<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Thanks, Janet, for pointing us to the
PD list. It has been many years, but I remember that you did
lots of interesting work wtih project-based learning in the years that
I was following your work. Woudl love to see some of the models
you've created-- I know they'll be good!</font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Gail Weinstein</font>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
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<td width=40%><font size=1 face="sans-serif"><b>Janet Isserlis <Janet_Isserlis@brown.edu></b>
</font>
<br><font size=1 face="sans-serif">Sent by: specialtopics-bounces@nifl.gov</font>
<p><font size=1 face="sans-serif">09/14/2007 12:50 PM</font>
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<div align=center><font size=1 face="sans-serif">Please respond to<br>
specialtopics@nifl.gov</font></div></table>
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<div align=right><font size=1 face="sans-serif">To</font></div>
<td><font size=1 face="sans-serif"><specialtopics@nifl.gov></font>
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<td>
<div align=right><font size=1 face="sans-serif">cc</font></div>
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<td>
<div align=right><font size=1 face="sans-serif">Subject</font></div>
<td><font size=1 face="sans-serif">[SpecialTopics 644] Re: Last Day of
InternationalPrograms Discussion</font></table>
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<td></table>
<br></table>
<br>
<br>
<br><font size=1 face="Times New Roman">Gail and all<br>
<br>
This dovetails nicely with another conversation on the PD list about project
based learning. It helps illustrate ways in which writing can move
beyond a one-draft wonder to a thoughtful process – both in terms of thinking,
organizing and considering opinions, as well as working with writers to
see what it is that writing can do and how it is that writers can come
to do it.<br>
<br>
thanks<br>
<br>
Janet Isserlis<br>
<br>
</font>
<hr><font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><b>From: </b>Gail E Weinstein <gailw@sfsu.edu><b><br>
Reply-To: </b><specialtopics@nifl.gov><b><br>
Date: </b>Fri, 14 Sep 2007 07:49:54 -0700<b><br>
To: </b><specialtopics@nifl.gov><b><br>
Subject: </b>[SpecialTopics 636] Re: Last Day of InternationalPrograms
Discussion<br>
<br>
<br>
Sally, you make a great point about the need for soem students to move
toward mastery of expository prose. I have always focused on "non-academic"
language for immigrants, which never got much attention in my own teacher
training, but you are absolutely right, that many learners want access
to academic settings. <br>
<br>
I love some of the early writing of Ilana Leki and Rebecca Mylnarczic (sorry,
Rebecca, whereever you are, I know I've butchered the spelling terribly)
who explore the connection between personal and academic writing. Lekij,
in a wonderful little gem that appeared in the TESOL Journal, laid
out a very compelling progression which she calls "sequenced writing
assignments". Learners begin by writing an opinion about something
they feel persinally and deeply (i.e. about smoking when a parent has died
of lung cancer). Then they construct and carry out a survey of 10-20
people in their community on that topic. Then the begin their literature
search to see what has been written about the topic. Then the write
an "essay" or "research paper", in which they use traditional
conventions of citing research, but they begin from a stance of personal
investment, exploration of the voices of those around them, and then embed
it in scholarship. This model argues that the best "essay"
and academic writing can and should be deeply personal, and that the work
is most powerful when the author's voice is strong and clear -- even (or
especially) when the work is academic and research-based. <br>
<br>
Have you ever worked with this model? In your own struggles to move
learner toward expository writing, what do you find helps students stay
invested and see the discourse mode that is somethign that is still for
and about THEM and the things that matter to them most? <br>
<br>
Yours, <br>
Gail <br>
San Francisco State University. <br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
</font><font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><b><br>
"Gabb, Sally S." <sgabb@bristol.mass.edu></b></font><font size=1 face="Times New Roman">
</font><font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><br>
Sent by: specialtopics-bounces@nifl.gov</font><font size=1 face="Times New Roman">
</font><font size=1 face="Times New Roman">09/14/2007 06:20 AM</font><font size=1 face="Times New Roman">
</font>
<div align=center>
<p><font size=1 face="Times New Roman">Please respond to<br>
specialtopics@nifl.gov </font></div>
<div align=right>
<p><font size=1 face="Times New Roman">To </font></div>
<p><font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><specialtopics@nifl.gov></font><font size=1 face="Times New Roman">
</font>
<div align=right>
<p><font size=1 face="Times New Roman">cc<br>
Subject </font></div>
<p><font size=1 face="Times New Roman">[SpecialTopics 633] Re: Last Day
of InternationalPrograms Discussion</font><font size=1 face="Times New Roman">
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
</font><font size=1 color=#000080 face="Arial"><br>
Hi Gail and all: I have always supported the idea of learner’s Lives
