Hello, PDers,
I couldn't figure out any way to start a new topic than this, so my
apologies. The recent conversations on diversity and marketing education
certainly resonate with things my own institution is doing. 
One recent initiative is a kind of "Team Oriented problem solving" approach
involving QC typed techniques and a very business-oriented vocabulary in
terms of how the teams are to function and how results will be measured. The
group I found myself on almost unbeknownst, since in actuality I'm neither
"faculty" (adjunct) nor full-time staff, but combine both in a full-time
commitment to the university, is this: "eliminate the polarized classroom."
I'm not sure how the facilitator derived the terminology, since the
discussion from which it derived went beyond multi-level to a seeming abyss
between students with adequate skills, motivation and the like, and those
who do not. A faculty member described it this way: "Polarized Classroom
means for me a teaching environment with students exhibiting extremes
relating to skills, interests and academic approaches. It makes teaching
very difficult. As [a] professor you might feel [you] have to choose....whom
to support." I'm wondering, in my own ignorance of pedagogical theory, if
this issue has been addressed by the literature, and, if so, is there
another more commonly accepted name for it? I'll keep my own reservations to
myself for the moment about the whole subject for the sake of just needing
information. But let it be understood that I'm in no way "buying into" the
fact that this "problem" is well stated or conceived in terms of responsible
pedagogy. And I think a lot of the social discourse we've just been
discussing is implicit in this kind of formulation.... but please, just give
me the accepted terminology for a wide skills/motivation/expectations gap in
the classroom and best practices for dealing with it (I'll not comment on
the desire to "eliminate" it...)
Grateful in advance for your help,
Bonnie Odiorne, Ph.D. Writing Center Director and Adjunct Professor 
Post University Waterbury, CT

-----Original Message-----
From: professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Nadia and
Kevin Colby
Sent: Monday, January 29, 2007 4:43 PM
To: The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List
Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 825] Re: Help! Teaching tolerance
inteacher PD

Hello Susan:

Could you elaborate a bit more on the origins of
Ecotonos, the objectives and the steps to make the
workshop successful?   Also, what do you think about
Social Marketing in the context of recruiting students
for colleges?  

Nadia
--- Susan Kidd <SKidd at sbctc.ctc.edu> wrote:


> I have had success with a simulation for

> multi-cultural communication and problem solving

> called Ecotonos. The simulation was designed for

> multiple audiences (business, social service,

> education...) and has been used in numerous

> countries in several languages.

>  

> Participants create "cultures" and then work on a

> task, first as a mono-cultural unit and then in

> different culturally diverse groups. Unlike many

> sims, this one is quite transparent (participants

> know, not just what they will do, but also the

> purpose of the sim) which reduces anxiety. It can

> also be fun and at the same time quite effective in

> raising issues of how people make decisions and

> communicate. I have used it with basic skills

> faculty, staff, and partner agencies.

>  

> Susan

>  

> SUSAN KIDD

> ABE Professional Development Coordinator

> State Board for Community & Technical Colleges

> 509-682-6968

> cell phone: 509-630-4520

>  

>  

> 

> ________________________________

> 

>  

>  

>  

> 

>  

> 

> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

> 

> -----

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