Return-Path: <nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id f8I5Trf24977; Tue, 18 Sep 2001 01:29:53 -0400 (EDT) Date: Tue, 18 Sep 2001 01:29:53 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <001d01c14002$96efe160$23bffea9@hppav> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "Mary Ann Corley" <macorley1@earthlink.net> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-POVRACELIT:595] Teaching about the Crisis X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4522.1200 Status: O Content-Length: 3482 Lines: 71 To List subscribers: The following request from the education columnist of the New York Times is directed at middle and high school teachers, but I thought that some of the adult literacy and ESL teachers and tutors might want to reply to Mr. Rothstein. -Mary Ann Corley * * * * * * * * From: Richard Rothstein [mailto: riroth@nytimes.com] Sent: Sunday, September 16, 2001 3:19 PM To: riroth@nytimes.com Subject: Teaching about the crisis This is a message to you from Richard Rothstein, the education columnist of the New York Times. I apologize for not writing to you personally, but I am sending this message out to several people who have provided insight and guidance to me for the education column of the New York Times, in the hopes of getting swift responses from some of you. I wonder if you could tell me how teachers, schools and districts are answering student questions (particularly at the secondary and upper middle school levels) and teaching about the crisis and the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Also, how are student newspaper editors dealing with the issues? What kinds of questions are students asking? If you know of teachers or administrators to whom I should speak, or students (like newspaper editors) whose perspective I should understand, please send me their names and phone numbers (and e-mail addresses, if possible). Do you know of curriculum materials that are helpful in answering these questions, or that districts have prepared or distributed in the last few days? Do teachers have the curriculum resources or guidance from curriculum experts to help students to think both critically and constructively about the events? Here are some questions that I wonder if schools are, or should be, dealing with at this point. Please do not feel you need to respond to each of them. If any of them is being discussed, or considered, at schools with which you are in contact, I would like to know. 1. The New York Times had a story the other day about a teacher at the West Point U.S. army military academy who was trying to teach about how to balance the nation's need for security and liberty, how these may come into conflict and how the conflict should be understood. Are secondary teachers raising similar issues with their students? Should they? 2. How are teachers explaining, or helping students understand why there is such anger and hatred of the United States in the Arab world? Is there anything the United States can do to ameliorate that anger? How should the United States balance military and non-military responses to the attacks of last Tuesday? 3. Does racial profiling at airports become more justified in the current crisis? What are the dangers and advantages of such a policy? Should we be concerned about a reaction that leads to discrimination against Arab-Americans? What should or could be done about this? 4. What are the risks of military action? Is military action likely to escalate into more anti-American anger and further attacks? Is it justified nonetheless? 5. How much dissent should be tolerated in a crisis like this? How much loyalty should be required of ciitizens? In all of the above questions, I am not seeking answers to the questions themselves but rather some insight into how teachers are dealing with them, and should be dealing with them. Thanks very much. I hope to hear from you. Richard Rothstein Education Columnist, The New York Times
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