Thanks so much for your reply, Cece. 

 

Having lived near Chicago for a while, I can imagine what this struggle
was like for you. I can only say: "What courage!" 

 

If more learners are to be reached and more are to overcome their
self-doubt and fear-if I may say so-we need  you and so many like you to
just, "Tell your story."  It will make a difference to the lives of
many. We know it and have seen it many times. In my case, after living
the struggle to have solid funding available for programs in the United
States, I moved home to Canada. Guess what? At the moment at least,
things are actually worse here for funding. It's sure not easy.

 

So, when successful learners like you speak up, it gives others (like
me) the argument we need to convince those who make the funding
decisions to invest in adult education.  

 

In closing, thank you so much, for coming on this disucssion. 

 

All the very best, 

 

Allan

 

 

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------

B. Allan Quigley, EdD

Professor of Adult Education

Department of Adult Education 

Xavier Hall

St. Francis Xavier University

Antigonish, Nova Scotia

Canada,

B2G 2W5

 

e-mail:     aquigley at stfx.ca

website:  www.stfx.ca/academic/adulted

phone:    902-867-3244

fax:           902-867-3765

 

-----Original Message-----
From: professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of cece
tilsley
Sent: Friday, January 26, 2007 4:14 PM
To: The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List
Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 803] Re: Hard to reach
people....:Aquestion for Cece if you are there.."

 

Hi Allan,

 

That's a great question thanks for asking me, I'll try and explain why
at 50 I looked for help in my reading. 

At 50 years old I was sick of not being able to do things like other
people or understand when people talked to me and use words I didn't
understand I would be lost in conversations all the time. I had medial
jobs and was trying to raise my two children who were 12 years apart,
one going to college and one still at home. Even having children was
hard for me I had lots of problems, but to move on. Both of my children
could read very well. My problem was I could not help ether of them
after second grade with home work. I always know I had to learn more
but, I just did not know how to go about it, it always seamed to me like
I could not learn at all. When my son was 16 teen and I was baby sitting
for my niece's children full time and could not read the books she
bought for them I was very very sad and still didn't know what to do. I
saw a commercial on T.V. with Danny Glover about learning how to read
after thinking about it for some time and calling the number I saw on
T.V.  it took a least six more calls before I found Literacy of Chicago,
by this time I was so afraid to go I just could not tell you. First I
was tutored in my neighborhood that tutor was very nice but, he had a
business of his own so he stopped tutoring me, I had to go to downtown
Chicago to be tutored parking was bad and cost a lot too. After finding
out I could learn I thought I need to fine some thing closer to home and
were I didn't have to pay so much money to park for two hours. I didn't
want to give up I had just started. I went to a Library and asked about
literacy I was told that they didn't have any illiterate people in there
neighborhood. Then I felt so bad I was so dumb this hole neighborhood
does not have any one like me how studied was I. It was had for me to
ask again but, I went to another Library not in the same day and asked
the young lady where there literacy program was, and she said "what does
literacy mean" ! I then I asked if there was any one I could talk to
about literacy she sent me to the second floor I stood in a line and was
afraid when I got to the lady others would hear my question about
literacy but, I did ask the lady she told me about the Moraine Valley
Community College I went there still afraid and shaking all over in the
same day. I had to ask again about literacy so I did!! they were so very
nice to me and helped me to get started with my problem with reading. I
started with a tutor and I wanted to learn math and all I could now that
I had found a place I could learn. It was the best move in my life and I
am so happy I did it but, it was so very hard to do all of the work to
find the literacy program I just can't not tell the fear in me at all.
I thought It would only take me three months to learn how to read I soon
found out how wrong I was on that. 

I know others are just as afraid as I was and maybe even more if there
was a way to let them know it's okay you will learn! come and give it a
try see for yourself. You would have so many more people who would be
making that move to help themselves. 

I hope this help you and students to know they are not the only ones
their. Their are a lot of us out here. How can you reach them? I know
that's a very big problem any your trying very hard.

 

Thank You 

Cece 



Allan Quigley <aquigley at stfx.ca> wrote:

	HI Cece, 
	
	I don't know if you'll see this message or not. If you do, I
would like
	to say I have read your message several times and shown it to
others
	here.
	
	I want to add to the comments of the others that these are
beautiful
	words and an inpiration to those us who who try to work in adult
	literacy. 
	
	And, if you do receive this message, I'm sure some of us would
be
	interested in knowing why you decided to come back to education?

