[NIFL-WOMENLIT:1920] Re: Fwd: state of union and more

From: AWilder106@aol.com
Date: Thu Jan 31 2002 - 20:30:39 EST


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Subject: [NIFL-WOMENLIT:1920] Re: Fwd: state of union and more
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Barbara,

What I mean is that technically we know how to solve the problems, and I am 
saying that from my particular experience both in schools in this country and 
abroad and in my experience with professors who taught and did work overseas, 
most particularly in the subcontinent, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh, also 
in Central America.  These people worked collegially with people in those 
countries and facilitated many many two way student exchanges.  The money 
dried up, the US cut funds, as I recall this was under Reagan, and the money 
never came back. 

What I am trying to say is that we have a whole backlog of knowledge that 
isn't being used.  I don't know how long it takes for this kind of knowledge 
to shrink.  I am talking about a generation of activists--they trained, went 
out and did things.

My idea, when I came back from living in Pakistan and went to graduate school 
again, was to transfer this knowledge from the world outside the US to inside 
the US.  Most missing here was what I (and others) call linkages, a 
realization that social goods can reinforce each other, they are related.

I went again into school teaching and administration where I became jaundiced 
about the set up of city (Boston) schools, having seen and been in schools 
that worked better, had a different distribution of resources, teachers, 
curriculum materials, and time in the school day.  

Adult education is a different kettle of fish, how different I'm not sure.  I 
worked on a NCSALL project so have done some class observation, but have not 
taught in a program that is only adults, meaning students can come and go.  I 
did teach older adolescents under orders from various kinds of courts, very 
scary.  We did diagnosis and then invented materials.

Structurally, webs are very strong, they also need nodes.  This is what NIFL, 
NCL, NCSALL, universities, community colleges (and others) are putting 
together.  We need webs to share the knowledge, to create useful structures.  
This is the structural function of the list servs.  We need money and we need 
to create a depth of accessible knowledge.

About NCSALL--John Comings put together a research agenda after asking the 
field what questions needed to be answered.  "Focus on Basics" is the outlet 
(wd?) for the field--us--for these results.

I'm thought out for now!  Don't know if this is what you really asked for, 
but it is the way I see things--always interested in additional valid info.

There are people on this list with amazing experience, perspectives,  and 
knowledge, I am a baby beside them.

Andrea

 
.



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