I am proud to announce that in anticipation and preparation for the We Learn Conference (http://www.litwomen.org/conference.html ) Margery Freeman and Kathy King (bios found below) will be facilitating on this list from 2/18-2/29 a guest discussion on: "Discussing Diversity and Power Issues for Professional Development in Adult Literacy." The We Learn Conference is going to be held March 7-8 and according to the above URL:

"The daily lives of women in adult basic/literacy education remain especially complex due to inequities based on race, class, gender, and other diversities. This year’s conference will explore the differences that divide women and look to ways of building alliances across those differences."

Examples of possible questions that will be explored:

• How are the issues of race, class, culture, gender, and power expressed in our adult literacy classes?
• Do you find that adult literacy students are willing to discuss issues related to race, class, culture, gender, and power? Why or why not?
• What are the race, class, culture, gender, and power issues that are not discussed but you think would be beneficial to discuss?
• What barriers do you as an educator face in facilitating such a discussion?
• Do you have recommended strategies that you find succcessful to discussing race, class, culture, gender, and power issues?

Related Readings

• The Change Agent: some specific issues:
      http://www.nelrc.org/changeagent/pdf/issue8.pdf
      http://www.nelrc.org/changeagent/pdf/issue19.pdf
• Rethinking Schools

Guest Facilitators

Margery Freeman has been an educator for 35 years. Her breadth of experience include public school teaching (middle and high school), early childhood education and child advocacy, and adult literacy education. She has directed programs with local and national organizations, including the National Council of Churches and ProLiteracy America.

Margery roots her work in the principles and practices she has learned through her 25-year relationship with The People's Institute for Survival and Beyond, a multi-racial, anti-racist organization that promotes community-based organizing for social change. She is a core trainer/organizer with the People's Institute, leading "Undoing Racism"* workshops across the country, primarily with human service and educational institutions.

In New York, where she lives with her husband, David Billings, Margery is actively involved with the AntiRacist Alliance and the Equity Alliance to promote equitable and humane in stituations throughout the tri-state region.

Dr. Kathleen P. King is a tenured full professor of adult education specializing in adult education, educational technology, distance learning and professional development in Fordham's Graduate School of Education, New York City, NY. Because of her great passion for the field of adult learning and innovation in teaching and research, she has authored 11 books and over 120 research articles and papers. She is also a frequent keynote speaker for national and international conferences and research presenter. She served as director of university research and professional development center at the Bronx campus for four years leading a complete redesign and revitalization of the center, development of over $10 million in joint grant funding with community partners, and expansion educational services to over 3000 participants locally and 1.5 million globally per year. She is also president of Transformation Education LLC a thriving educational consulting network.

Her educational work and research has focused on adult learning contexts since 1978 but has spanned grades and content levels childhood- adult education, training, higher education, corporate organizations, government, international and virtual settings. She is also founding editor of the journal, Perspectives: The New York Journal of Adult Learning (www.retc.fordham.edu/persepctives), which is in 7th year of publication as a partnership among Fordham's MS in Adult Education program and the NY state association of adult education (NYACCE) (www.nyacce.org). "Kathy" lives in the metro-NYC area with her partner Sharon and their 2 lively bichons; they have 2 sons in college (Seamus and Bill). She is especially excited that she is now teaching adult learners online through the university; as in the Summer of 2007 she and Dr. Heuer at Fordham have been able to launch the School's first distance learning program- MS in Adult Education and HRD.

We hope that you will think about the above questions and join us for the discussion on 2/18!

Daphne