NLA Discussion: Advocates' talk

[AWilder106 at aol.com]

What a wonderful hopeful message. 

1.  There has been a lot of brain research in the past 10 years--a boom time,
actually.  Maybe a clearing house for new info, and a way of sorting what you
already know.  Maybe you are already doing this.  Perhaps develop a list of
"experts,"  there seem a lot around.

2.  Identifying best practice might be possible.  Perhaps  find a state, a
program, that you think does an excellent job--or the best job that you can
find--in preparing literacy teachers.  That might tie into certification, too.
I bet you could get some nominees from this list and others.

Thanks for the update in this area.  I have thought recently that a "literacy
history" including past experiences with education, past associations with
schooling, AND medical information would be useful.  Also life turning points,
for good or ill. I would also include learning strategies, how the adult
learner has coped, what kind of skills and strategies have been developed.
There are many admirable stories out there.  ALSO, this could serve as a
diagnostic tool, e.g., what problems has the adult learner learned to skirt
around.  It's trying to define the edges of a problem from the outside.   I
hope this is useful, you may be miles ahead of me.  I have been trying to
think of ways to find out about adult learners when a lot of the ways of doing
this cost money.  Like pet scans.  I am convinced there should be a medical
tie in, a good start  would be testing for the need for eyeglasses and hearing
aids.

Andrea Wilder