Hi Everyone,

Iwant to share with you a posting from the Poverty Race Women and
Literacy list. (Ignore this if you already got it from that list). It is
in response to the Focus on Basics article about Jereann King's
experience addressing classism, racism and gender issues in ABE. This is
from a health education teacher about addressing those issues in health
education.

You can read the article at: http://www.ncsall.net/?id=206 

All the best,
Julie

********************************
Hello,

My name is Martha Alexander and I'm a doctoral student in educational
psychology at Georgia State University.  This is my first posting but I
have learned a lot from all of you on the listserv.  

I don't teach ABE but have taught health education graduate students for
many years.  I plan to add the  concepts of "the other" and Bennett's
Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity to my course.  I think
it is important information for health educators to be able to address
issues of racism, classism, and gender in their practice.  

In my teaching I have had many students from other countries.  I have
enjoyed the diversity that they bring to the classroom.  I think that
Jereann King made an excellent suggestion that we educators should
become familiar with international politics.  I have also enjoyed
learning about the educational systems from which my students come.  I
have had students who had never participated in group discussions or
group activities in their educational experiences.  It's a change for
them and can sometimes feel threatening to them.  

Ryan, you asked about the training of ABE teachers in the area of
diversity.  Although I can't speak to ABE training I have taken several
diversity courses through work and they focused on race and gender,
only.  I think it would be valuable to have more training opportunities
that addressed the broader concept diversity.  I'm interested in hearing
about other educator's training experiences in diversity, too.  

Martha Alexander

********************************


Julie McKinney
Discussion List Moderator
World Education/NCSALL
jmckinney at worlded.org