[AAACE-NLA] Pre- and Post-NIFL Agenda

[andreawilder at comcast.net]

Art, 


When I was a child I checked out, maybe around 6th grade. I didn't start to come back until my doctorate. 
Fortunately I have a fabulous memory and I went to an excellent school where I was surrounded by highly motivated students. I survived. There is NO WAY a child can take charge of their own schooling. They aren't as developed or as clever as teachers. 


You know I agree with you because we have talked about this many times over the years. I think that the more skills the adult teacher has the better is the possibility of working well with the adult student. I am taking a course now for no credit, which means 1/2 price. I can avoid the traps set by teachers and TA's, and they do set traps. 


Andrea 

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Art LaChance" <ruhtra.glc at ellijay.com> 
To: "National Literacy Advocacy List sponsored by AAACE" <aaace-nla at lists.literacytent.org> 
Sent: Tuesday, May 4, 2010 12:12:31 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern 
Subject: Re: [AAACE-NLA] Pre- and Post-NIFL Agenda 

Andrea, 

Unfortunately it goes much deeper than that. I've heard the "They just 
need to 'take charge' of their own learning" many, many times over. 
Then I look carefully at the self-directive capability of a 7-10 yr old 
child and I wonder if we really understand the lack of capability to 
develop self-direction in that age range, and how strong the 
fight-flight response actually is. We're talking about learned behavior 
vs instinctual behavior. Yes, we do have a "choice" - however,we must 
learn and incorporate that ability and understanding over time to the 
point where it can take control - over and above the instinctual 
response. It's just not very difficult at all to find the point, and 
most times the specific incident, where that child 'checked out' and 
developed an add-on to the fight-flight response. ADD, ADHD, etc. 
descriptors fit quite nicely into the picture - spontaneous development 
of some distracting mental activity to remove the emotional awareness 
from the immediate environment - which can become the primary 
behavioral foundation? The children are simply trying to survive, 
emotionally first, then physically. It amazes me that we charge 8 yr 
olds with taking control of their lives and keep throwing them back in 
the water without the life-jacket and then smile while they drown. Then 
when they 'grow up' and finally realize the need for education and 
overcome the negative issues after some time away from the situation 
that created the death-throes - we leave them to their own devices based 
on the "They made a bad choice by not taking advantage of our wonderful 
education system". Don't believe that? Why is there literally zero 
funding available to help those people? Don't believe the "zero" 
factor? Compare the need factor with the support factor. 

I've played what I call "20 questions" with students who initially 
assess in the lower skill ranges for over 20 years. Invariably they 
will tell me in detail the situation(s) that created the emotional 
response leading to disengagement from the system. Invariably the time 
factor for that situation will coincide within one year of their initial 
TABE assessment scores utilizing the "grade level" scoring. I do not 
share the grade level scoring with them before the 20 question play. I 
used to think it was simply coincidental, but after hearing the same 
sequencing over and over and over again, it became quite evident that it 
is not happenstance. As a direct result of the foregoing, our immediate 
goals at this center shifted from the simple delivery of curriculum to 
appeasement of the fight-flight and restoration of self-efficacy. All 
of which incorporate curriculum, but with a slightly different 
end-purpose. And trust me when I say that often the childhood based 
original fight-flight response WILL return when the adult sees 
themselves as not ready to take the GED, and they will go away and most 
probably not return, regardless of how positive the adult literacy 
teacher comes across. 

I guess the situation we as a nation have developed and locked solidly 
in place must be "good for the economy" ?? Keeps the common laborer 
pool full?? I'm quite thankful that I see evidence of a nationwide 
re-evaluation of the US education system beginning to take shape. 

Art 


Art LaChance 
Gilmer Learning Center 
30 Southside Church St 
Ellijay, GA 30540 


andreawilder at comcast.net wrote: 
> Art, 
> 
> Sounds like what happened to the 17th Street Canal in New Orleans when 
> the flood waters pushed so hard the sheet metal collapsed. It is very 
> hard for me, as an adult, to say "I don't understand," in class when I 
> don't, kids hunker down and stop learning. Adults have more practice 
> and knowledge of situations like this, but it's still tough to take 
> charge of one's own learning. My professor this semester is seasoned 
> enough to wait A MUNUTE OR MORE after he asks: "Does anyone have any 
> questions?" What a guy. 
> 
> Andrea 
> 
> 
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