Sharon and all

I also wonder, in terms of civics, if students talk about their
understandings of sharing, giving, taking and appropriating.
Just as Rethinking Columbus (see
http://www.rethinkingschools.com/publication/columbus/columbus.shtml)
problematizes the "discovery" of America, there might also be important ways
to speak to the history of settling and settlement in this country that
needn't be partisan but that can also address what happens when new
immigrants show up, for better and for worse.  How are they received?  What
do they contribute?  If we look at the history of native peoples in this
country (and in others) and the history of interaction with colonists, there
might be some useful parallels to be drawn to contemporary issues.

Janet Isserlis



From: Sharon McKay <smckay at cal.org>
Reply-To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List
<englishlanguage at nifl.gov>
Date: Tue, 7 Nov 2006 17:07:11 -0500
To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List
<englishlanguage at nifl.gov>
Conversation: [EnglishLanguage 821] Re: FW: [FamilyLiteracy 436] Three
DaysinNovember
Subject: [EnglishLanguage 822] Re: FW: [FamilyLiteracy 436] Three
DaysinNovember

Thanks for you words of caution, Barbara.  I know that we have adult English
language learner in many different situations throughout the country.  I
have certainly had a wide variety of legal and civil statuses represented in
my classes in Northern Virginia over the years.
 
And thank you Tom for an excellent reminder of November's gifts, especially
for adult education.  I would just like to add Thanksgiving to the November
list.  I have found that students are very interested in this holiday
because they don't have it in their countries.  But many cultures have a
tradition of giving thanks in their cultures.  It can be valuable to examine
these practices. 
 
 Over the years, I have done everything from hand turkeys that post what
beginning students are thankful for to jigsaw cooperative readings that
observe historic Thanksgiving from four perspectives:  the Mayflower voyage,
the new government, the native Americans and the feast itself.   There is
certainly an opportunity to examine cross-cultural heritage and customs.   I
have also had students imagine how that banquet would work today if we had
it.
 
I would like to hear from other teachers about their ideas for EL Civics
instruction for the month of November.
 
 


>  

>  

> 

>  From: englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov

> [mailto:englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Barbara  Tondre

> Sent: Monday, November 06, 2006 6:04 PM

> To: 'The  Adult English Language Learners Discussion List'

> Subject:  [EnglishLanguage 821] Re: FW: [FamilyLiteracy 436] Three

> DaysinNovember

> 

>  

>  

>  

> 

> Oops!  The  general assumption that ³most adult English language learners

> probably aren¹t  citizens and can¹t vote² is dangerous and inaccurate,

> especially in these  troubled timesŠ let¹s be carefulŠ

>  

>  

>  

>  

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> 

>  

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> 

> From:  englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov

> [mailto:englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov]  On Behalf Of Lynda  Terrill

> Sent: Monday,  November 06, 2006 4:18 PM

> To:  The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List

> Subject: [EnglishLanguage 819] FW:  [FamilyLiteracy 436] Three Days inNovember

>  

>  

>  

> Although most adult  English language learners probably aren't citizens and

> can't vote, the  information below is interesting and may spark some

> discussion in the ESL  classes, I think. At the very least, it's good

> information for all teachers of  adult learners.

>  

> Best,  

>  

> Miriam  Burt

>  

> (moderating the list  while Lynda Terrill is out)

>  

>  

>  

>  

> 

>  

>  

> 

> From:  familyliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov

> [mailto:familyliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov]  On Behalf Of Gail  Price

> Sent: Friday, November  03, 2006 7:34 AM

> To: Family  Literacy Discussion List

> Subject: [FamilyLiteracy 436] Three Days  in November

>  

>  

> 

> The following message is posted on behalf of Tom  Sticht.

>  

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> Three Days In  November

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> This last Saturday (October 28, 2006) I had the  pleasure of speaking to the

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> assembled adult learners from San Diego county who  were attending the

>  

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> annual adult learners conference sponsored by READ/San  Diego and other

>  

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> literacy groups in the county. I spoke about three  days in November which I

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> think it is important for all of us who work in adult  literacy education to

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> be aware of and to take action  on.

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> First, on November 3 we celebrate 40 years of service  to adult learners in

>  

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> the Adult Education  and

>  

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> Literacy System (AELS) of the United States of  America which  became

>  

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> formalized when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the  Adult Education Act

>  

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> of 1966. Adult literacy educators and adult learners  alike should find a

>  

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> way to celebrate this third branch of education in the  U.S. and the  more

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> than 100 million enrollments it has witnessed in the  40 years of its

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> existence.

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> Next, on November 7, Election Day, it is imperative  that adult literacy

>  

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> educators and adult learners go to the polls and vote.  I pointed out in my

>  

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> presentation that hundreds of thousands of adult  learners have fought in

>  

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> the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, World War I,  World War II and the

>  

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> Vietnam war for the freedom that we all enjoy.  Further, adult learners of

>  

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> African-American descent by the hundreds of thousands  learned to write

>  

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> their names and to vote during the years leading up to  and encompassing the

>  

>  

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> Civil Rights movement in the second half of the 20th  century in the U. S. We

>  

>  

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> owe it to those who have fought on the battle grounds  and struggled for the

>  

>  

> 

> vote under the duress of Jim Crow laws to get out and  vote on November 7th.

>  

>  

> 

>  

>  

>  

> 

> Finally, on November 11, Veteran¹s Day, on the 11th  hour of the 11th day of

>  

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> the 11th month we need to pause for a minute and  remember the adult

>  

>  

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> literacy teachers and adult learners, as well as the  other hundreds of

>  

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> thousands of our fellow citizens who fought in wars  and gave their lives

>  

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> gaining and protecting the freedoms we all enjoy  today.

>  

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>  

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> These are three very important days in November for  adult literacy educators

>  

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> and adult learners.

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>  

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> Tom Sticht

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>  

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> Gail J.  Price

>  

>  

> 

> Multimedia  Specialist

>  

>  

> 

> National Center for Family  Literacy

>  

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> 325 West Main Street, Suite  300

>  

>  

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> Louisville, KY  40205

>  

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>  

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> Phone: 502  584-1133, ext. 112

>  

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> 

> Fax: 502  584-0172

>  

> 

> 

 
 


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