I agree, Hal, that large, distant goals do not provide evidence of 
success that discouraged learners so dearly need.  The observation from 
the NCSALL  persistence report that learners need and want clear, 
obtainable goals underscores that.  When learners begin to understand, 
with structured guidance, that completing short term goals in a short 
time--two weeks, for example, is the way to gradual progress toward 
larger, longer term goals, their sense of success builds very quickly.  
Training in such goal setting and in knowing what one needs to do to 
compensate for learning challenges in the process has been known to 
help learners gain the self esteem and confidence they need to continue 
towards that distant GED or college or whatever other goal the learner 
has held deep inside for a lifetime.  Robin Lovrien Schwarz

-----Original Message-----
From: hbeder at rci.rutgers.edu
To: focusonbasics at nifl.gov
Sent: Thu, 28 Sep 2006 2:16 PM
Subject: [FocusOnBasics 517] Re: Self-esteem stigma and Student Success

One way to promote success would be to develop a series of meaningful
benchmarks and recognition markers when the benchmarks have been
achieved.  I would pattern them on real life tasks so there is also
reinforcement from solving a real problem with newly acquired
literacy skills.  For example. a benchmark for lower-level students
might to write a grocery list and use it to do shopping.  Other tasks
might be developed from the items on the NAAL test.  That way we
would know their degree of difficulty.  For low level readers who
want the GED, the final payoff is so far distant,and in many cases
the incremental benchmarks are so vague, that the power of feeling
successful just is not there.


At 02:12 PM 9/27/2006, you wrote:

>I agree that we should be thinking about how our programs can create

>success for our students in different ways, and I can see how labeling

>them as having "low self-esteem" can "strengthen the existing stigma"

>(Ana) rather than help.

>

>So we are now looking at two ideas:

>

>1. How can we minimize the detrimental effects that can come from a

>presumption of low self-esteem? So far we have talked about low

>expectations, false praise and devaluing strong teaching in favor of

>efforts to boost self-esteem. Are there other things we should stop

>doing?

>

>  2. What can our programs do to facilitate student successes? Should 

we

>make more effort to "hire teachers who care more than anything about

>their learners progress and know how to produce it"? (Hal) What other

>measures of success can we aim for?

>

>I'd love to hear others' thoughts on these two points! Any of you who

>haven't commented yet...? Here's mine:

>

>Re: 2.) I like Andres' example of having something like the stories to

>mark students' successes. Years ago I was involved with a project 

called

>HEAL (Health Education and Adult Literacy), which was a curriculum that

>taught learners about breast and cervical cancer, screenings, and

>prevention. The program pushed learners to improve their literacy 

skills

>enough to seek health information and services and communicate

>confidently with health providers. But it went beyond that by also

>pushing for an action. They had to teach others in their community and

>actually make appointments with health providers. I believe that this

>action enhanced the power of the literacy skills alone to boost their

>measures of their own success within their families and communitites.

>

>Julie

>

>

>

>say "you have to be clear with me" to health providersbeyond learningA

>big part of the curriculum involved taking action in their community

>there was a lot of empowering going on by learning about taking action

>for health and .

>Do we, as literacy teachers, help to make this change happen, and if 

so,

>how?

>

>

>of I'd love to hear people's thoughts on these two things:

>

>

>********************************************

>

>Julie McKinney

>Discussion List Moderator

>World Education/NCSALL

>jmckinney at worlded.org

>

> >>> amuro5 at epcc.edu 09/27/06 12:04 PM >>>

>Hal:

>

>Hal:

>

>I agree with you 100%. The issue to me is what examples of student

>successes are and how to create the possibility for true success. This

>is very Hegelian. IE: The worker recognizes herself in the product of

>her work. So, the person who makes the chair is proud of making a good

>quality chair. However, factory work takes away the relationship 

between

>the worker and the chair. The worker only nails a nail and never sees

>the chair. He becomes alienated form his own work and we end up needing

>a socialist revolution   ;-) You can give him a certificate for doing

>good work, but the certificate is meaningless praise.

