GREAT illustration of a host of issues!!!  Robin

-----Original Message-----
From: Susan Jones <SUJones at parkland.edu>
To: learningdisabilities at nifl.gov
Sent: Mon, 20 Feb 2006 10:56:28 -0600
Subject: Re: [LearningDisabilities] developmental education

The definition of "Developmental education" is the education of those 
students who don't have the prerequisites (what these are is open to 
discussion) to take college level courses.  SOme places (such as here) 
have mandatory placement testing; many other colleges are "open 
enrolment" because they believe in the "freedom to fail."  (It's a 
topic like unto the reading wars :-))
 
There are three or four general areas of focus in developmental 
education:  reading/wriitng/language skills, math/numeracy skills, 
study/management skills, and attitude issues ('attitude adjustments' 
connotes images that don't necessarily apply).
 
Exactly as in literacy, it can be easy to see one of those factors much 
more clearly than others... and then wonder why we're only reaching X % 
of the students. 
 
This morning I worked with a lady on a reading assignment.  She was 
supposed to figure out the meaning of "protective coloration" from 
context clues.  She figured that color had to be protecting just from 
the words... but she didn't have the background knowledge to know why 
being a tan mouse on sand would be protective.  She speculated that the 
dangers to a mouse in the desert would be mouse poisons and heat.  As 
soon as the idea of predators was introduced, she understood why 
blending in would be a good idea.   Sometimes it ain't decoding - 
except maybe that was why she didn't get this in K-12, and it ain't 
attitude - except maybe it was emotional stuff that meant she didn't 
pick that up in K-12, and it *really* isn't work ethic (and hers is so 
solid that I'm pretty sure it's been there for a while).  However, if 
she didn't have support, she would be one of those statistics.
 
 
 
 
Susan Jones
Academic Development Specialist
Academic Development Center
Parkland College
Champaign, IL  61821
sujones at parkland.edu
Webmastress,
http://www.resourceroom.net


>>> AWilder106 at aol.com 02/20/06 7:57 AM >>>


Susan--

Would you please define "developmental education" for me?

Thanks.

Andrea

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