I agree Monday was a big help! I love how Vanessa explained that this writing course…let’s get messy!
Tyler,
Thanks for helping me on Wednesday. You were a great teacher! I really enjoyed reading the articles…once I had a paper copy 
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Tyler,
Great post. After reading Elbow’s article I realized that what I considered ‘writer’s block’ really wasn’t . My approach to writing was all wrong. I am going to try Elbow’s suggestions and just write without worrying about my paper being in chronological order from the very beginning. I am going to take Vanessa’s advice and “get messy!”
Below is my post. Sorry it’s not in a Google doc, but I wanted to post this ASAP before I headed off to work. I will attach resources later today.
Have a great day!
Sandy
My passion is working with children with special needs. I advocate for those without a voice on a daily basis and one of the big challenges is the education system. School districts across the State of Rhode Island continue to struggle with financial issues, overcrowded schools, reduced staff, etc. For some parents, it’s a struggle to get their child the most appropriate services because money is always an underlying factor. Unfortunately, many parents struggle with the complex educational system and give up.
Herbert Kohl’s article I Won’t Learn From You! was absolutely wonderful in my opinion. Kohl states “Learning how to not-learn is an intellectual and social challenge; sometimes you have to work very hard at it.” I read this sentence several times and thought long and hard about this statement. I couldn’t agree more with Kohl.
Kohl’s article reminded me of the NECAP requirement imposed on high school students in the State of Rhode Island. It should be noted that I am opposed to such requirements. In my opinion, the test is flawed and bias. A student who lives in an affluent area has a better chance of success vs a student from an urban area. Why…schools are funded from city and town tax dollars.
Additionally, learning takes place in a wide variety of settings, other than the classroom. We need to stop taking a cookie cutter approach to education and think outside the box! Thank God for people like Dennis!
I was so happy to help @Sandy. It gave me a better understanding of my own workflow, too! I think we should try to take this to the rest of our cohort mates now.
Hey @Sandy thanks for your post! Could you post it as a reply to @vanessa’s first post? I think that’s the way to do it. (Vanessa–let us know? Would it be better to reply as a new topic?) Also, when you get the chance to put it into a Googledoc, then we’ll be able to leave more specific comments. But for now, here’s what I can offer:
- You are clear about your opinions and what those are founded on
- You brought one of the readings in by mentioning the title, quoting it, and explaining how you responded to it (reading it over and over, thinking about it, agreeing with it)
- You began with your personal knowledge, which is also powerful data
- You finished with your own conclusions, suggesting that something should change
- There are a just a few places where a different word, or a missing punctuation mark, or some other very small thing could be changed that could make your argument even more powerful, but this is a great start
- Finally, what is NECAP?
Great job!
Hey @Vanessa - I can’t edit your document, either. When I pull it up, it is “Read Only” and there is no button to edit. I’m not sure if it’s from my end or yours.
Thanks for your feedback Tyler. OOPS! Never assume people know what NECAP is New England Common Assessment Program…standardized testing. In order to graduate from high school, seniors have to score at least partially proficient to obtain their diploma, otherwise they get a certificate of completion.
ack @squeakie + @Tyler: I was able to change it to “anyone with the link can comment” (which is the correct setting). Thanks for catching.
@Tyler: great feedback!
Hello friends
My writing goal is to create my own manifesto for adult education that follows a democratic process in creating a learner centered opportunity for all. I believe as Michelle Cox states in her manifesto that this is a public health issue. We have too long tolerated the boundaries established by traditional institutions of higher learning as the only pathway to education. We have too long limited the access to information to a select group of participants. We have too long been unresponsive to the real needs of the lifelong learner that is alive and well in all of us. As for profit “schools” and online programs suck us dry of resources it is time to take back our human right to an education that meets our needs. The time is right to move in a different direction and create an educational opportunity that is for the people.
Sources of inspiration
http://www.perpetuallearning.org/what-we-believe.html The CHE manifesto (written by Michelle Cox) my model for my writing to create something like this for adult learners
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwqdcSwznTY Jerry Mintz Ted talk about democratic education all over the world
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lrHG8y_9C4 Jerry Mintz Democratic process in schools
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHxaTHzN2vM Summerhill my orginal inspiration when I was a kid
What are possible sources—in-person experts to talk with, and print and other media resources—to help your exploration of what has worked and what hasn’t?
http://www.provlib.org/center-lifelong-learning-ppl a series of classes at Providence Public Library all free semi-traditional instructor lead structure
https://www.lifelonglearningcollaborative.org/ RI lifelong learnig collaborative charges $50 dollar fee for most classes semi-traditional instructor lead
http://www.liberatedlearnersinc.org/mission-and-vision/ link to liberated learners
http://www.educationrevolution.org/store/resources/alternatives/ links to educational choices all over the world
http://www.leavingtolearn.org/ Leaving to learn of course because it is an inspirational read
http://metcenter.org/ The Met school just because it inspires me every day
http://collegeunbound.org/ College Unbound because they helped me believe anything you can dream you can do
http://providence.freeskool.org/ looks like they stoppped in 2012 but it might be worth exploring what their challenges were
Key Data points
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/05/13/business/student-debt-at-colleges-and-universities.html increasing cost of education
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/13/business/student-loans-weighing-down-a-generation-with-heavy-debt.html one trillion dollars in outstanding student loan debt
https://docs.google.com/a/metmail.org/viewer?url=http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2000/200016a.pdf data gathered by the US Department of Education in 2000 on lifelong learning traditional stuff like skills for job etc nothing inspiring or earth shattering here
Hey Folks, here you go. I hope it helps/you enjoy
-Aneudy
This is an awesome collection of resources, and I appreciate that you gave us a little blurb about each one. Did you craft a response to your research process in a googledoc? If you did, could you post the link?
Thanks!
Thanks @aneudy! I haven’t gotten to read your googledoc yet, but what are three major data points you can share here?
Hey @Tyler,
1-Students involved in after-school time activities are less likely to drop out of school
2-Youth involved in after-school programs develop critical thinking skills on par with 21st century learning outcomes
3-Many adults now who were once participants in such programs say some of their successes are directly influenced by their time with organizations like the ones I mentioned.
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How do you know this and how do you show others that this in fact true Anuedy? -Lisa
Hey @Lisa,
Click on the links provided on my original google docs post, the information comes from studies done on the Providence After School Alliance programs and the Providence Youth Arts Collaborative. There are links to other stats not just exclusive to Rhode Island based after-school programs as well. If you’re interested I have a book I can let you borrow as well.
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This is a major issue that I am very involved in many different ways. I started writing my issue and it relates to what you wrote. This is killing our community in many different ways. Is hard for a forest to grow if the trees are killing each other before they have time to grow to there true potential. How do we see a future when it won’t make it past 25yrs. Education is the key to success on any level in life. School becomes secondary to the street life that most of our kids is choosing. How do we grow? Law enforcement places a huge part in keeping blacks down under a certain level, so our trees don’t make it to a certain level. What would life be like with out no killing of blacks on black?
Do you think that the up take in the 90s of teenage parents contributes to this social media problem? I say this because if you look at some of the kids who are having issues online parents page they show similar behaviors. The age gap between some of the kids and parents is not to large to the point where a lot of the kids and parents share a lot of the same music and fashion. Then there are the first generation American’s who’s parents simply have no clue and who’s kids get over on them on a daily basis what do we do about does parents. I do believe this is a true problem but not a simple one you can give kids all the tools they did to be successful but if the home is not correct they will not use them. I always refer back to being bad is just way easier then being good.