Greetings. I agree with my friend & colleague John Linton that these are 
excellent postings.  My response will touch on points raised by a number 
of contributors.

First, Taylor Stoehr?s impressive program Changing Lives Through 
Literature reminds me very much of a Core Humanities program Stephen 
Duguid created in the late 1980?s in prisons in British Columbia. Like 
Taylor, Duguid?s program encouraged learners to look critically at social 
power structures that defined them. Further, it forced practitioners as 
well as students to confront the myth that literacy learners ? even those 
in ABE ? do not have the intelligence or higher level thinking skills to 
discuss such ?advanced? topics. (In a parallel way, the work by Robert 
Kegan et al. supports this point: the capacity for higher complexity of 
thought has little to do with formal educational attainment. See: 
http://www.ncsall.net/fileadmin/resources/research/brief19.pdf )

Gina Lobaccaro raised the issue of motivation. As I look back to Taylor?s 
statements - and John Gordon?s stance: ?we develop curriculum around the 
needs and issues brought to the class by the students? ? the question that 
comes to mind is, ?to what extent can we implement student centered 
programs in prison?? This question gets to the heart of prison culture, 
and the negative by-products of even the most well-meaning top-down 
systems that attempt to ?fix? people from without.  And what should a 
student-centered prison-based literacy program look like? 

I fully agree that the pressing needs of  learners should be invited into 
the classroom, and that they have the potential to become potent themes 
for learning and potent reasons to learn. So many learners in traditional 
literacy programs are placed into skill-based texts and rushed to the GED. 
Teachers feel this pressure, of course!  But recent studies challenge the 
usefulness of programs that are focused primarily on passing the GED and 
ignore the need for foundational learning. And for both ethical and 
pedagogical reasons, why would an incarcerated woman (for example) who is 
struggling at a low-literacy level, and who is trying to keep her family 
together through letter writing be asked to leave these literacy-life 
needs at the classroom door? 

I have tremendous admiration for what you are doing, John (Gordon), but do 
differ a bit from your stance. I do believe we can and should teach 
foundational literacy skills to our learners --many of whom have histories 
of learning disabilities and severe health problems that sometimes require 
explicit (yes, top-down) instruction.  For me the key is to take a 
bi-cultural approach. I agree with Vivian Gadsden that these two world 
views are not contradictory and the challenge for correctional teachers (I 
believe) is to embrace both. 

I need to run (again). But in part to begin to address Helaine Marshall?s 
question about adopting curricula to meet the needs of incarcerated 
learners, and in part to (hopefully) to provide another example of a 
student-centered program (this time a family literacy program in New 
York), I call the readers? attention to an excellent guide put out by the 
Hudson River Center at:    http://www.hudrivctr.org/products_ce.htm

Warm regards,  Bill





"Linton, John" <John.Linton at ed.gov> 
Sent by: specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov
09/19/2006 09:36 AM
Please respond to
specialtopics at nifl.gov


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Subject
[SpecialTopics 211] Re: Correctional education -- student motivation






A couple of quick reactions on motivation:
 
Is there something that a successful student can graduate to?  In some 
systems, high value prison jobs (prison industry) and high demand 
vocational training programs are linked to completion of programs.  The 
availability of a college program can really motivate GED students. 
Indiana State prisons award time off sentence credits to students -- not 
for participation -- but for completion of educational goals. 
 
Is the teacher motivating?  In community based adult education, students 
tend to pretty clearly "vote with their feet."  The unmotivating adult ed 
teacher in the community might end up alone in a classroom.  (Although 
this seems to happen to a certain extent even in prisons where students 
are "forced" to attend.  Attendance records do tell a story.)   Sometimes 
the motivation issue does come back to the capability and motivation of 
the teacher, at least in part.  Are indicators such as attendance, 
disciplinary issues, progress and drop out rates tracked by teacher and 
are teachers recognized for positive outcomes?  Are high quality 
professional development opportunities available to teachers?
 
Why would potentially motivated students be allowed to languish unserved 
in cells while unmotivated students occupy classroom seats?  An 
exceptional correctional principal I was privileged to work with routinely 
called "well behaved" but passive students into his office and told them 
that they were being rotated out of the program for "lack of progress." 
This supported a cultural norm in that school where it was "ok" for tough 
guys to act like motivated students.  They had an excuse:  "I have to 
participate or I might get kicked out."   And some of the unmotivated 
students did return after a semester off with an altered approach.  I note 
the reference to a mandatory education policy.  Some similar policies 
require a minimum time period (three months) of participation for inmates 
below a certain grade level or without a diploma.  They don't require the 
inmate student to stay in school until they get the degree or attain the 
pre-determined grade level.  If the existing policy is resulting in the 
school becoming clogged with "dead wood," perhaps it needs to be 
revisited.  I'll bet those unmotivated students impact school climate, 
don't they? 
 
 
John Linton 
-----Original Message-----
From: specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov 
[mailto:specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov]On Behalf Of Lobaccaro Gina (DOC)
Sent: Monday, September 18, 2006 8:39 PM
To: specialtopics at nifl.gov
Subject: RE: [SpecialTopics 204] Posting your questions

Hello All,
I am Gina Lobaccaro the Media & Technology Specialist at Sussex 
Correctional Institution in Georgetown Delaware.  I work for the Delaware 
Department of Education Prison Education program.. I have corresponded 
with David and Bill, and I have met Steve at a couple of conferences.
I am asking if there is any research or a need for research in the area of 
motivation for low level ABE learners in correctional settings.  We have 
so many inmate/students who come to class but make little or no progress 
over and extended time.  They appear to be coming to get off the tiers or 
to receive "good time".  In truth, they do not receive much "good time" 
for education.  Our education program is a classified program.  If a 
student does not have  GED or HS diploma they must attend school.  We have 
a long waiting list for the low level ABE students, but we also have 
students sitting in classes who appear to me totally unmotivated to 
improve their academic skills.
Do you or the other list serve members have suggestions for motivating ABE 
low level learners in CE settings?
Gina

From: specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov on behalf of David Rosen
Sent: Mon 9/18/2006 7:38 PM
To: specialtopics at nifl.gov
Subject: [SpecialTopics 204] Posting your questions

Colleagues,

Please post your questions and comments for our guests as soon as you 
are ready.  (Now would be good.) You can ask general questions like 
"What do we know about the transition from a prison or jail education 
program to a community education program?" or "What does family 
literacy mean in a prison setting?" Or you can ask specific questions 
like "How does a prison family literacy program affect children's 
reading skills?"  Some people have joined the discussion to be 
introduced to the topic; others are experts in this area.  All 
questions are welcome.

Send your questions to:

specialtopics at nifl.gov

David J. Rosen
Special Topics Discussion Moderator
djrosen at comcast.net



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