racial, ethnic and income groups. These types of strategies also have the potential to improve staffs' abililities to see their students as valuable, equal human beings with much to contribute to the class and community. Other strategies out there??? Kay Taggart _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. Share information about yourself, create your own public profile at http://profiles.msn.com.
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