I don't know much about singing. But I imagine that to do it well, you
need to do more than learn the basics of sounds and rhythm. Perhaps
that's a good starting place, but to be a *really good* singer, you
would need the kind of coach/teacher who helped you draw on your own
inner strengths/abilities/interpretations to create something truly
unique and beautiful. Part of the artistry might be figuring out how
that individual singer's talents speak to the current cultural context.

Some of the "best" art isn't just somehow objectively good. Much of it
addresses other art or comments on the context somehow.

The best teachers I had when I was in school were the ones who helped
me believe in my own mind, who encouraged me to be skeptical, who
encouraged me to think harder and more deeply. They did this actively
— not telling me what to think but communicating to me that my own
thinking really mattered.

As a teacher, I feel good about having taught comma rules, algebra
principles, and tricks for memorizing multiplication tables, etc. but
the times I think I had the biggest effect were when I figured out some
way to invite the students to use their minds in ways they hadn't before
or when they were prepared to uncritically settle for some accepted
idea. Sometimes, this is as simple as asking a question: What do you
think about that? Sometimes, it was by treating someone as if their mind
mattered. In any case, it was purposeful.

Steve — you said in another post that you want to accept people the
way they are. Does that mean you think that the classroom does not
provide opportunities for potentially transformational growth? 

You are worried that some of us who support critical thinking in the
classroom have an agenda. The problem is, in this political and cultural
context, it's impossible *not* to have an agenda — or at least be part
of an agenda. In my classrooms (workplace-based), the agenda on the part
of the workplace was to have workers who spoke better English. The
agenda on the part of the union was to have more active union members.
If I claimed to not have an agenda, I would still be a cog in the wheel
of the super-imposed agenda. So, no matter what, you're carrying out an
agenda of some sort.

My personal agenda is to use the classroom to inspire empowerment and
agency in each individual. I believe this is central to a healthy
democracy and ultimately is essential to our survival. Not to mention,
it is a simple pleasure — like singing or art, which frees up some
form of expression that we otherwise would not have had the joy of
experiencing.

Cynthia



-- 

Cynthia Peters
Change Agent Editor
World Education
44 Farnsworth Street
Boston, MA  02210
 
tel: 617-482-9485 ext. 3649
fax: 617-482-0617
email: cpeters at worlded.org 
 
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www.nelrc.org/changeagent 



>>> On 7/14/2008 at 12:10 PM, in message

<f1a6e820807140910v38d0d22fif74ff520b898a9c5 at mail.gmail.com>, "Steve
Kaufmann"
<steve at thelinguist.com> wrote:

> Janet,

> 

> I think that the activities of a language learner, and the attitude

of a

> language learner, are quite similar to those of someone learning to

sing.

> First one has to listen and get used to the sounds and rhythm. And

one has

> to find a way to enjoy the learning process. For a more complete

description

> of my view of language learning you can look at my

>

article<http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/the-three-stages-of-language-fluency/>whic

> h

> appeared on Pickthebrain.com today.

> 

> Steve

> On Mon, Jul 14, 2008 at 6:05 AM, Janet Isserlis

<Janet_Isserlis at brown.edu>

> wrote:

> 

>>  Steve and all

>>

>> I don't *think* you're saying that English learning should be like

music

>> appreciation – that one can enjoy either (language or music) with

no basis

>> of prior expectation, concepts or assumptions?  That the language or

the

>> music will just be heard and appreciated?

>>

>> Surely, part of the language learning process involves

>> receiving/hearing/taking in.  But for learning to occur, active

processes of

>> meaning-making have to happen.

>>

>> In order to learn, to make meaning, there needs to be some basis of

prior

>> understanding, of a world view, yes, of assumptions.  The critical

thinking

>> part (in the target language, in this case English) may, for some,

be merely

>> a matter of learning the words to translate thoughts from a first

language

>> into English).  For others, it's a process of asking questions,

weighing

>> options, learning more about possibilities and consequences.

>>

>> Janet

>>

>>

>>

>>

>> *From: *Steve Kaufmann <steve at thelinguist.com>

>> *Reply-To: *The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion

List <

>> professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov>

>> *Date: *Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:43:00 -0700

>> *

>> *

>> > I am of the opinion that beginner ESL learners should be allowed

to

>> listen to the language and try to enjoy it, with little requirement

to state

>> what their assumptions are on anything.

>>

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

>> National Institute for Literacy

>> Adult Literacy Professional Development mailing list

>> professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov 

>>

>> To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to

>> http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/professionaldevelopment 

>>

>> Professional Development section of the Adult Literacy Education

Wiki

>>

>> 

>

http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/Adult_Literacy_Professional_Developmen


> t

>>

> 

>