[NIFL-WOMENLIT:1221] Functional Literacy

From: Daphne Greenberg (ALCDGG@langate.gsu.edu)
Date: Wed Feb 07 2001 - 09:47:11 EST


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From: "Daphne Greenberg" <ALCDGG@langate.gsu.edu>
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Subject: [NIFL-WOMENLIT:1221] Functional Literacy
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Andrea mentions practical skills such as how to apply for a mortgage, a driver's license.  I was wondering if anyone on this listserv has in the past or currently includes functional skills such as these in the classroom.  If yes, I would love to hear your experiences.  If not, why not-is this something that you or your learners or administrator was/is against?
Daphne
>>> AWilder106@aol.com 02/06 1:03 PM >>>
Training women to "just fit in" is a one way street.  It implies shutting up 
and being nice.  I have no idea how to teach for this, and I would be very 
interested to hear from teachers, students, who teach women how to do what 
they gotta do.

I do know that practical skills have a lot to do with this--how to apply for 
a mortgage, a driver's license.  This is what I call "constructing 
competence." 

I was stunned a couple of weeks ago when I heard a commentator on NPR talk 
about the "ruling class" in DC, and how people are groomed for it, and how 
there are different expectations of this group--they are already "there."  
The context was the nomination of Linda Chavez for secretary of labor.  
Apparently women in this "ruling class" routinely hire undocumented aliens to 
do house work and don't pay the tax.  I find this thinking repulsive, and I 
was interested that the commentator didn't have the nerve to say that this 
was wrong.  He just knuckled under!  Groveled!  

I get really really angry at the knuckling under mentality, men or women.  It 
doesn't help us, it's the female version of emasculating, which I guess is 
called spaying.  

Andrea


Daphne Greenberg
Center for the Study of Adult Literacy
Georgia State University
University Plaza
Atlanta, GA 30303-3083
Fax: 404-651-1415
Ph: 404-651-0400
E-mail: alcdgg@langate.gsu.edu



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