>

>The same and more is the case with ABE students. Learning needs to

>result in a meaningful outcome so that students may recognize 

themselves

>in their work. At the same time, we must create tasks that allow

>students to be able to be productive so they can have something that

>they identify with.

>

>Our students just published a collection of short stories. This is the

>second publication and it is available on line at:

>http://bordersenses.com/memorias

>

>Actually, the second volume is not available yet. However, you can see

>the first volume and get an idea of the project. In terms of the issue

>of creating possibilities for success I wrote something specifically

>about this in the intro to the second volume. Below is an excerpt:

>

>"Our pedagogical approach is grounded in the idea that GED instruction

>requires good reading and writing skills. However, many of our students

>have had little exposure to reading and writing. So, developing these

>skills, a challenge in itself, becomes more challenging when the

>students are uninterested in the subject and have little familiarity

>with it. However, if students can build their reading and writing 

skills

>by documenting and reading their own experiences, they will be familiar

>with the knowledge and they will relate to it. Moreover, they will feel

>validated if their knowledge and experiences are documented for

>posterity.  Once they build their reading and writing skills, they will

>be able to apply these skills to new knowledge and new academic and 

real

>life problems."

>

>This is both Freirian and Deweyian.

>

>Andres

>

>-----Original Message-----

>From: focusonbasics-bounces at nifl.gov

>[mailto:focusonbasics-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Hal Beder

>Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2006 6:21 AM

>To: The Focus on Basics Discussion List

>Subject: [FocusOnBasics 500] Re: Low Self-Esteem: Myth or Reality? Some

>comments

>

>Andres, I am not aware of any evidence to the

>affect that self-esteem is influenced by

>genetics.  By and large it is a product of life

>experience.  As you point out, some--Freire for

>example--believe that low self-esteem is a social

>construction.  It is one of those mechanisms that

>keep the oppressed in a state of

>oppression.  Others would focus more on the

>family.  To me, however, the most important point

>is that low-self esteem can be treated.  The

>question is how.  One school would argue that

>lots of social support and positive feedback is

>the way.  The problem with this is that it can

>lead to a very condescending attitude, a focus on

>deficit, and indirect reinforcement of the

>literacy stigma.  The other way to "treat"

>low-self-esteem is simply by helping learners to

>be successful.  Success is the most powerful antidote to low

>self-esteem.

>

>Over thirty years ago, Last gamble on Education

>(Mezirow, Darkenwald & Knox) found that the

>characteristic that directors most sought in

>hiring teachers was a warm, pleasant

>personality.  It mattered less whether they could

>TEACH.  I think this is true today to a certain

>extent.  In my view, this value is misplaced.  If

>we want to enhance self-esteem the way to do it

>is to hire teachers who care more than anything

>about their learners progress and know how to produce it.

>

>

>

>

>At 02:37 PM 9/26/2006, you wrote:

> >Content-class: urn:content-classes:message

> >Content-Type: multipart/alternative;

> >         boundary="----_=_NextPart_001_01C6E19A.D8C6745C"

> >

> >Hi Ana: Thinking about this issue is going to

> >drive me nuts and keep me out of my work, but

> >here I go again. You define self -esteem as:

> >"In psychological research, self-esteem is

> >typically defined in terms of how we evaluate

> >ourselves and our characteristics, the personal

> >judgment of worthiness that is expressed in the

> >attitudes the individual holds toward himself,"

> >in the words of Coopersmith, a pioneering

> >researcher in the field. It is a fuzzy construct

> >but a certain consensus has developed. Many seem

> >to agree that self esteem can be differentiated

> >into global and specific self esteem. Global

> >represents a general attitude towards oneself,

> >and can be considered a trait self-esteem,

> >whereas specific self-esteems concern particular areas of people's

>lives. "

> >What I wonder is if this feeling of self-worth

> >is caused by genetics, or is it caused by

> >certain experiences. It is possible that self

> >esteem is inherited. If so, then, self esteem

> >reporting, would be similar regardless of group.

> >However, if the environment has something to do

> >with self esteem, the question to me would be

> >what factors influence self-worth.

