I thought that some of you may be interested in the following guest discussion that I am hosting on the Diversity and Literacy Discussion List (to subscribe go to: http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/diversity )
 
I am pleased to announce that from September 9 - 22, 2009 we will have a
guest facilitated discussion on: The Importance of Social Interaction
and Support for Women Learners: Evidence from Family Literacy Programs
 
Description
 
ABE, ESL, adult literacy, and family literacy programs are typically
evaluated by measurable outcomes such as increased standardized test
scores or student job placement. However, there is growing evidence that
learners-particularly women who are poor and socially isolated-value not
only the academic but also the social aspects of their educational
experiences. Educators, too, recognize the psychosocial dimensions and
benefits of participation in adult education, but seldom have
opportunities to document them.
 
This discussion will focus on what are often considered peripheral or
serendipitous aspects of adult education, including access to and
expansion of social support networks, the social meanings learners
attach to education, and the psychosocial benefits of participation.
 
To orient the discussion, we will review a recent research study that
explores how family literacy programs provide a supportive social space
for women in poverty and enhance their psychosocial well-being. We will
then open up the discussion to questions and comments. Participants can
read the Adult Education Quarterly article (for subscribers only-see
below for complete citation) or the 
Goodling Institute Research Brief (go to:
http://www.ed.psu.edu/goodlinginstitute/pdf/Research_Brief_2_Final.pdf).
 
Prins, E., Toso, B., & Schafft, K. (2009). "It feels like a little
family to me": Social interaction and support among women in adult
education and family literacy. Adult Education Quarterly, 59(4),
335-352.
 
 
 
Guest facilitators
 
Blaire Willson Toso coordinates the English Language Acquisition
Collection for LINCS (Literacy Information and Communication System), is
a doctoral candidate in the Adult Education Program at Penn State, and a
researcher for the Goodling Institute for Research in Family Literacy.
Her interests are literacy, gender, student leadership, and family
literacy.
 
Esther Prins is an assistant professor in the Adult Education Program at
The Pennsylvania State University and the Co-Director of the Goodling
Institute for Research in Family Literacy. Her research explores the
social context of adult and family literacy; gender, racial, and class
inequalities in adult education; civic engagement; and participatory
approaches to education, community development, and research.
 
Kai A. Schafft is an assistant professor of education in the Penn State
Department of Education Policy Studies where he directs the Center on
Rural Education and Communities and edits the Journal of Research in
Rural Education. His research focuses on the relationship between
spatial and social inequality, particularly within rural settings.
 

Remember, if you want to join this discussion, please subscribe at: http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/diversity 
 
Thanks,
Daphne Greenberg
Diversity and Literacy List Facilitator