Newspapers / The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, … / Sept. 12, 1991, edition 1 / Page 5
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Nonreading Adults: Who They Are, How We Can Help (Continued From Preceding Page) ing adults must and do participate in a wide range of literacy practices on their jobs, in their homes and in their communities. They understand the ways that language is used to convey meaning and to manipulate the system. Their broader knowl edge of oral cultural patterns, their life experience and their personal goals provide a rich resource for lit eracy education and, indeed, for our entire society. Rather than trying to Figure out how to speak for adults with low print literacy skills, we must begin to listen to their voiccs. There is an exciting new literature emerging in which new writers talk about their lives, their dreams, their learning, their pain and their achievements. Although developed to provide an outlet for new writers and rele vant material for new readers, these publications also provide acccss for the larger literate public concerned about getting to know these adults whose voiccs have been silenced for so many years. New readers and new writers also arc making presentations at local and national conferences, forming support groups and participating in training for new literacy tutors and teachers. In many ways, literacy students and program staff are be ginning to work together to create more effective and more relevant programs. Unfortunately, such programs re main in the minority. What Needs To Be Done? You may ask, "What needs to be done?" Adults with low literacy skill lev els have told us that they arc inter ested in literacy education because they want to use literacy skills in new ways at work, with their chil dren, in their communities and in their civic and religious organiza tions. For example, they want to be able to pay their bills with checks, to make sure that they are receiving benefits at work, to talk knowlcdge ably with their children's teachers, to accept promotions at work or ap poinuncnts to officcs at church, to read novels and to write letters to their friends. In addition, new readers have told us that all of their relationships shift as they begin attending literacy classes and learning new skills. Foundation Plans Recognitions Faculty, staff, students and sup porters of the college will be hon ored at the Brunswick Community College Foundation's annual recog nition dinner Thursday, Sept. 19, at 7 p.m. at the Joncs-Byrd Clubhouse, Sea Trail Plantation. Vicki Spencer, executive director, said the foundation will present dis tinguished service awards for BCC employee of the year, outstanding support staff member, leadership, and teacher of the year. Also, an outstanding part-time general edu cation instructor will be honored. Also slated for recognition arc those who have endowed scholar ships through the foundation dur ing the past year, as well as some scholarship recipients. A new endowment will be an nounced at the dinner, said Ms. Spencer. A highlight of the program will be brief testimonials from faculty and staff members on how the foun dation has helped them. Last year, students described ways the founda tion supported them during the year. New officers to be installed are Al Laughinghouse, president; Joe Stanley, vice president; Lee Langston, secretary; and Bill Rabon, treasurer. Outgoing board members Paul Dennis, Bruce Caldwell and John Marshall will be recognized as well as incoming board members Nap oleon Barefoot, Marshall Woodard, and Dean Walters. COMPLETE INTERIOR DECORATING SERVICE ? Carpet ? Vinyl ? Blinds ? Wallcoverings Ruby Floyd *}tttenCon& Hwy. 904. #3 Seaside North 579-6091 ei???H ?*UNSWIC? MACON Their friends and family members had been helping them with literacy tasks; now those relationships begin to change as learners become able to do things for themselves. In addition, some of the time that ased to be spent helping out or hanging out has to be committed to attending classes and practicing skills; sometimes friends and family become alienated and angry in re sponse. New readers want help un derstanding and dealing with these changes, and they want programs to be responsive and realistic in rela tion lo their lives. But literacy curriculum often continues to consist of workbooks that do not reflect the tasks adults need to learn, and do not rcspcct the experiences that could provide a rich foundation for learning. Students arc often told that first they must learn to read and then they can learn how to do the tasks they care about. However, we know that good lit eracy programs can integrate con tent with skills, helping adults learn both the tasks and skills at the same time. In other words, students can learn reading and writing skills by using job applications, writing let ters or reading the brochure from work about their health insurance. We must involve students as part ners in the development of instruc tional programs, and we must de velop programs that help people learn the things they want and need to lcam. Those of us who can read well and those who cannot read share concerns about our families, our homes, our health, our communities and about our ability to be produc tive ? to live with a sense of pur pose, of contribution. When we ask. "Who are illiterate adults?" and "What can I do?" we must start from this sense of shared humanity. Editor's Note: Hanna Arlene Fingeret, Ph.D., is executive direc tor of Literacy South in Durham. Parts of this article were originally published as "Who arc illiterate adults?" in Adult Learning, Feb. 1990, p. 27. This is the second in a scries of essays on literacy provided courtesy of the North Carolina Press Association in cooperation with the North Carolina Literacy Association. The NCLA's local af filiate is the Brunswick County Literacy Council, 754-7323. '?