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 eBA1ZI905411; Sat, 9 Dec 2000 20:35:18 -0500 (EST) Date: Sat, 9 Dec 2000 20:35:18 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <LAW2-F260a1kg3AmsfG0000dfbd@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: "Eileen Eckert" <eileeneckert@hotmail.com> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-POVRACELIT:311] Re: questions about purpose X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Status: O Content-Length: 3816 Lines: 69 I have seen so many people in GED classes who are very intelligent and capable and utter "failures" at school. Many, when asked, say that they dropped out because they were bored or couldn't get along with their teachers, or they were held back so many times that they would have graduated at the age of 20 or 21--each year the problem got worse as they were further separated from their peers. Sometimes they find their way to a class before the stigma of nonconformity has been internalized; they get their GED quickly and move on to a friendlier, more supportive or accepting environment than school was. Others are so wounded that it takes years to try again (if they ever do), and they are surprised to find that they are smart. They may not believe it. In those cases, much of the teacher's work is to help them overcome the internalization of former teachers', counselors', and principals' judgments that because they are not among those who can adjust and fit in, they are bad, stupid, stubborn, wrong--not just in school but in themselves. I think that their refusal to conform can be seen as a strength; they know that to do what it takes to fit in and succeed by someone else's standards, they would have to give up too much of what makes them unique. To me, this gets at something crucial to our purpose--what kind of society do we have that treats people this way; why is academic success or failure perceived as a personal, individual issue; and how do we participate in that or resist it in our own work? Do we not, as a society, dehumanize and therefore justify imposing our values on whole peoples who live by different cultural values? In reflecting society and socializing students to fit in, are we perpetuating cultural and educational imperialism? >From: KathleenBombach@aol.com >Reply-To: nifl-povracelit@nifl.gov >To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov> >Subject: [NIFL-POVRACELIT:309] Re: questions about purpose >Date: Sat, 9 Dec 2000 12:59:25 -0500 (EST) > >Your questions about the purpose of education was so on target. I have a >son >in special education. hence, we go through lots of school meetings with >therapists, teachers, and principals. What he is learning has never come >up >once in all these sessions. Instead, we discuss his unacceptable behavior >(if he already knows how to do something, he refuses to do it again, and >again, and again) and his attitude: he says it's boring, the books are too >easy, he refuses to do homework because he gets 100s on the tests. At the >most recent meeting, the therapist got very blunt: How would my son survive >as an adult if he didn't follow rules, refused to do work he doesn't see a >need to do, and obey authority. School was preparation for life, and life >was having to comply and obey. According to the school team, my son's >biggest problem is that he doesn't realize that these are the rules of >society and he will have to comply in order to be successful in employment. > >Once I stopped one of these meetings and announced that no one had brought >up >what and how well my son was learning in school. Could someone please tell >me >about my son's learning progress? After dead silence, the young resource >teacher (who had never said a word) began to talk very meekly. My son had >mastered all the grade level content, the next grade level's content, and >her >estimation was that he had learned most of the content for the next grade >level (he was retained that year anyway). > >So when you ask what is the purpose of teaching and learning, I think we >have >an answer! >Kathleen Bombach _____________________________________________________________________________________ Get more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : http://explorer.msn.com
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