I agree that unintended outcomes are like gifts in disguise..your story
about the young man who had been previously written off (adult with issues)
who then gave books to the family literacy program was great! Thanks.

 

Lorri Sauve

Waterloo Catholic District School Board, Program Manager,

Lorri.sauve at wcdsb.edu.on.ca

 

 

 

"Gardening is about enjoying the smell of things growing in the soil,
getting dirty without feeling and generally taking the time to soak up a
little peace and serenity."

------Lindley Karstens, American poet-------

  _____  

From: familyliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:familyliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Ann Seaman
Sent: Tuesday, February 27, 2007 3:58 PM
To: The Family Literacy Discussion List
Subject: [FamilyLiteracy 572] unintendend outcomes

 

Thank you, John Benseman, for reminding all of us that things happen in all
programs that were not planned nor anticipated, and sometimes, those can be
the best things that happen!  John addresses two important concepts.  

 

The lack of communication between and among teachers, supervisors, and
others within the same system is somewhat discouraging.  I have been
dismayed to learn that the administrative staff of a school sometimes view a
publicly-funded family literacy program as just "another state or federal
program" that will eventually go away like all the others before them.
Then, they themselves see an unintended outcome when the program continues
to grow, enrolling more families and assisting more family members reach
their goals.  However, getting some of those same administrators to just
visit the program can be difficult.  In other systems, it's just the
opposite (thank goodness).

 

Unintended outcomes, as John illustrates, can include better communications
among elements of a system and that, in turn, can lead to better mutual
support when and if such support is needed.  I've attended "open house"
functions of family literacy programs and have heard folks remark, "I had no
idea all of these things were happening here".  Some of those same folks can
become community supporters when given the opportunity and we need al of
those we can get. 

 

I was evaluating a local family literacy (in Kentucky when I was an intern
at NCFL) where the program was housed in the same building as the
"alternative school" where high school students with behavioral problems had
been "sentenced" as they called it.  The early childhood teacher asked the
alternative school teacher if some of the high school students would
consider reading to the children.  All were from the same small community
and knew each other to some extent.  Some of those high school students
"bonded" with the children and really enjoyed reading to them.  (They
indicated that the children were the first people who had ever payed much
attention to them.)  This gave the early childhood teacher some time to get
other things done while also supervising the reading activities.  At the end
of the semester, one of those high school boys brought a box of books to the
family literacy program and said he wanted the children to have his
collection of children's books (some of which were expensive).  His parents
had bought them for him when he was small, but never took any time to read
them to him and he knew the children in the family literacy program would
have better luck because the early childhood teacher was concerned enough to
find people to read to them. What a surprise!  I'll bet those books were
read until their covers were worn out and think of how many children who
probably didn't have books at home, enjoyed all of those stories.  It was a
great outcome that was never anticipated.  Thanks again, John, for bringing
that to our attention.

 

I'm certain there are more good ideas out there.  Let's hear them.  I must
leave this exercise for today - my 13-year-old granddaughter is playing
tennis and I am going to watch her (and try to maintain some kind of order
with her 9-yr.-old and 6-yr.-old brothers.  Wish me luck.  I'll return
tomorrow for the day.  Put some ideas out there today and I'll respond to
them early tomorrow.

 

 

Don Seaman
acs8716 at suddenlink.net

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