> >If genetics are a predictor of self esteem, and

> >we can identify the gene that determines self

> >esteem, then there is no reason to work on the

> >self esteem of the students. It is possible that

> >self esteem can be associated with dopamine,

> >serotonin activity in the brain and that there

> >is a gene that influences the presence or

> >absence of these substances. If such is the

> >case, then, we may be able to prescribe prozac

> >to those with low self-esteem and, most likely,

> >there is probably something to this

> >I assume that most of us believe that there are

> >causes in the environment that can influence

> >self-worth. For example, there was an in your

> >face Sprite commercial that used to say "Image

> >is Everything". I assume that the makers of the

> >commercial believe that people's self worth has

> >to do with their image and that people would do

> >anything to improve their image which would lead

> >to an improve self-worth. I am not sure if this

> >is true or not, but a whole field of advertising

> >has been developed on this premise. The purpose

> >of advertising is to make people feel bad about

> >themselves and to feel that they will feel

> >better by acquiring a given product. In fact,

> >the poor seem to be the biggest target of

> >predatory type of advertising that banks on their low self worth.

> > From this I get that while there is not that

> > much direct evidence that the self worth of the

> > poor is worse than the self worth of the

> > wealthier, there is indirect evidence. The

> > indirect evidence is the extent and success of

> > the predatory advertising to make the poor

> > consumers of things that they do not need, but

> > are marketed as means to improve their self worth.

> >So, if we assume that the environment has

> >something to do with self-esteem, then I would

> >try to identify the elements in the environment

> >that influence self esteem. I would hypothesize

> >that self esteem will increase with the

> >accomplishment of something that I want to

> >achieve. So, if I achieve something, then I will

> >feel that I fulfill my goals or I became self

> >actualized, as Maslow articulates.

> >I think that the problem rests in the things

> >that will make us feel self actualized and the

> >difference between what different groups can do

> >to become self actualized. Ideally, we would

> >have control in the things that we chose to do.

> >Unfortunately, institutions in the community and

> >the media shape those choices. In a capitalist

> >community where success is measured in terms of

> >wealth, the need to show socioeconomic success

> >has to be important. So, those who determine

> >that they want to succeed economically will

> >become fulfilled by economic success. Hence,

> >they will become self-actualized and their

> >perception of themselves, their self worth will improve.

> >At the same time, there are limitations to the

> >things that we can do that are mediated by

> >economics. If, for example, my kid has a cold, I

> >may need to take her to the doctor or buy

> >medication. My ability to do this may very well

> >depend on my economic status. Providing for my

> >child becomes a way to become self actualized,

> >but the possibility of me becoming self

> >actualized is tied to my financial situation.

> >The same has to do with going to school, sending

> >children to school, finding employment,

> >practicing my art, etc. In our society the means

> >to become self actualized, even if they are our

> >choices, may be tied to economic forces.

> >Because I don't believe that economic success is

> >an important marker of self worth, I want to

> >challenge this with my students. But, to do

> >this, we need to find other makers of success

> >and help them explore these. These may lead to

> >self actualization and improved self worth.

> >Being a good mother, helping a friend, writing a

> >story, etc, can be means of self actualization.

> >However, these models compete with the powerful

> >advertising and marketing models that plague the

> >lives of most of our students. But I don't

> >believe that my students' self esteem has been

> >lowered by society's established markers of self

> >worth and society's established vehicles for

> >self actualization, then I have no reason to

> >create alternative models. I think that we all

> >do, and we work on this which leads to our

> >students becoming self actualized. However, we

> >are always competing with Walmart.

> >There are other issues tied to consciousness of

> >history that Freire explores that are tied to

> >oppressor/oppressed status, hegemony, etc. I

> >will not get into them right now. However, I

> >still believe that self-esteem is something very

> >complex that cannot be looked at as some

> >isolated independent variable that can be reported.

> >Andres

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >----------------------------------------------------

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>

>Rutgers University

>Graduate School of Education

>10 seminary Pl.

>New Brunswick, NJ 08901

>732-932-7496 ext. 8213

>

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Rutgers University
Graduate School of Education
10 seminary Pl.
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
732-932-7496 ext. 8213

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