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 f1GJoI921464; Fri, 16 Feb 2001 14:50:18 -0500 (EST) Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2001 14:50:18 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <c1.bb5bd86.27beddbe@aol.com> 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: DEBBYDAM@aol.com To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-POVRACELIT:411] Re: GDEMETRION: "GEORGE E. DEMETRION" <gdemetrion@juno.... X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: AOL 5.0 for Windows sub 130 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Status: O Content-Length: 1687 Lines: 23 In order for organizations that serve or are in regular contact with adults who need help with literacy to get involved, it seems there needs to be 1) buy in from the top, so that individuals have "permission" to make this part of their work; 2) a champion on the staff who believes in and is excited by incorporating literacy into the organization's work and 3) a person who knows how to get things done in the organization--how to take things from an idea to making something new part of the work that gets done. Sometimes all three are the same person, sometimes three different folks. More often than not, you get the ear of one out of 3! I think what is key to community based literacy is figuring out how to make literacy not something extra or new, but something that becomes integrated into the work and mission of the organization. If we do this, it seems less like school and more likely to attract the adult learners (most of them!) who do not feel comfortable in education programs. But if we do this, if we make literacy part of health care, parenting activities, overcoming substance abuse, finding housing, etc., we have to let go of school based notions about how, when, where and why it happens. We have to start thinking about how to become more integrally connected to the lives of adults, and how to make opportunities for literacy happen in more places more often. This means we think of literacy as part of lots of activities and places, and not bounded by an entry into a program, a set number of hours devoted only to certain activities thought of as instruction, and then a post-test. And who will pay us to figure this out?! DD
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