Bill et al,
 
Thanks for the thoughtful response. I cannot speak knowledgeably to the
question of "to what extent can we implement student centered programs
in prison?" since I have never taught on the inside. (Kathy Boudin
speaks to this issue much more profoundly than I could ever do in her
seminal piece in the Harvard Ed Review "Participatory Literacy Education
Behind Bars:  AIDS Opens the Door.," Harvard Educational Review, Vol.
63, number 2, Summer 1993. http://www.kathyboudin.com/harvard.htm). 
 
However, I do believe that one can bring a certain "stance" to teaching
no matter where it is done. I don't really describe our approach as
"student-centered" because I think that term has come to mean many
things and sometimes implies a mushy, unrigorous methodology - similar
to the way "empowerment" has lost any real meaning. I do believe that as
teachers we must start from the assumption that we and the students we
work with walk into the class as equals, each with things to teach and
learn from each other. I believe as well that students may learn as much
from each other as from me. Given those assumptions, the process will
play out differently in different contexts. But that stance would inform
what I do, no matter where I teach. I don't think centering your
curriculum around the needs and concerns of the students means that we
don't teach "foundational skills", but, again, I would say that it will
inform how we go about teaching those skills. Obviously, this is a much
longer conversation, and from your comments I think you might agree, but
I welcome the opportunity to talk about these things.
 
Students come to Fortune from a variety of places and for different
reasons. Some are coming back from doing serious time upstate.... they
tend to be pretty centered, with definite ideas about what they want.
They're generally a little older, a little further from the high school
experience. Others are on probation, one step from the street, and not
really clear about where they are going and why they are here, other
than to satisfy a probation officer. Still others are mandated into an
alternative to incarceration program and risk prison time if they don't
attend regularly. This last group is the youngest; they're often angry
at having to be in school and a lot of their feelings play out in the
classroom. It's not an easy mix; for all the problems, classes inside
prison may simplify things. But the task is the same:  to find some
common ground, build trust and community within the classroom, and find
a way to begin exchanging ideas about things that are important to the
participants.  
 
A comment for David who does such a wonderful job instigating and
facilitating these conversations. It would be great to do this in person
some time, some where. If you have ideas about that, I would welcome
them.
 
best,
john

  _____  

From: specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of William R
Muth/FS/VCU
Sent: Tuesday, September 19, 2006 12:30 PM
To: specialtopics at nifl.gov
Subject: [SpecialTopics 213] Re: Correctional education -- student
motivation



Greetings. I agree with my friend & colleague John Linton that these are
excellent postings.  My response will touch on points raised by a number
of contributors. 

First, Taylor Stoehr's impressive program Changing Lives Through
Literature reminds me very much of a Core Humanities program Stephen
Duguid created in the late 1980's in prisons in British Columbia. Like
Taylor, Duguid's program encouraged learners to look critically at
social power structures that defined them. Further, it forced
practitioners as well as students to confront the myth that literacy
learners - even those in ABE - do not have the intelligence or higher
level thinking skills to discuss such "advanced" topics. (In a parallel
way, the work by Robert Kegan et al. supports this point: the capacity
for higher complexity of thought has little to do with formal
educational attainment. See:
http://www.ncsall.net/fileadmin/resources/research/brief19.pdf ) 

Gina Lobaccaro raised the issue of motivation. As I look back to
Taylor's statements - and John Gordon's stance: "we develop curriculum
around the needs and issues brought to the class by the students" - the
question that comes to mind is, "to what extent can we implement student
centered programs in prison?" This question gets to the heart of prison
culture, and the negative by-products of even the most well-meaning
top-down systems that attempt to "fix" people from without.  And what
should a student-centered prison-based literacy program look like?   

I fully agree that the pressing needs of  learners should be invited
into the classroom, and that they have the potential to become potent
themes for learning and potent reasons to learn. So many learners in
traditional literacy programs are placed into skill-based texts and
rushed to the GED. Teachers feel this pressure, of course!  But recent
studies challenge the usefulness of programs that are focused primarily
on passing the GED and ignore the need for foundational learning. And
for both ethical and pedagogical reasons, why would an incarcerated
woman (for example) who is struggling at a low-literacy level, and who
is trying to keep her family together through letter writing be asked to
leave these literacy-life needs at the classroom door?     

I have tremendous admiration for what you are doing, John (Gordon), but
do differ a bit from your stance. I do believe we can and should teach
foundational literacy skills to our learners --many of whom have
histories of learning disabilities and severe health problems that
sometimes require explicit (yes, top-down) instruction.  For me the key
is to take a  bi-cultural approach. I agree with Vivian Gadsden that
these two world views are not contradictory and the challenge for
correctional teachers (I believe) is to embrace both.   