as Curriculum – however I want to encourage moving to more expository
writing to enable higher level students to gain further writing skills
beyond narrative. Using a thematic approach, students could write
their narratives, then look at issues that affect their lives and work
on essays, gaining instruction/guidance for the kinds of writing that are
required at a post secondary level. In my current work at the community
college, I am finding these kinds of ‘bridge’ instructional efforts are
extremely important for those who want to move on to higher level academic
pursuits. Just a thought!! Sally Gabb, Bristol Community College</font><font size=1 face="Times New Roman">
</font>
<div align=center>
<p><font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><br>
</font>
<hr></div>
<p><font size=1 face="Tahoma"><b><br>
From:</b> specialtopics-bounces@nifl.gov [</font><a href="mailto:specialtopics-bounces@nifl.gov]"><font size=1 color=blue face="Tahoma"><u>mailto:specialtopics-bounces@nifl.gov]</u></font></a><font size=1 face="Tahoma">
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Gail E Weinstein<b><br>
Sent:</b> Friday, September 14, 2007 8:16 AM<b><br>
To:</b> specialtopics@nifl.gov<b><br>
Subject:</b> [SpecialTopics 630] Re: Last Day of InternationalPrograms
Discussion</font><font size=1 face="Times New Roman"> </font><font size=2 face="Times New Roman"><br>
</font><font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><br>
<br>
Hi Friends.</font><font size=2 face="Times New Roman"> </font><font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><br>
<br>
Sorry to join very late in the discussion. <br>
<br>
I'm interested in Eric's comment about community publishing and using learner
writing. I'm working on a model I call "Learners' LIves as Curriculum",
where teachers are trained to collect and use learner narratives as the
basis for developing mateirals. I"ve been developing this for
immigrnts in the United States, first in the form of traditionally published
textbooks, but now with much more interest and emphasis on teacher training,
to connect materials developmetn with learner narratives to professional
development as they work in teams to write the material.</font><font size=2 face="Times New Roman">
</font><font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><br>
<br>
We're working now on collecting narratives from immigrants about memories
of floods, earthquakes, etc. to develop disaster preparedness materials,
and are training immigrant learners to collect some of the stories. The
next project in line is to develop health literacy materials beginning
with "stories of courage and hope" from immigrant cancer survivors
as a way into mateiral about screening and resources for cancer. The
purpose of this model, is, as Eric comments, to weave learner writing and
learner stories into the fabric of the curriculum itself. <br>
<br>
A couple of our graduated students from the MATESOL program at San Francisco
State got fascinated with the model and want to try it out in Japan. We'll
be presenting there in November. I've also presented the model in
Turkey and Israel, and have received very enthused responses from teachers
there, who are exasperated with materials that have been imported from
foreign contexts.</font><font size=2 face="Times New Roman"> </font><font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><br>
<br>
Would love to discuss this more with interested colleagues.</font><font size=2 face="Times New Roman">
</font><font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><br>
<br>
Gail Weinstein</font><font size=2 face="Times New Roman"> <br>
<br>
</font><font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><br>
</font><font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><b><br>
ejonline@comcast.net</b></font><font size=1 face="Times New Roman"> <br>
Sent by: specialtopics-bounces@nifl.gov</font><font size=2 face="Times New Roman">
</font><font size=1 face="Times New Roman">09/13/2007 08:01 PM</font><font size=2 face="Times New Roman">
</font>
<div align=center>
<p><font size=1 face="Times New Roman">Please respond to<br>
specialtopics@nifl.gov </font></div>
<p>
<div align=right>
<p><font size=1 face="Times New Roman">To </font></div>
<p><font size=1 face="Times New Roman">specialtopics@nifl.gov</font><font size=2 face="Times New Roman">
</font>
<div align=right>
<p><font size=1 face="Times New Roman">cc </font>
<p><font size=1 face="Times New Roman">Subject </font></div>
<p><font size=1 face="Times New Roman">[SpecialTopics 627] Re: Last Day
of International Programs Discussion</font><font size=1 face="Times New Roman">
</font><font size=2 face="Times New Roman"><br>
</font><font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><br>
<br>
</font><font size=2 face="Times New Roman"><br>
</font><font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><br>
</font><font size=2 face="Times New Roman"><br>
<br>
</font><font size=1 face="Courier New"><br>
<br>
>From what I have seen in Japan - <br>
<br>
8) They are not thinking about jobs with a future, or jobs at all. There
are no long range plans like that in most programs. <br>
<br>
9) Students get a place to feel comfortable and supported. They get a kind
ear. They get to feel like part of a community. They also get language
skills, literacy skills and content area knowledge. <br>
<br>
10) Assessment is a tough issue - and raising it can cause a room to empty.