	
	You said: 
	
	"I went for help when I was 50 years old it was very hard to
fine the
	help I needed. I think you need to focus on how hard it is to
fine help.
	I had to make six or eight calls before I found help, a lot of
people
	will just give up it's hard to fine the help we need."
	
	What was it at 50 years of age that made you decide to make all
those
	calls and overcome the fears you had?
	
	Hope to hear from you. 
	
	Every success....
	
	Allan 
	
	
	
----------------------------------------------------------------------
	B. Allan Quigley, EdD
	Professor of Adult Education
	Department of Adult Education 
	Xavier Hall
	St. Francis Xavier University
	Antigonish, Nova Scotia
	Canada,
	B2G 2W5
	
	e-mail: aquigley at stfx.ca
	website: www.stfx.ca/academic/adulted
	phone: 902-867-3244
	fax: 902-867-3765
	
	
	-----Original Message-----
	From: professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov
	[mailto:professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of
Lynne
	Toepke
	Sent: Thursday, January 25, 2007 5:27 PM
	To: The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List
	Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 788] Re: Hard to reach people
with
	lowliteracy skills
	
	Thank you for sharing cece. I would like to read this to some of
our
	students, and maybe include some of it in our next newsletter if
you
	don't mind. Keep up the good work! You're a winner!
	
	>>> cece tilsley 01/22/07 3:32 PM >>>
	Hi All,
	
	I was a low level reader and I would like you all to know how
afraid
	we are to come in and get help. We know we need help it's not
just we
	think that we don't and we are okay, I can't understand how any
one can
	think that? I think fear is what holds a lot of us back. We put
on this
	front that all is okay and life is good but we know in our heart
we are
	not okay at all. We pray no one finds out about our secret of
not being
	able to read books, street signs,menus, show marquees and so on.
If we
	can do mate it's a challenge just to add or subtract. There are
so many
	of us who have tried to make our lives better for our families
and
	ourselves don't you all think it starts in first grade ? I was
left
	behind from the start but, I didn't know it until I got much
older. I
	guess they called me slow that what happened to me? I really not
sure. I
	am not slow but, I am dyslexic and never got the extra few
minutes it
	would have take to help me. I went for help when I was 50 years
old
	it was very hard to fine the help I needed. I think you need to
focus
	on how hard it is to fine help. I had to make six or eight calls
before
	I found help, a lot of people will just give up it's hard to
fine the
	help we need. 
	I am now 64 years old I have two adult children now. I started
at 50
	years old learning how to read better and learn math too, I
worked full
	time and lots of over time too, it took me about ten years to
get my
	G.E.D. and now I am helping others like myself. I tutor in
reading, math
	and computers. The students come no matter what the weather is
or how
	much snow we have. I have health problems for the pass years but
I only
	cancel classes when it's a lot of snow or it's way below zero.
The
	student they would come it's me I can't make it at those times. 
	I know this is not much to go by, I just wanted to let you all
know
	it's hard to fine help and we are really afraid to look for it
to for
	fear we can't learn too. 
	
	Thank You 
	Cecelia (Cece) Tilsley 
	Moraine Valley Community College
	Palos Hill, IL 
	
	Lendoak at aol.com wrote:
	Dear David Rosen,
	
	Of course there are many reasons for people not enrolling in
literacy
	training programs to improve their reading and language skills.
One
	factor that is sometimes overlooked is the perception of those
with
	limited literacy skills. 
	
	The 1993 NAAL survey reported that many people with very low
literacy
	skills perceived that they have quite adequate literacy skills.
So,
	"what's to improve?"
	
	Although we've both been volunteer tutors for a number of years,
we
	don't have much experience in trying to change such perceptions
in order
	to recruit new students. We suspect that perhaps a personal
benefits
	approach might work. We wonder how others may have implemented
such an
	approach. 
	
	Len and Ceci Doak
	Patient Learning Assoc. Inc.
	----------------------------------------------------
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	Adult Literacy Professional Development mailing list
	ProfessionalDevelopment at nifl.gov
	To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go
to
	http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/professionaldevelopment
	
	Professional Development section of the Adult Literacy Education
Wiki 
	
http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/Adult_Literacy_Professional_Devel
	opment
	----------------------------------------------------
	National Institute for Literacy
	Adult Literacy Professional Development mailing list
	ProfessionalDevelopment at nifl.gov
	To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go
to http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/professionaldevelopment
	
	Professional Development section of the Adult Literacy Education
Wiki 
	
http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/Adult_Literacy_Professional_Devel
opment

 

  

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