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[ProfessionalDevelopment 2598] Re: Vote because you canCynthia Peters cynthia_peters at worlded.orgTue Oct 14 12:08:14 EDT 2008
Marcia (and others who are using the elections as the basis for lesson plans), The "Democracy in Action" issue of The Change Agent, which you can find online at www.nelrc.org/changeagent, includes articles by learners who express their alienation from the political system as well as learners who feel more engaged. The issue looks at democracy and political engagement as partly a matter of voting *and also* a matter of other kinds of civic engagement. There are lots of student pieces, and they provide a good basis for discussion. Some of the student writing has even been recorded, and students can listen to it online while they read along in the magazine — great for ESOL learners. Also, look for our "History of Voting Rights" activity (on our website under "In the Classroom"/"Extras"). It gets students up and out of their chairs and moving around the classroom as they "walk through" an exercise that demonstrates who had voting rights in this country and when. Cynthia Peters -- Cynthia Peters Change Agent Editor World Education 44 Farnsworth Street Boston, MA 02210 tel: 617-482-9485 ext. 3649 fax: 617-482-0617 email: cpeters at worlded.org Check out The Change Agent online at: www.nelrc.org/changeagent >>> On 10/13/2008 at 1:49 PM, in message <6B55D1884D0A264184CF543866AFCCF303A1556B at btc2000-dc2.bellingham-tech.edu>, "Marcia Leister" <mleister at btc.ctc.edu> wrote: > We have been reading an article in the ABE/GED class I teach. It is by > John de Graaf. In it he mentions that the U.S. is at "the bottom of the > pack" in voting rate. I asked my students why they thought this was so > and the responses were enlightening. They said they couldn't relate to > the candidates, they didn't feel the candidates were really addressing > their lives. They also made comments about regardless of who is in > office, they don't see their lives changing for the better all that > much. This is the place where we start our discussions. > Marcia > > -----Original Message----- > From: professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov > [mailto:professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of > tsticht at znet.com > Sent: Sunday, October 12, 2008 6:41 PM > To: englishliteracy at nifl.gov; professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov; > assessment at nifl.gov; diversity at nifl.gov; familyliteracy at nifl.gov; > healthliteracy at nifl.gov; learningdisabilities at nifl.gov; > technology at nifl.gov; workplace at nifl.gov > Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 2590] Vote because you can > > October 12, 2008 > > Tom Sticht > International Consultant in Adult Education > > Nothing has moved so many illiterate or poorly literate men and women to > seek out teachers of literacy more than the shame of making a mark -X- > for > their name on public documents. Among such documents, signing voter > registrations at polling places during elections have played a central > roll > in motivating adults to learn to read and write. > > In her Country Life Readers: First Book (1915), Cora Wilson Stewart, > founder > of the Moonlight Schools of Kentucky for the emancipation of adult > illiterates, wrote about the value of voting and adult new readers > studied > this motivational material. Stewart, writing before women had the > national > right to vote, wrote: > > "With his vote a man rules. > The man who does not vote has > no voice in the affairs of his country. > He cheats his country, his family, > and himself. > Every man should make use of his > right to vote. > He should always vote for the best > man or for the one who stands > for the best things. > The man who sells his vote sells > his honor." (p. 53) > > During World War I, soldiers in literacy classes learned to read and > write > using the Camp Reader for American Soldiers published in 1918. They read > about their right to vote at a time when women's suffrage was available > in > some but not all states: > > "In the United States the people have a voice in the government. > The President of the United States is the choice of the people. > The people choose the President by their votes. > In many states both sexes have the right to vote. > In many states voters pay a poll-tax. > A poll-tax is a tax you pay before you can go to the polls to vote. > Do you have to pay a poll-tax in your state? > In many states only the men can vote. > In many states both sexes can vote. > Do both sexes vote in your state? > In the United States the people choose the government. > The soldier fights for the government the people choose." (p. 33) > > By World War II women's suffrage was in place across the United States > and > in the Army Reader of 1944 soldiers in literacy programs were reminded > of > what they were fighting for. Discussing Private Pete, the fictional > soldier > that adult literacy learners could identify with because he, Pete, was > also > in a literacy school learning to read and write, Chapter 2 was entitled > What Every Citizen Knows. The chapter says, "Pete is a free man who > lives > with free people. Free people have self-government. They have the right > to > vote. They have the right to pick their leaders. Then can make and > change > their laws." (p.120). > > But even after World War II African-American citizens who were > illiterate > were prohibited from voting by Jim Crow laws across the southern states > of > the U.S. But this situation was challenged by Septima Poinsette Clark, > sometimes called the "Queen Mother of the Civil Rights Movement in the > United States." Clark started citizenship schools while working for the > Highlander Folk school of Tennessee and later the Southern Christian > Leadership Conference at the request of Dr. Martin Luther King. She > taught > adult illiterates to write their names, read election laws and other > legal > documents needed to meet voting requirements for literacy. In four years > at > the SCLC she and others trained some 10,000 teachers and registered some > 700,000 African-Americans to vote in the South. With the political power > of > the vote, it was not long before politicians were prodded into passing > laws > extending civil rights to millions of citizen whose voices had not been > heard due to illiteracy and oppressive voting laws. > > Soon, adult literacy learners, and all other American adults will have > the > opportunity to once again choose the leadership of the United States. > Adult > literacy educators to need to join with the adult educators of times > past > and encourage adult learners to learn to read and write so they can > exercise their rights as citizens. > > Writing about her work with adult literacy learners, Septima Poinsette > Clark > wrote, "How can anybody estimate the worth of pride achieved, hope > accomplished, faith affirmed, citizenship won? These are intangible > things > but real nevertheless, solid and of inestimable value." > > Election day is November 4th this year of 2008. Vote as though your life > and > the lives of your children and grandchildren depend upon it! Because > they > do! And because you can! > > Thomas G. Sticht > tsticht at aznet.net > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------- > National Institute for Literacy > Adult Literacy Professional Development mailing list > professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov > > To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to > http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/professionaldevelopment > > Professional Development section of the Adult Literacy Education Wiki > http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/Adult_Literacy_Professional_Devel > opment > ---------------------------------------------------- > National Institute for Literacy > Adult Literacy Professional Development mailing list > professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov > > To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to > http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/professionaldevelopment > > Professional Development section of the Adult Literacy Education Wiki > http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/Adult_Literacy_Professional_Developme > nt
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