[NIFL-4EFF:2732] Re: Adolescent Literacy--Who Cares?

From: Bonnie Fortini (bfortini@mmhs.u102.k12.me.us)
Date: Mon Apr 05 2004 - 08:12:24 EDT


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From: Bonnie Fortini <bfortini@mmhs.u102.k12.me.us>
To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov>
Subject: [NIFL-4EFF:2732] Re: Adolescent Literacy--Who Cares?
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Hello, Meta,
I have only just been able to find some time to catch up on postings, and your
adolescent literacy message caught my eye.  In my position as an ABE
practitioner and administrator I have been serving on the advisory board of the
Washington County Adolescent Literacy Project, an effort supported by the LAB
at Brown University that is addressing such issues.  It has been very rewarding
to see the changes in teaching and learning that have been happening, and
anyone wishing to take a look at some of the work can go to
www.knowledgeloom.com and click on the adolescent literacy link.

As a piece of personal research I have been working on doing crosswalks with
some of the documents and frameworks that educators in Maine are working with,
and the EFF-inclusive Curriculum Development framework and rubric that adult
education developed (through the support of our CALL at UMaine-Orono) aligns
very nicely with the Adolescent Literacy Project's framework.  It is refreshing
when good works like these that have been based on quality research models and
human being considerations fit so well together!
Bonnie Fortini
Machias Adult & Community Education
CWCABEC-ABE in Washington County, Maine


Quoting MWPotts2001@aol.com:

> Colleagues,
> 
> Note the difficulties mentioned in the article below of working with 
> adolescents on literacy issues.  Compound that with teen pregnancy and
> parenthood, and 
> grapple with hundreds of additional issues.  One program with whom I am 
> working has found that themes, using EFF Common Activities and Standards,
> provide 
> teens with what they care about.
> 
> ADOLESCENT LITERACY: GOING DEEPER fro PEN Weekly Newsblast for 3/26/04
> While much of the public attention on literacy has focused on teaching
> early reading, educators increasingly recognize another critical issue
> that needs to be addressed: the literacy needs of adolescents. Robert
> Rothman writes that the efforts underway in a number of cities to redesign
> high schools ought to provide an opportunity for educators and community
> members to come to grips with adolescent literacy issues. These efforts
> stem from the recognition that too many children have been ill-served by
> traditional high school structures and instructional practice. While most
> of the large districts that are undertaking these reforms have succeeded
> in implementing structural changes, they are struggling to make the
> instructional changes that will improve teaching and learning. And few
> have succeeded at linking schools with community resources that will
> enhance their instructional capacity. As the authors in a new volume of
> "Voices in Urban Education" make clear, improving adolescent literacy will
> require major changes in instruction and substantial links to the
> community. For schools to continue to do the same thing, or even do the
> same thing a little better, will not work.
> http://www.annenberginstitute.org/VUE/spring04/toc.html
> 
> 
> All the Best,
> Meta Potts
> FOCUS on Literacy
> Glen Allen, VA
> mwpotts2001@aol.com
> 



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