I would like to share a couple of my thoughts.
 
I’ve worked in adult literacy for over 34 years in the United States. 
(I was a mere baby when I began teaching!)  I learned early on that I
have a professionally ethical obligation to refrain from promoting my
own ideas and beliefs, to not select course materials that do that or
that intentionally exclude or diminish others’ beliefs.  Most adult
educators are aware of that obligation and meet it admirably.  But
things have changed over the last 34 years and what were once time
honored beliefs historically held by the majority of individuals in my
country  have been and are now being challenged.  
 
My concerns are not that those beliefs are being challenged, for
inquiry is generally good, although I will admit that I'm not
particularly comfortable with how some individuals on opposite sides of
a given debate are often quite adversarial.  I am concerned, however,
that educational systems are being used as forums for political, social,
and cultural changes at the expense of academic instruction.  Let me
underscore, "at the expense of academic instruction".  In my opinion,
without strong academic backgrounds, our students or any others for that
matter, will not be able to fully participate in political, social,
economic, or any other discourse.  Moreover, they certainly won’t be
prepared for the globalized knowledge-based economy of the 21st century.
 
 
For me, it’s not necessary to hold my instruction up against the
backdrops of social, economic, or political justice, etc. although I’m
always cognizant of the numerous issues and the many sides of those
issues.  When my students can read well, communicate effectively in
writing and orally; solve problems, make decision; access and
effectively utilize information; navigate education, employment,
training, and other systems; use information technology to solve
problems, perform tasks, or access information and services, etc,  they
will be able to create they own backdrops of social, economic, and
political justice.   (Just a note:  Please don't confuse my use of the
terms social, political, economic “justice”, etc. with political,
economic, social “literacy”.  I see them as quite connected but with
significant and numerous differences.)
 
Melinda
 


>>> On 10/29/2009 at 8:04 am, in message

<f1a6e820910290504t73dbf8a3y56d78eb7aaee61cb at mail.gmail.com>, Steve
Kaufmann <steve at thelinguist.com> wrote:
It appears that almost every poster here is in favour of the position
that
language and literacy teachers should teach their students to think
critically, and to challenge society.

I believe that teaching "critical thinking" is impossible, and that
any
attempt to do so is merely an effort to impose one's own values on
others. I
also think that it is arrogant to assume that one's own thinking
process is
more "critical" or objective than that of the learner, when in fact
most of
our positions are arrived at based on our own experience and feelings
that
accumulated over time. I believe that literacy teaching should focus
on
helping people read better so that they can form their own opinions by
being
able to read from many different sources. The way to get there is to
allow
learners to read what interests them and interpret it however they
want.

I accept that mine is a minority position here. However, every campaign
for
literacy that I have seen, especially fund raising activities focus on
reading, not on critical thinking and social change. If the majority
of
literacy practitioners are into social change and teaching critical
thinking, then I think it would only be honest to say so up front in
the
fund raising and advocacy campaigns. To not do so is dishonest in my
opinion.


Steve Kaufmann
604-922-8551
<http://www.lingq.com/?referral=steve>
<http://www.lingq.com/?referral=steve>


--- @ WiseStamp Signature <http://www.wisestamp.com/email-install>. Get
it
now <http://www.wisestamp.com/email-ins
tall>


On Wed, Oct 28, 2009 at 5:50 AM, Janet Isserlis
<Janet_Isserlis at brown.edu>wrote:


>  Re: comments about Art's post, education in Iraq and the whole

notion of

> political literacy.

>

> Just looked up the word politics, but the definition kept using the

word

> "political"

> so then I looked that up:

>

> p*o·liti·cal* (pə lit*′*i kəl)

> *

> adjectiv*e

>

> of or concerned with government, the state, or politics

> having a definite governmental organization

> engaged in or taking sides in politics political parties

> of or characteristic of political parties or politicians political

pres

> sure

>

> http://www.yourdictionary.com/political

>

>

> so now, to reply, simply, to those who believe we shouldn't impose a

> particular set of political beliefs:

> NO ONE here has said we should.  Art has spoken eloquently to

addressing

> the skills, knowledge and strategies needed to understand how

government

> works and to enable adults to make choices  (and/or support them in

making

> choices) that best suit their own interests and beliefs.  NO ONE is

> advocating for any one system, or set of beliefs.  No one is using

the adult

> learning center as a soap box.  Good educators are listening to

learners,

> living in shared communities, discussing what goes on and using

language and

> learning skills, critical thinking, healthy debate, use of media and

other

> resources, to enable everyone to get on as well as they can in the

> communities in which they live.

>

> Janet Isserlis

>

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

> 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

> Email delivered to steve at lingq.com

>

> Professional Development section of the Adult Literacy Education

Wiki

>

>

http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/Adult_Literacy_Professional_Development

>




-- 
Steve Kaufmann
www.lingq.com
604-922-8514
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