Return-Path: <nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id j8TCPcG18683; Thu, 29 Sep 2005 08:25:38 -0400 (EDT) Date: Thu, 29 Sep 2005 08:25:38 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <20050929122449.87976.qmail@web30810.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: Ujwala Samant <lalumineuse@yahoo.com> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-POVRACELIT:1567] Re: race and literacy X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Status: O Content-Length: 4751 Lines: 162 David, You're right about not having the will. I also think that in the case of adult education, we don't want to extend that at all. When working for an adult media group, I once asked why we didn't take education to people (as has been my experience in international adult literacy) and I was laughed at and then told that it was an impossibility, in New York city. Not so sure I believed that. If one can make things happen in rural, mountainous Pakistan (on the Afghan border) or in the slums of Mumbai..... Learner and community proactivity are also great propellers... regards Ujwala --- David Rosen <djrosen@comcast.net> wrote: > Omer, > > A reformer high school principal in Boston, the head > of a school in a > tough neighborhood with mostly poor kids, used to > say to the teachers > who complained about the homes the kids came from > "Look, these > parents send us the best kids they have." I have > always liked that > because it assumes parents care about their kids, > which most do, > acknowledges that given their choices -- or the ones > they know about > -- they do the best they can, and makes the point > that teachers can > often make a difference. Not always, and not always > profound > differences; but often, with high expectations, lots > of love for > kids, and good skills in teaching learning > strategies as well as > content, teachers can make a difference. > > There are examples of schools in many cities: New > York, Chicago, > Boston, among others, which have the same kinds of > kids that the > other schools have: those from poor families, > immigrants, those with > health issues and special needs, but that are able > help kids do > well, help the great majority of poor kids get to > college. These > schools are small, have top-notch principals, > well-trained and > committed teachers, and enough resources (usually > because the top- > notch principal won't settle for less than what the > school needs and > is savvy about how to get business, social services > agencies and > foundations to step up). As a society we do not > lack the knowledge > about how to help poor children achieve education > success. We do lack > the will. And just a little more will will not do. > We need a huge > will, a hurricane wind of determination. We need to > understand that > this is the bedrock of family values, of American > values, and we need > to lead our leaders to embrace these values. > > David J. Rosen > djrosen@comcast.net > > On Sep 28, 2005, at 10:58 AM, Omer Ari wrote: > > > I think the issue at hand is larger than immediate > remediation. The > > differential and seemingly often lackadaisical > attitudes of low > > achieving students toward literacy is the root of > the problem, and > > it requires more demanding intervention. We have > to break the cycle > > of generational impact that perpetuates this trend > among the low > > achievers, like Ryan noted. These homes need to be > infused with a > > dogged belief for the salutary role of literacy > for their future. > > With the home culture not promoting such belief, I > don't see how we > > can achieve change for the better. > > > > > > > > \\\/// > > (o o) > > V > > > ----------------oo-------------------------oo----------------- > > Omer Ari > > Language and Literacy Education, MSIT, > GSU > > ariomer@hotmail.com (preferred) > > www.esljungle.com > > www.esljungle.com/regents > > Regents' Students' Stop > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------- > > l l l l > > 00 00 > > From: Ujwala Samant <lalumineuse@yahoo.com> > > Reply-To: nifl-povracelit@nifl.gov > > To: Multiple recipients of list > <nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov> > > Subject: [NIFL-POVRACELIT:1563] Re: race and > literacy > > Date: Wed, 28 Sep 2005 09:21:58 -0400 (EDT) > > >Dear Ryan, > > > > > > I'm > > > > just saying that teachers shouldn't assume > > > > educational > > > > success based on income, and then act on it > with > > > > prejudice, for, then, they, too, become part > of the > > > > problem. << > > > > > >Spot on Ryan! I think instead of focusing on that > > >prejudice, if we could think of what that student > > >needs by way of help and attempt to provide the > > >infrastructure that is missing from the home for > > >his/her educational experience, that would be a > useful > > >exercise. > > > > > >Regards, > > >Ujwala > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >__________________________________ > > >Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005 > > >http://mail.yahoo.com > > __________________________________ Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005 http://mail.yahoo.com
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