I need to run (again). But in part to begin to address Helaine
Marshall's question about adopting curricula to meet the needs of
incarcerated learners, and in part to (hopefully) to provide another
example of a student-centered program (this time a family literacy
program in New York), I call the readers' attention to an excellent
guide put out by the Hudson River Center at:
http://www.hudrivctr.org/products_ce.htm
<http://www.hudrivctr.org/products_ce.htm>  

Warm regards,  Bill 





"Linton, John" <John.Linton at ed.gov> 
Sent by: specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov 

09/19/2006 09:36 AM 
Please respond to
specialtopics at nifl.gov


To
<specialtopics at nifl.gov> 
cc
Subject
[SpecialTopics 211] Re: Correctional education -- student motivation

	




A couple of quick reactions on motivation: 
  

*	Is there something that a successful student can graduate to?
In some systems, high value prison jobs (prison industry) and high
demand vocational training programs are linked to completion of
programs.  The availability of a college program can really motivate GED
students.  Indiana State prisons award time off sentence credits to
students -- not for participation -- but for completion of educational
goals.  

  

*	Is the teacher motivating?  In community based adult education,
students tend to pretty clearly "vote with their feet."  The
unmotivating adult ed teacher in the community might end up alone in a
classroom.  (Although this seems to happen to a certain extent even in
prisons where students are "forced" to attend.  Attendance records do
tell a story.)   Sometimes the motivation issue does come back to the
capability and motivation of the teacher, at least in part.  Are
indicators such as attendance, disciplinary issues, progress and drop
out rates tracked by teacher and are teachers recognized for positive
outcomes?  Are high quality professional development opportunities
available to teachers?

  

*	Why would potentially motivated students be allowed to languish
unserved in cells while unmotivated students occupy classroom seats?  An
exceptional correctional principal I was privileged to work with
routinely called "well behaved" but passive students into his office and
told them that they were being rotated out of the program for "lack of
progress."  This supported a cultural norm in that school where it was
"ok" for tough guys to act like motivated students.  They had an excuse:
"I have to participate or I might get kicked out."   And some of the
unmotivated students did return after a semester off with an altered
approach.  I note the reference to a mandatory education policy.  Some
similar policies require a minimum time period (three months) of
participation for inmates below a certain grade level or without a
diploma.  They don't require the inmate student to stay in school until
they get the degree or attain the pre-determined grade level.  If the
existing policy is resulting in the school becoming clogged with "dead
wood," perhaps it needs to be revisited.  I'll bet those unmotivated
students impact school climate, don't they?   

  
  
John Linton   
-----Original Message-----
From: specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov]On Behalf Of Lobaccaro Gina (DOC)
Sent: Monday, September 18, 2006 8:39 PM
To: specialtopics at nifl.gov
Subject: RE: [SpecialTopics 204] Posting your questions

Hello All, 
I am Gina Lobaccaro the Media & Technology Specialist at Sussex
Correctional Institution in Georgetown Delaware.  I work for the
Delaware Department of Education Prison Education program.. I have
corresponded with David and Bill, and I have met Steve at a couple of
conferences. 
I am asking if there is any research or a need for research in the area
of motivation for low level ABE learners in correctional settings.  We
have so many inmate/students who come to class but make little or no
progress over and extended time.  They appear to be coming to get off
the tiers or to receive "good time".  In truth, they do not receive much
"good time" for education.  Our education program is a classified
program.  If a student does not have  GED or HS diploma they must attend
school.  We have a long waiting list for the low level ABE students, but
we also have students sitting in classes who appear to me totally
unmotivated to improve their academic skills. 
Do you or the other list serve members have suggestions for motivating
ABE low level learners in CE settings? 
Gina 


  _____  

From: specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov on behalf of David Rosen
Sent: Mon 9/18/2006 7:38 PM
To: specialtopics at nifl.gov
Subject: [SpecialTopics 204] Posting your questions


Colleagues,

Please post your questions and comments for our guests as soon as you 
are ready.  (Now would be good.) You can ask general questions like 
"What do we know about the transition from a prison or jail education 
program to a community education program?" or "What does family 
literacy mean in a prison setting?" Or you can ask specific questions 
like "How does a prison family literacy program affect children's 
reading skills?"  Some people have joined the discussion to be 
introduced to the topic; others are experts in this area.  All 
questions are welcome.

Send your questions to:

specialtopics at nifl.gov

David J. Rosen
Special Topics Discussion Moderator
djrosen at comcast.net



-------------------------------
National Institute for Literacy
Special Topics mailing list
SpecialTopics at nifl.gov
To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to
http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/SpecialTopics
<http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/SpecialTopics>
-------------------------------
National Institute for Literacy
Special Topics mailing list
SpecialTopics at nifl.gov
To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to
http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/SpecialTopics 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://www.nifl.gov/pipermail/specialtopics/attachments/20060920/ca4cb26c/attachment.html