Hi Katherine.

The issue of boundaries where ESL teachers are placed in roles beyond 
their training is an important one. It is one that  I don't feel eqipped 
to answer, as I'm not an "expert" in this area.  I do, feel, however, that 
all teachers should give this some thought and some time to educate 
themselves, , as one never knows when it will come up.  I have memories of 
my early teachign years (mid-seventies!) when I taught a class in public 
speaking.  Students were assigned to give a talk about their trip to 
America.  I was an inexperienced, undertrained,  part-time teacher in an 
night class.  I sat there, gradebook in hand, as students dutifully made 
their presentations.  Then, a Cambodian woman got up and began to talk in 
a kind of drone-- telling about her journey in which her sister was raped 
and killed, her mother starved, her brother disappeared, etc.   I was 
abolutely mortified, and totally unprepared to provide witness and support 
to this unexpected drama.

What I"d like to create in the professional development module is a way 
for teachers to investigate what other teachers have done in these 
situations, a few helpful readings, and some of their own collective (and 
invidual) relfection on what  they have done before and what they'd like 
to do in teh fiture if this siutation arises (as it inevitably does in a 
classroom where people talk about things that matter to them).

As for the thematic unit, it is not yet written, but it will contain 
content info on PTSD and it's symptoms (and consequences for learning), as 
well as guided problem-solving for finding communithy resources.  It will 
not focus on an invitation to tell traumatic stories.   I agree that this 
is not the teacher's role.  Alas, because teachers are often the first and 
most important connection to the host community, they are often thrust in 
the role of witness and first compassionate ear,, whether or not it's a 
role they choose.  The more we are prepared, the better in my view- 
including preparations to refer learners to safe places that ARE equpped 
to help them.

Gail.





"Katherine G" <Kgotthardt at comcast.net> 
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Subject
[SpecialTopics 639] Re: Learner Publishing--memories






Hi Gail and others--

I have a question on your writing models for immigrants with PTSD.

The mental health thematic unit sounds great!  I assume you would include
lists of community resources within the materials.  However, do you feel 
you
are approaching dangerous ground in developing a curriculum for teachers 
to
discuss PTSD and trauma related incidents with students?  As an ESL 
teacher,
I would not be comfortable with this, since we are not therapists or
counselors.  Or do your teachers have some other kind of background I am 
not
understanding?

Thanks!


Katherine Mercurio Gotthardt, ESOL Online Instructor
Prince William County Public Schools
Adult Education
P.O. Box 389
Manassas, VA 20108
work 703-791-8387
fax 703-791-8889

-----Original Message-----
From: specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov]On Behalf Of Gail E Weinstein
Sent: Friday, September 14, 2007 10:30 AM
To: specialtopics at nifl.gov
Subject: [SpecialTopics 635] Re: Learner Publishing--memories



Hello Jean.

This topic comes up constantly in the trainings I do with teachers of
immigrants.  As a result, I'm working on two ways to approach this:  ONe 
is
to design a thematic unit for adult ESL students on mental health with a
focus on PTSD.  The second is a professional development approach  in 
which
my grad students will help to develop a "STudy Circle" for ESL teachers
(adapting  NCSALL's model from their heatlh literacy work) on dealing with
trauma.    I'm gathering articles and resources, and would welcome any
suggestions regarding your favorites.  Once we design this study circle
module, we'll be happy to share it with anyone who wants to use it.  It 
will
be designed for teachers to do a bit of reading, with a small group of
colleagues,  interview some of their peers, and test/document some of 
their
own strategies.

I'd like to learn more about your experiences with the Liberians, and how
you have dealt with it.  You would be a wonderful resource for my student
group who is working on this issue.

Yours,
Gail

San Francisco State University

.




rejoicer at aol.com
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Subject[SpecialTopics 634] Re: Learner Publishing--memories







Gail--
Have you encountered any PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) issues as
you've had people recount these stories? We see manifestations of PTSD
behaviors in the children we work with in the Liberian community around 
the
impacts of war. I've also found that my adults are not willing to share 
some
of the stories from the war and refugee camps. It's just too painful. As
I've gotten to know them, tidbits will come out, and it's awful to imagine
what they have been through to get to this point.

