NLA Discussion: The Improved Life at work!

[SGabb412 at aol.com]

DocJN & all - certainly those cognitive/learning spheres you mentioned -
simple to complex/routine to variable/concrete to abstract - are the friends
of literacy/adult ed learners - quality of life at work is a primary goal for
many in our programs.  I reiterate  the theme of learner voice - the
definition of 'workforce development' by workers.  I suggest that a 'Freire'
approach can teach us - to measure these changes, the development of
'workplace codes' by learner/workers.  Certainly all of us know many learners
whose thinking is 'complex, variable and abstract', yet they are unable to
provide 'test' evidence of such capabilities.  Our challenge is in entering
into dialogue with our learners to unlock these capabilities so that we can
'measure' - i.e., enable our learners to express these capabilities and/or to
redefine the playing field.  When conditions at the workplace are oppressive
and limiting - including work overload, discriminatory practices, lack of
support for lteracy and other training - the so-called 'workforce
development' is a one sided conversation.  The measurable cognitive
categories are not invalid, but must be tools for possibility, not exclusion.
 
SGabb