Hi Everyone,

I'm a doctoral student at Northern Illinois University, working on a manuscript about health literacy for the adult literacy community. It is a topic that has received much attention from the health care sector but much less in the adult literacy arena. It is of critical importance to improve the health literacy of so many people because it can be a matter of life and death. 

Is health literacy a topic that would generate student involvement and critical thinking? Is it included in the curricula of adult literacy centers? 

Thanks for your feedback. I would appreciate any suggestions that you might have regarding my manuscript.

Priscilla Grace Witte
Northern Illinois University

--- On Mon, 7/7/08, Cynthia Peters <cynthia_peters at worlded.org> wrote:
From: Cynthia Peters <cynthia_peters at worlded.org>
Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 2187] Re: What do we mean by studentinvolvement and critical thinking?
To: "The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List" <professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov>
Date: Monday, July 7, 2008, 11:07 AM

Hi Jackie —

I've been replying to other people's posts, but let me make some
general comments here....


> Both student involvement and critical thinking in adult literacy can

> mean many things to many people. What do we mean when we say we're

> teaching critical thinking? How do you teach critical thinking? 


To me, critical thinking is about using your mind fully. I think to
have a true democracy, we can do with nothing less than everyone's fully
functioning minds. That means we have to work to make sure that minds
are not shut down by fear, by the feeling that maybe they're not good
enough, by the worry that they don't have a right to their own voice,
etc. Lots of msgs, in society (and in schools) instruct students to not
trust themselves and to not believe in themselves and to buy the idea
that *others* are experts. Teaching for critical thinking attempts to
counter those msgs. and reverse those tendencies.

> 

> What is student involvement? Where does critical thinking come in?

> 

To me, true student involvement has to go beyond superficial gestures.
For example, students should be empowered to figure out *how* they want
to be involved. 

Let me leave it (briefly) at that for now. I'd like to hear what others
think...

Cynthia
-- 

Cynthia Peters
Change Agent Editor
World Education
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Boston, MA  02210
 
tel: 617-482-9485 ext. 3649
fax: 617-482-0617
email: cpeters at worlded.org 
 
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