*? Ibj: 'I PHOTO BY BILL fAVtR SEA OATS against a blue sky can be an inspiration from the sea for many of us. r~> Inspiration From The Sea It is sometimes surprising to discover how many writers seem to get their inspiration from the sea. A quick look at any book of poetry or literature will reveal it. Even the biblical writers were often influ enced by the sea. So much of our life his tory is ued up with adventures of the sea j and the seashore that it is not really so much a surprise to find that our poets and authors found inspiration from the sea. . " % "T7" Think about some of the lines you a know. Very probably they have to do with M the sea, the water, the skies, rain, sunrises * and sunsets, and the mysteries of the deep. Some no doubt are about the birds arid fish and crabs and other seashore creatures. Or about love at the seashore, or sadness of shipwreck and tragedy. One ol my favorite poets is the late Archibald Rutlcdge, who lived on the Santce River near McClctlanvillc, S. C. His life-long experiences with birds and animals and wildflowcrs and the trees around him kept him close to the natural world and an awareness of his environment. He spent many hours along the seashore and you can sec it in his poems. He knew the marshes and the river and the flowers and wrote about many of them. One of his poems is called The Source of Sana: A little child who runs along the shore. Coming upon an opalescent shell. Cries, "See what I have found! A mermaid wore This for a broach!" And who could better tell That poetry is? Come from mysterious deeps. Seraphic wonder from the gross concealed. Where life's wild wave upon love's sca-strand weeps. To the naive heart divinely is revealed. Forever to the sojl its voice is singing Like sea-wind or a song of long ago; Always to us in beauty it is bringing The magic that we always yearn to know. It is a miracle by the spirit made, A glimmering wildflower that shall never fade. Those of us who live near the sea can appreciate the feel ings and inspiration the sea gives us. Perhaps more of us should try to express our inspiration in words and art and song. It is one of the free benefits we have in the special place where land and sea and sky come together. AT BRUNSWICK COMMUNITY COLLEGE ABE, GED Classes Reopening Brunswick Community College is reopening a number of aduli literacy classes it had to close last spring. Ten Adult Basic Education (ABE) and GED (General Educational Development) classes are beginning this week at various locations across the county that will help adults learn basic skills or earn the equivalent of a high school diploma, said Anita White, who is helping coordinate literacy programs at BCC. "I know we have a lot of people in Brunswick County who need their high school education," she said. "It's free and available." However, the classes will not be allowed to continue if sufficient students do not register. New classes are staled as follows: GED: Big Macedonia Church, Supply, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6 p.m. -8 p.m.; BCC Southport Campus, Southport, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9 a.m.-12 noon; BCC Industrial Education Center, Leland, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9 a.m.- 12 noon; Little Prong Baptist Church, Ash, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6:30 p.m. -8:30 p.m.; Mt. Zion Baptist Church, Longwood, Mondays and Wednesdays, 6 p.m. -8 p.m.; Shallotte Presbyterian Church, Shallotte, Mondays and Wednesdays, 1 p.m. -3 p.m.: Waccamaw Community Center, Ash, Mondays and Tuesdays, 6:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m.; and West Brunswick High School, Shallotte, Mondays and Wed nesdays, 6 p.m. -9 p.m. BCC also offers other ABE, GED and English as a Second Language (ESL) classes. There is no charge to attend any of the classes. Interested students may come to the class of their choice at the time given or contact the college for more information at 754-6900, 457-6329 or 343-0203, Ext. 397. ( L. Bookworm ^ Ns* Stye -fcu-s S.xay ?>. Thursday '0 a.r.-6 d F- say 4 Sai.'Cay to c.m. at tie br dge to Holder Bead 842-7380 New additions to the Paperback Bestsellers: TIME BOMB By Jonathan Merman FOUR PAST MIDNIGHT Bv Stephen King k THE WOMEN I.N HIS LITE By Barbara Taylor Bradford UNDER SIEGE By Stephen Coor.ls One of each should get . you t/irough \) the month! PUMPED UP FOR WINTER. 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(And we've already told you about the low interest heat pump loan we offer.) Call or visit CP&L for a list of qualified heat pump dealers near you. These quality dealers insure that your heat pump will be properly installed -these dealers can also show you how easy it is to get our CP&L loan. Get pumped up for summer. And winter. CP&L Where Listening Generates Powerful Ideas.
The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Sept. 12, 1991, edition 1
5
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