Most programs don't reallly want to talk about assessment. I suppose the
government might talk about how many people have graduated from programs,
but they don't often get involved at that level. <br>
<br>
What I am interested in checking out is community publishing. Many programs
produce books of student writing, and I would like to check back in with
them to hear more about the reaction and how they are used. My sense is
that they are more of a way to document students' work and as an awareness
raising thing. I don't think they are used as materials in the classroom.
<br>
<br>
Erik Jacobson<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
-------------- Original message ----------------------<br>
From: "David J. Rosen" <djrosen@comcast.net><br>
> Special Topics Colleagues,<br>
> <br>
> Friday, September 14th, is the last day of our discussion about what
<br>
> adult literacy education programs in the U.S. can learn from literacy
<br>
> programs and initiatives in other countries. Our discussion
has <br>
> touched on many different experiences, ideas and issues, cultures
and <br>
> countries. Brenda Bell has suggested that one good framework to look
<br>
> at this wide range of issues across countries is Part II of
the <br>
> Oxfam book, Developing Adult Literacy: Approaches to Planning, <br>
> Implementing and Delivering Literacy Initiatives. I urge you to take
<br>
> a look at this part, indeed the whole book. It's available free,
for <br>
> now at least, as a download from<br>
> <br>
> </font><a href="http://publications.oxfam.org.uk/oxfam/display.asp?K=e2007030715391164"><font size=1 color=blue face="Courier New"><u>http://publications.oxfam.org.uk/oxfam/display.asp?K=e2007030715391164</u></font></a><font size=1 face="Courier New"><br>
> <br>
> Subscribers and guests: what will you carry away from this <br>
> discussion? What new information or ideas? What has whetted
your <br>
> appetite for more? What might you try out in your program?<br>
> <br>
> Some of our guests may be checking in on Friday so if you have more
<br>
> questions there is still time. Some of our guests, too, may
have <br>
> other thoughts or comments they would like to share. And I do hope
<br>
> some of our guests can address the last three questions I posed:<br>
> <br>
> 8. How are other countries managing to embed language and literacy
<br>
> development into services designed to help adults get jobs with a
<br>
> future?<br>
> <br>
> 9. What do participants most get out of the programs that you have
<br>
> been involved with? Conversation skills, reading skills, writing
<br>
> skills, employment skills, empowerment, preparation for postsecondary
<br>
> education, computer skills?<br>
> If you have been involved in developing integrated curriculum, what
<br>
> are the main goals of curriculum development in international contexts?<br>
> <br>
> 10. How is success measured in programs in other countries? What
<br>
> sorts of metrics are used?<br>
> <br>
> <br>
> On Monday we start a new discussion, on adult numeracy.<br>
> <br>
> <br>
> David J. Rosen<br>
> Special Topics Discussion Moderator<br>
> djrosen@comcast.net<br>
> <br>
> <br>
> <br>
> <br>
> <br>
> <br>
> -------------------------------<br>
> National Institute for Literacy<br>
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