Here in New Hampshire, Judy Elliot, the project director of two long
term adult education grants awarded to the New Hampshire Coalition for
Occupational Safety and Health, has been using interactive theater
scenarios with ESOL students at all levels. The scenarios, all set in
the workplace, focus on sexual harassment but also connect to issues
like injuries on the job, workman's compensation, overtime, etc. Judy
can be contacted at nhcosh at totalnetnh.net.  The New Hampshire Coalition
for Occupational Safety and Health is an organization supported by the
New Hampshire AFL-CIO.   Art Ellison, NH State Director of Adult
Education  

 

________________________________

From: professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Wrigley,
Heide
Sent: Friday, July 04, 2008 7:13 PM
To: The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List
Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 2177] Re: Introductions and Questions:
Student Involvement and Critical Thinking

 

Hi, Jackie and all 

 

I've long been interested in the use of scenarios, and "evocative
prompts" to get students thinking and talking about critical issues in
their lives. We've developed a few of these scenarios for El Civics but
the problem is always how to make even simple case studies accessible to
students who are very much new to English and who don't have strong
literacy skills.  While students can "get" a picture and describe what
they see as a problem, articulating thoughts and ideas around these
issues often requires a bit more language - using a bilingual approach
helps of course but that's not always an option. 

 

Yet, thousands of people with no or little English have jobs and
families and get things done and certainly there is lots of critical
thinking going on - and I'm looking for ways of bringing these
experiences into the classroom to help teachers see that engaged
learning does not have to wait till Englsh proficiency is achieved.

Here is my question, what strategies and approaches have others used
that engage beginning level ESL learners in critical thinking? 

 

I'm very much looking forward to this discussion 

 

Heide Spruck Wrigley 

Literacywork International 

Mesilla, New Mexico

 

From: professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Taylor,
Jackie
Sent: Thursday, July 03, 2008 11:11 AM
To: The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List
Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 2172] Introductions and Questions:
Student Involvement and Critical Thinking

 

Dear Colleagues,

Wow - in the last two days approximately 40 individuals have subscribed
to the PD List for the upcoming discussion of Student Involvement and
Critical Thinking. Welcome to the list! :-) I'm happy you're here and I
look forward to learning from your experiences.

 

I'd like to open the floor for questions so that our guests can prepare.
Please post an introduction and your questions about student involvement
and critical thinking to the list. If you wish to raise your questions
anonymously, feel free to email me direct: jataylor at utk.edu and I will
share your questions without attribution.

 

For background about the discussion and our guests, visit:

 

http://www.nifl.gov/lincs/discussions/professionaldevelopment/08student.
html

 

Critical thinking and the intersection with student involvement is an
area that we've not really articulated in-depth on this list. I'm
excited about the opportunity to explore issues, strategies, and
resources with you.

 

Happy 4th!

 

Best, Jackie

 

Jackie Taylor, Adult Literacy Professional Development List Moderator,
jataylor at utk.edu 

 

 

Discussion Announcement

 

http://www.nifl.gov/lincs/discussions/professionaldevelopment/08student.
html

 

Beginning July 7 - 14, 2008 the Adult Literacy Professional Development
List will host a guest discussion of Student Involvement and Critical
Thinking in Adult Literacy. Join our guests Cynthia Peters, Editor of
The Change Agent, and Marty Finsterbusch, Executive Director of VALUE,
to share issues, strategies, and resources for instruction and staff
development. 

 

This discussion is the first in a mini-series of guest discussions this
summer and fall on Literacy for Social Change. Join us now to plan
instruction and staff development for fall. 

 

 


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