It would be interesting to talk with teachers about how they address
objectivity in the classroom. How do they come up with objective
sources? Perhaps another way of looking at it is to remain skeptical of
all sources and to look at many sources and to ask questions about where
the sources comes from, what interests they might represent, and what
outcomes they might be invested in, etc. 

For example, what constitutes "solid information"?

Cynthia
-- 

Cynthia Peters
Change Agent Editor
World Education
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Boston, MA  02210
 
tel: 617-482-9485 ext. 3649
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>>> On 10/26/2009 at 3:20 PM, in message

<d0ed1c87b10017dc676f2abfe92dc2ea at ciesc.k12.in.us>, Bhofmeyer
<bhofmeyer at ciesc.k12.in.us> wrote:

> Cynthia,

> You are correct to encourage critical thinking and evaluation skills

in our 

> instruction of adult learners and in PD for instructors. Such skills

will 

> benefit our learners in life and work. However, I believe that a

critical 

> part of that instruction includes teaching them to consider all sides

of an 

> issue and then to make up their own minds after having weighed the 

> information. To do so, we must be sure to offer - or provide

resources for 

> them to discover -  solid information without prejudicing the

information. 

> That may mean they reach conclusions contrary to our own. However, if

we do 

> not approach topics with a good measure of objectivity we risk

sacrificing 

> the very lesson we strive to teach. 

> 

> Barbara Hofmeyer

> Professional  Development Consultant

> Indiana Adult Education 

> Professional Development Project

> bhofmeyer at ciesc.k12.in.us 

> 260-572-6296

> FAX: 260-927-8720

> 

> 

> 

> -----Original message-----

> From: "Cynthia Peters" cynthia_peters at worlded.org 

> Date: Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:11:04 -0400

> To: professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov 

> Subject: [PD 4065] Re: Swinging the Sword of Literacy in Iraq

> 

>> Tom's article reminds me of some key aspects of literacy, including

the

>> importance of understanding the context of events, of examining who

is

>> saying what and why, and of being able to think clearly about

events

>> despite the way that certain kinds of "talk" can obscure reality.

>> 

>> Professional Development for adult ed. teachers should include a lot

of

>> support to teachers to figure out ways to help students not just

learn

>> to read but to penetrate people's words in context. Those of us who

are

>> teachers and who are already literate need to be supported to keep

>> reminding ourselves about harsh realities because it's tempting to

>> ignore them, especially since (as U.S. citizens) we have a large

>> responsibility.

>> 

>> For example, in reference to Tom's article below, if we are

concerned

>> about literacy in Iraq, perhaps one of the most important

contributions

>> U.S. citizens can make would be to examine our government's role

there

>> over the past several decades, which includes numerous illegal and

>> immoral (not to mention useless and counterproductive) bombings,

>> invasions, occupations, economic boycotts (which do not literally

drop

>> bombs on people but nonetheless cause 100s of thousands to die),

etc.

>> 

>> Another example: A close reading of the text reveals the Orwellian

>> doublespeak of Army Spc. Tiffany Evans talking about how "...war

and

>> economic hardships have caused the education system to suffer

>> significantly in the last two decades" -- as if the *source* of war

and

>> economic hardship were not directly linked to her, indeed, to all of

us,

>> as citizens of the country which launched an illegal pre-emptive

war,

>> and which before that had driven the country into the ground

through

>> absolutely vicious economic sanctions. 

>> 

>> I know there are many great professional development people out

there

>> who are supporting teachers (and by extension, students) to look

deeply

>> into texts and to provide pathways for all of us to use what we

>> understand to be happening in the world as a check on what we read.

I

>> think we cannot underestimate the importance of that work!

>> 

>> Cynthia

>> 

>> -- 

>> 

>>

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> nt