[NLA] "breaking news"

[AWilder106@aol.com]

Eileen,

What Tom has developed through experience and research of many sorts is an 
extremely large (to my observation) data base, a trained mind, and devotion 
to a goal--he likes to solve puzzles and he really wants everyone to be 
literate.  He will also dig in his heels until he comes up with an answer 
that seems reasonable.

What he doesn't have (recently) is fine grained, classroom observation and 
experience. (Maybe he is also teaching and not letting us know....) People in 
the field have first hand experience, those who work everyday with adult 
learners.  It isn't either/or, it's lots. Policy needs many voices, but those 
voices have to be identified as to where they come from (local, state, 
national; public, private) and what their experience is, and what in their 
experience may account for their different views.  No one in their right mind 
would ignore the opinions and observations of those who work with adult 
learners every day.

It seems to me that workers in the field require access to larger data bases 
though, themselves; they can hook up with others and make their opinions and 
different experiences known.  They can refine their observations and test out 
different variables; we all benefit. The nla list helps with the connections.

Andrea