Return-Path: <nifl-fobasics@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.9.0.Beta5/8.9.0.Beta5/980425bjb) with SMTP id PAA27232; Wed, 10 Mar 1999 15:09:40 -0500 (EST) Date: Wed, 10 Mar 1999 15:09:40 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <01J8NY2Z94YQAXCB67@mala.bc.ca> Errors-To: lmann@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-fobasics@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-fobasics@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-fobasics@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: Kate Nonesuch <nonesuch@mala.bc.ca> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-fobasics@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-FOBASICS:27] project based literacy X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII X-Mailer: Pegasus Mail for Win32 (v2.54) Status: OR I read with interest the articles by Deborah Johnson and Heide Spruck Wrigley in the last issue of FOB. I try to get my students involved in many projects; sometimes I think my job is just to say "Yes" to whatever comes up. Several year ago we worked with a local forestry museum to produce a book of oral histories of people who worked in the forestry industry in the "old days;" we did some plain language signage for the museum and worked with our College librarian to catalogue a collection of books the museum owns. More recently, we worked for a year on tenants' rights and gave workshops in the community to let people know about their rights. The next year we produced a video (essentially we transferred the workshop to video) which is now available to learners all over the province. I was glad to see in the FOB articles that other people had similar problems--attrition from the project, problems with anonymity, for example. Nonetheless, I think that real literacy work gets done, although, especially at the beginning, I had to keep shouting down the voice inside me that said, "This is not real school," particularly when that voice was echoed by students. Thinking up possible projects is easy--turning them over to the students, making it possible for students to take leadership, getting out of the way, finding money, trying to fit the project into the parameters of the program--all these are harder, but essential. Measuring results?? something else again. Kate Nonesuch Literacy Co-ordinator, Developmental Education Malspina University-College, Cowichan Campus 222 Cowichan Way, Duncan, BC V9L 6P4 Canada Phone: (250) 746-3500 Fax: (250) 746-3563
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