Hello Jackie, Daphne, all,
I've submitted my Communities of Practice response offlist (because I'm a
day late) and now feel compelled to respond to the questions below.

1) Jackie's questions: <<...For example, is there something about diversity
and literacy that we hope to impact? I...I guess what I'm
getting at is whether we have an articulated vision for our purposes here,
what we hope to cultivate or what points that might include.>>

One of the benefits of these communities of practice (listservs) for me is
that it "keeps the dream alive" and keeps me from slacking into nonaction
while keeping me highly motivated.  [an aside thought:  Too often educators
-- at least in the USA -- lament that they feel unappreciated, that their
efforts at lifelong learning are not recognized.  These communities of
practice keep me feeling connected in a very meaningful and validating way
-- pushing me to reflect upon my practices.

[brief background:  I've been an alternatively active and
not-so-active member of a local "Black Women/White Women/All Women in
Dialogue" and an "Undoing Racism" group for over ten years, and a member of
similarly-focused groups in Syracuse NY before that -- so have considered
myself an observant, intuitive and intentional communicator for some time --
among intentionally focused groups, and in general relationships throughout
my life]

2) Daphne's question: <<how many of you engage in discussions about
diversity and literacy at your workplace, in your classrooms? Is it
discussed at all? If yes, how, and in what contexts? Are they natural
discussions, or difficult ones to have?>>

Yes I raise issues of diversity and literacy -- with colleagues, adult
learners in classes I teach, sometimes in bank and check-out lines with
strangers.

With colleagues, interestingly, I feel the most unnatural and
uncomfortable. At one prior place of employment I used to teach both GED and
ESOL classes (during the same semesters) and was surprised at what were my
perceptions of a 'wall' of misunderstandings between the general groups of
teachers. [Was I really the only one that noticed that the only "non-white"
teachers on staff were in Correctional Education or other off-site
locations?  Did most of the GED teachers *really* think that they were too
closed-minded to teach ESOL (yes, one teacher actually used that phrase...),
did teachers truly not see *any* connection between teaching GED and
teaching ESOL? ]   After a talk with our director, more intentional mixing
-- joint staff meetings, social inclusion efforts, etc. -- was planned...
slowly, some improvement (my opinion) occurred and more frequent exchanges
continued.

Conversations at the copier, or walking to cars, notes left on the bulletin
board, and questions raised at reflective circles were ways I tried to
approach issues I'd noticed. Unfortunately, I do not consider myself adept
at such conversations.  I am one of those people whose face is 'easy to
read;' I do not mask my emotions well at all.  So, sometimes I offended
people or put them on guard before I even had a chance to speak.  Not the
best way to approach meaningful dialogue, and no time to 'set the stage'
with consensused dialogue guidelines.  [although, you might think that adult
educators should know and practice these routinely?....]

There have been many intriguing discussions led in PreGED, GED, ESOL
classrooms about literacy, about diversity.  I like to start by just putting
the word (literacy, for example) at the center of the board and
"mind-mapping" it, then breaking into groups for small group expansion of
their own mindmaps, then inserting a brief grammar or structure lesson, then
assign writing prompts or journal reflection writing focusing on the
mindmapping results, for all -- this includes me.  I try to model writing in
class and follow the same rules as the students (if a page is folded, it
means 'please do not read' -- if it is open, please do read) and have my
journal out for anyone's perusal.

I hope I plant seeds...  and hope that I see more of them grow...

holly
Holly (Dilatush)
Charlottesville VA
ESOL Coorinator, tutor, facilitator
holly at dilatush.com
(434) 960.7177 cell phone
(434) 295.9716 home phone
[OK to call 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. EST / GMT -5 time]

"Live with intention. Share inside~out smiles, inspire hope, seek awe and
nurture in nature." (original by Holly)

www.tales-around-the-world.blogspot.com
www.abavirtual-learningcenter.org
www.blogblossoms.edublogs.org
*Twitter, plurk, and Skype IDs = smilin7
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