Jean Marrapodi


-----Original Message-----
From: Gail E Weinstein <gailw at sfsu.edu>
To: specialtopics at nifl.gov
Sent: Fri, 14 Sep 2007 8:15 am
Subject: [SpecialTopics 630] Re: Last Day of International Programs
Discussion


Hi Friends.

Sorry to join very late in the discussion.

I'm interested in Eric's comment about community publishing and using
learner writing. I'm working on a model I call "Learners' LIves as
Curriculum", where teachers are trained to collect and use learner
narratives as the basis for developing mateirals.  I"ve been developing 
this
for immigrnts in the United States, first in the form of traditionally
published textbooks, but now with much more interest and emphasis on 
teacher
training, to connect materials developmetn with learner narratives to
professional development as they work in teams to write the material.

We're working now on collecting narratives from immigrants about memories 
of
floods, earthquakes, etc. to develop disaster preparedness materials, and
are training immigrant learners to collect some of the stories.  The next
project in line is to develop health literacy materials beginning with
"stories of courage and hope" from immigrant cancer survivors as a way 
into
mateiral about screening and resources for cancer.   The purpose of this
model, is, as Eric comments, to weave learner writing and learner stories
into the fabric of the curriculum itself.

A couple of our graduated students from the MATESOL program at San 
Francisco
State got fascinated with the model and want to try it out in Japan. We'll
be presenting there in November.  I've also presented the model in Turkey
and Israel, and have received very enthused responses from teachers there,
who are exasperated with materials that have been imported from foreign
contexts.

Would love to discuss this more with interested colleagues.

Gail Weinstein



ejonline at comcast.net
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Subject[SpecialTopics 627] Re: Last Day of International Programs
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>From what I have seen in Japan -


8) They are not thinking about jobs with a future, or jobs at all. There 
are
no long range plans like that in most programs.

9) Students get a place to feel comfortable and supported. They get a kind
ear. They get to feel like part of a community. They also get language
skills, literacy skills and content area knowledge.

10) Assessment is a tough issue - and raising it can cause a room to 
empty.
Most programs don't reallly want to talk about assessment. I suppose the
government might talk about how many people have graduated from programs,
but they don't often get involved at that level.

What I am interested in checking out is community publishing. Many 
programs
produce books of student writing, and I would like to check back in with
them to hear more about the reaction and how they are used. My sense is 
that
they are more of a way to document students' work and as an awareness
raising thing. I don't think they are used as materials in the classroom.

Erik Jacobson



-------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "David J. Rosen" <djrosen at comcast.net>

> Special Topics Colleagues,

>

> Friday, September 14th, is the last day of our discussion about what

> adult literacy education programs in the U.S. can learn from literacy

> programs and initiatives in other countries.  Our discussion has

> touched on many different experiences, ideas and issues, cultures and

> countries. Brenda Bell has suggested that one good framework to look

> at this wide range of issues across countries is  Part II of the

> Oxfam book, Developing Adult Literacy: Approaches to Planning,

> Implementing and Delivering Literacy Initiatives. I urge you to take

> a look at this part, indeed the whole book.  It's available free, for

> now at least, as a download from

>

> http://publications.oxfam.org.uk/oxfam/display.asp?K=e2007030715391164

>

> Subscribers and guests: what will you carry away from this

> discussion?  What new information or ideas? What has whetted your

> appetite for more? What might you try out in your program?

>

> Some of our guests may be checking in on Friday so if you have more

> questions there is still time.  Some of our guests, too, may have

> other thoughts or comments they would like to share. And I do hope

> some of our guests can address the last three questions I posed:

>

> 8.  How are other countries managing to embed language and literacy

> development into services designed to help adults get jobs with a

> future?

>

> 9. What do participants most get out of the programs that you have

> been involved with?  Conversation skills, reading skills, writing

> skills, employment skills, empowerment, preparation for postsecondary

> education, computer skills?

> If you have been involved in developing integrated curriculum, what

> are the main goals of curriculum development in international contexts?

>

> 10. How is success measured in programs in other countries?  What

> sorts of metrics are used?

>

>

> On Monday we start a new discussion, on adult numeracy.

>

>

> David J. Rosen

> Special Topics Discussion Moderator

> djrosen at comcast.net

>

>

>

>

>

>

> -------------------------------

> National Institute for Literacy

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