I don't think mastery inplies any sort of acceptance.

It means you gain another tool from which to act. We can say that English is
a language that has been imposed upon us, a tool of the dominant culture in
this country. I do not think any of you feel that because you have mastered
English you accept everything else the dominant culture imposes. You are
able to communicate with the dominant culture and use their language to gain
access to a variety of resources that would not be available to you if it
were not for that tool.

Is this not the essence of ESL? Especially culturally sensitve ESL programs?

The more we master, the more tools we have. I think it also serves the
purpose of being able to adopt many different things from many different
cultures (none of us is part of only one culture), and utilize what we feel
are the best things from each culture.

I am a student, but I do not always speak as a student nor do I believe that
our educational system puts the student in a role that is optimal.

I am an educator, but I am not always educating and I do not agree with all
methods of education, nor all methods posited within any one educational
theory.

I am a hip-hop artist, but I do not agree with the mysogyny seen in some
aspects of hip-hop.

In all of these instances, a different part of me comes out, but it is
always informed by all the different aspects of my personality.

None of us agrees with everything that every type of group or culture we
feel we are a part of considers right or wrong.

When we speak about navigating a world, this is what we mean- being able to
get where you want to go by knowing how to get there.










On Wed, Apr 23, 2008 at 11:06 AM, Karen Wyman <Karenw at nmcadv.org> wrote:


>  Hello, everyone,

>

> I agree with Katherine that creating the group rules (with an

> understanding of what was there to start with) is a desirable leadership

> quality. Too often, leaders are expected to maintain the systems in place

> when they came to power rather than to create, change, grow and adapt. I'm

> not sure about the necessity of mastering any group's rules. Certainly, we

> need to understand what rules are in operation, but mastery implies an

> acceptance of those rules as appropriate and just. I think it is important

> for me to understand the rules of race and class, for instance, but I do not

> have any interest in mastering those rules; my interest is in recreating

> those rules so that they reflect equity and integrity.

>

>

>

> Thanks,

>

> Karen

>

>

>

> Karen Wyman

>

> Community Outreach Trainer

>

> New Mexico Coalition Against Domestic Violence  (NMCADV)

>

> 201 Coal Avenue SW

>

> Albuquerque, NM 87102

>

> phone 505.246.9240

>

> fax 505.246.9434

>

> www.nmcadv.org

>

> karenw at nmcadv.org

>

>

>

> ----------------------------------------------------

> National Institute for Literacy

> Poverty, Race, Women and Literacy mailing list

> PovertyRaceWomen at nifl.gov

> To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to

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>




-- 
Daniel Rizik-Baer
Family Literacy Coordinator
Children Youth and Family Collaborative
(818) 442-4407 cell
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