[NLA] Volunteers and credentials

[Carey Reid]

The framers of the Massachusetts ABE teacher's license, which included a
great deal of field input,  struggled with many of the issues that have
come up in this discussion thread.  Here are a few of the requirements
that were put in place to assure, hopefully, that real, ABE-relevant
knowledge and skills were being acquired by license seekers. This is a
voluntary license, and one general license without specializations.

* knowledge of math through college algebra
* knowledge of second language acquisition 
* knowledege of learning disabilities
* knowledge of adult learning theory and adult development theory
* understanding of connections between ind. learner needs, curriculum,
and teaching activities
* ability to apply knowledge/theory to practice
* ability to teach in a variety of ways
* direct observation of teaching in the classroom by an ABE-experienced
observer

Source regulations, including subject matter and professional
standards, and other relevant documents can be viewed on MassDOE's
website at http://www.doe.mass.edu/Educators/abe.html




Carey Reid
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617-482-0617 (FAX)




>>> AndresMuro at aol.com 7/4/02 7:32:50 AM >>>
Just for the record, I don't have a single official entitlement that 
credentials me to administer or teach at an adult education program or
the 
K-12 system. I have this joke that I came up with a few years ago. It
is 
based on Ivan Illich. Ivan Illich is a philosopher who argued that
schools  
didn't give you knowledge. Instead they gave you entitlements in the
form of 
credentials to show that you possess a certain kind of knowledge.
however,  
the relationship between knowledge and the credential was non existent.

Knowledge is simply the indoctrination into a series of socialization's
that 
you go through. . If you are willing to get indoctrinated you will be
given, 
through a credential, the entitlement to claim that you know. Illich
wrote a 
book called Deschooling Society. 

Now, back to the joke. I founded the Ivan Illich Academy for 
Deinstitutionalized Self-Entitlements. through this academy, I gave
myself an 
AS Ph.D. SA stands for self-appointed, but I do not have to disclose
that. In 
my academy any person can give himself or herself an entitlement of
their 
choice w/o joining an institution (there is a small fee, of course ;-)
.

A few years back my wife designed a diploma for my SA Ph.D. She
invented a 
university and signed the diploma with Che Guevara, Sub Comandante
Marcos and 
George Bush. I though that it was so funny that I hanged the diploma in
my 
office. The amazing thing is that a lot of people see it and compliment
me on 
my Ph.D. I explain to them that it is a joke and they laugh. However, I

realized that a lot of people that come to my office and see my SA Ph.D
may 
think that I am a doctor.

So, how about this for a credentialing system. Send me a Penny and you
have 
entitled yourself to receive any SA degree from the Ivan Illich
academy. We 
have financial aid. If you  entitle yourself  to Financial Aid, simply
don't 
send the Penny.

Andres  



In a message dated 7/4/2002 4:43:33 AM Mountain Daylight Time, 
eileeneckert at hotmail.com writes: 
> On credentialing: College faculty are not credentialed as such
(though some 
> are hired with credentials from the discipline--e.g., for faculty of
social 
> 
> work, an LCSW is required), and they enjoy the identity of being a
"field". 
> 
> What is the relationship between credentialing and
professionalization or 
> legitimacy as a field? Is there a clear relationship? And is it
persuasive 
> enough to give up local, program-level control and flexibility in
staffing?
> 
> 

andresmuro at aol.com 
Visit my art webpage at:
http://www.geocities.com/andresmuro/artwork.html
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