Hi Andrea,

Suppose we use the term "popular education" approach.  This suggests  
to me:

1. a lack of hierarchy, that teachers treat students as their equals  
in status and power although they have different roles, and the  
program or school incorporates democratic decision-making practices.  
Students and teachers, not just administrators and the board,  play a  
central role in the decision-making process;
2. a belief that the central purpose of education is to bring about  
the conditions for social and economic justice and democracy;
3. a commitment to raising the consciousness of students and  
teachers, and helping them to become critically aware of how their  
individual personal experiences are connected to larger social problems;
4. a commitment to social change, often at the community level;
5. learning history and other social sciences from a variety of  
perspectives, for example from the perspectives of: women, people of  
color, immigrants, and workers;
6. knowledge and skills learned in the context of issues which affect  
students in their lives and in their communities; and
7. an education process characterized by discussion and debate, not  
just memorizing facts or learning skills.

I doubt that this definition is complete, and some would say that  
some elements are more important than others.  But when I use the  
term, those are the ingredients I have in mind.

I can think of a couple of community-based programs in Boston, an  
ESOL program and an ABE/adult diploma program which -- currently or  
in the past -- fit most of these criteria, but these are not GED  
programs.  Anyone know of a GED program that has these ingredients?

David J. Rosen
djrosen at comcast.net


On Jan 5, 2007, at 10:05 AM, Andrea Wilder wrote:


> Hi David,

>

> I would be interested to know what a Freirian approach adult literacy

> program might look like.  In your opinion, what might be the

> ingredients?

> thanks.

>

> Andrea

>

> On Jan 5, 2007, at 3:13 AM, Ujwala Samant wrote:

>

>> Dear David,

>>

>> This is one question that I have been wondering about

>> for years. Aside from the 'glory days' in the 70s/80s

>> which colleagues of mine at NCSALL told me about and

>> one in NY, I could find no Freireian approaches to

>> adult literacy. I have studied the 70s-80s classics,

>> and I have been curious as to what happened since

>> then.

>>

>> Thanks for raising this question,

>> Warm regards,

>> Ujwala

>>

>> --- David Rosen <djrosen at comcast.net> wrote:

>>

>>> Colleagues,

>>>

>>> In a conversation yesterday I was asked if I know of

>>> good examples of

>>> GED preparation programs which use a popular

>>> education, or

>>> participatory (Freirean) approach.  I am only aware

>>> of one, a theme-

>>> based approach that the City University of New York

>>> adult literacy

>>> GED program has used for over a decade.  If you have

>>> others to

>>> suggest I would be pleased to hear about them.

>>> Thanks.

>>>

>>> David J. Rosen

>>> djrosen at comcast.net

>>>

>>>

>>>

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David J. Rosen
djrosen at comcast.net