Janet,
Thanks so much for your thought provoking response! You give us a lot to think about. You wrote:
" Would I just come in one day and propose any of these topics ?  probably not - without indication from learners that they wanted to know, and/or a clear connection to ongoing work or a purpose behind making that choice."
I totally agree. I think that in the literacy classroom, or any classroom for that matter, topics should only be brought up that are related to the goals of the class. I think that sometimes inviting controversial topics helps to increase motivational levels, because people can get really into them, but it takes a very comfortable experienced teacher and a very safe classroom before this can occur. Most adult literacy classes do not have the luxury of having the same consistent students for a long period of time so that an atmosphere of safety can be created.
I also like how you said: " but we need to be very mindful of the risk of shifting problem-posing into problem imposing." I try very hard to listen to all my students and not bring up things that they may find offensive. It can be difficult. You give your example of bringing up your experience walking as an escort in a planned parenthood clinic and how some students were angry at you. I think that this experience is a two way street. For example, when I have a student describe something that I find distasteful/offensive, it can be very, very hard to control my inner reactions. This has happened on numerous occasions and I am very conscious after the student shares of making sure that my reactions do not influence how I interact with the student. It can be hard. I do this by trying to understand the learner's point of view. I also talk and share with friends and colleagues about it. 
I have also noticed on this as well as other listservs that usually only the liberal side gets expressed. It is very rare to hear the conservative side. Although it is possible that all listserv subscribers are liberal, I doubt it. I wonder about this a lot....
Anyone has any thoughts on the above, or something else?
Daphne


>>> Janet_Isserlis at brown.edu 3/1/2006 9:28:57 AM >>>

Ryan , Daphne and all

I'm wondering if there are a couple of interrelated issues here.

- one is how to convey information about abortion, same sex partnerships,
reproductive health, and other 'difficult' topics to folks who may lack
access to that information, or for whom the information is difficult to
read, decode, decipher.

The other issue seems to have to do with how topics are raised and worked
with in adult ed classrooms and curricula generally.  Do we respond to
topics that learners present?  Do we introduce them?  Do we problematize
difficult issues if we're the only ones who seem to care (by "we' I mean
practitioners) about them?  Do we try to broaden our own and our learners'
thinking by proposing discussions of difficult topics?
The short answer usually seems to be, "it depends."

An example might help explain, or might further muddy the waters.

Years ago I shared with a group of women learners, (in the context of
talking about what we'd done over the weekend) the fact that I'd worked as
an escort at a planned parenthood clinic - helping women walk by people
protesting the fact that abortions (along with other procedures and
services) were provided at the clinic in question.  The women were appalled
- and angry - that I had done this, that I was talking about abortion at all
and certainly were not happy that I supported a pro-choice position.  They
went on to tell me their views about family, marraige and having children
(the children are the gift - the husband might stay or not, but you wanted
the kids)... and the class went on, but my sense was that from that moment
on their views about me changed.  Did it interfere in teaching/learning? no.
But it made me very mindful of the potential for damage in assuming that
people would not respond with great passion and conviction.  So much so,
that had I tried then to move beyond stating the "sides" of the issue (pro
and against), I'd have created conditions exactly antithetical to enabling
learning to continue.

If a group of learners raised the issue - or if the issue was in the news
and of interest to the group, would I try to bring in material to enable
people to discuss the 'facts' and the opinions of a controversial topic?
Absolutely.  If I knew, however, that a topic was likely to create stress
for and among learners,  I would ask them if they wanted to discuss it,
knowing that they might not want to - or that some would, some wouldn't...

Would I just come in one day and propose any of these topics ?  probably not
- without indication from learners that they wanted to know, and/or a clear
connection to ongoing work or a purpose behind making that choice.  It seems
that there's a need to find the balance between the purposes of
learning/teaching, the broad goals learners have with an interest some
educators have in wanting to help adults explore critical thinking and
reasoning.  There are ways and there are ways to accommodate and incorporate
all kinds of content - but we need to be very mindful of the risk of
shifting problem-posing into problem imposing.

Janet Isserlis


> From: Ryan Carter Hall <ryanryanc at yahoo.com>

>> 

> Adding to Daphne's questions, . . . I am interested in

> knowing whether or not including topics, such as the

> legalization of abortion, gay marriage, etc., is ever

> purposefully not included in adult education

> curriculum. That is, are instructors leery of

> including such "hot topics" for any specific reasons?

> If so, what would those reasons be?

> Thanks, 

> Ryan

> 

> 

> --- Daphne Greenberg <ALCDGG at langate.gsu.edu> wrote:

> 

>> South Dakota has been in the news lately about a

>> bill that would ban most abortions in South Dakota.

>> There are several threads of potential discussion

>> for this listserv and I would like to throw out the

>> following questions as discussion starters. I am

>> hoping that one of these questions will interest

>> someone to respond!

>> 1. Does anyone know of websites that can provide

>> adult literacy teachers with arguments on both sides

>> of the abortion battle that teachers can share with

>> their students?

>> 2. I am wondering-is abortion ever included in a

>> health literacy curriculum? If not why not? If yes,

>> how it is included?

>> 3. Is anyone on this listserv in South Dakota? Are

>> people in adult literacy classrooms talking about

>> the bill to ban abortions?

>> This is a possible activity that some of you may

>> want to do in your adult literacy class to promote

>> critical thinking, debating, writing, and research

>> skills:

>> Apparently, Fidelis, a national Catholic-based

>> advocacy organization is calling this bill, a bill

>> that  protects women. Their vice president has been

>> quoted as saying that: "The enormous amount of

>> information now available on the harm to women

>> brought about by legalized abortion is incredible.

>> Study after study has shown that abortion is

>> devastating for women."

>> This can be shared with students and then they can

>> be asked to:

>> 1. Debate/write and defend their views on whether

>> they agree with the statement that this bill

>> protects women.

>> 2. What do studies say about abortion? Does it bring

>> harm upon women? How is research defined?

>> Daphne

>> 

>> 

>> Daphne Greenberg

>> Assistant Professor

>> Educational Psych. & Special Ed.

>> Georgia State University

>> P.O. Box 3979

>> Atlanta, Georgia 30302-3979

>> phone: 404-651-0127

>> fax:404-651-4901

>> dgreenberg at gsu.edu 

>> 

>> Daphne Greenberg

>> Associate Director

>> Center for the Study of Adult Literacy

>> Georgia State University

>> P.O. Box 3977

>> Atlanta, Georgia 30302-3977

>> phone: 404-651-0127

>> fax:404-651-4901

>> dgreenberg at gsu.edu 

>> 

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> 

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