speaking up for attawapiskat

My name is Elishia, I'm new to this course, but not alpha route.

I like to experience new things and opportunities. Explore new subjects and meet new people. In my future I would like to help kids learn. Help them get taught, and have the same thing a lot of kids have right now. An education.

You've probably recently seen a video about kids being in a school which has an oil spill and the kids were in that school for eight years. Until the kids started to get sick and parents started to take their kids out of that school. Its a school for youths ages, most likely from six to fourteen.

And for When Learners Speak we need to learn and speak for this. The community is still fighting to this day is trying to get a new school built. Fianances and everything was approved, but then Chuck Strahl Indian Affairs Minister. His office sqeezed back $109 million as of 2007. I've learned from this, and I'm speaking up for whats right. The most we can do to help the ones in need is learn and speak up smile thats all and hope to learn and speak up with everyone.

see yous on the way..... Happy Learnings with yous all.

the determination to speak out

They have the determination to speak out.

Learners speak out by saying what is on their minds. They can achieve their goals.

Minnie says she wanted to be herself. She wanted diginity.

Make sure that people can read and then you have flexible workforce placements.

I want to see more learners speak out and to be able to say what they think is on their minds and I want learners to not be afraid to walk in the door at a Literacy council and not to feel so scared.

by Ida

we walk the walk and we talk the talk

I have just finished reading all of the discussions and I am very impressed with everyone’s comments and the large range of participants. We learners speak all the time in our own way.

I was a very quite, shy, nervous, fearful, and modest person, who truly believed my opinions were not important, I was not important. Then I went to St. Lawrence College in Kingston Ontario and discovered there was more to my development then the ABC’s. Taking the up-grading course and the environment of being with other adult learner students set me free. I am now a full time literacy, adult learner student volunteer and advocate.

I believe it all starts with us; the adult learner, as my friend Denis always says, “We talk the talk and walk the walk.”

My volunteer and advocacy efforts have taken me from the chair-person with the Adult Literacy Network of Ontario (ALNO), to becoming the Ontario Adult Learners representative with the Movement for Canadian Literacy (MCL) and spokesperson with the Learners Advisory Network of Canada (LAN) and representative for Canadian Learners at the World Literacy Forum In Nairobi Kenya all because of an upgrading program. The teachers, students and the fertile environment gave me the confidence to believe in me.

It has taken a long time but I do not measure my learning development in time because, learning is a life long adventure.

Adult learners are the very foundation of literacy and that was made very apparent at the Council of Ministers of Education Canada, Pan-Canadian Interactive Literacy Forum I attended on April 14/15/08.

Adult learner/student voices must be an interactive part of the community of learning and literacy. We are the very best promoters and knowledge providers of literacy “We walk the walk and we talk the talk.”

I saw from Learners speak that some of us do not like to speak or are to nervous; please remember, every time you talk to a friend, family member or stranger about what you are doing in your program you are speaking and promoting literacy and most importantly promoting yourself which makes you a LEARNER LEADER.

Congratulations

I welcome all comments and wish all a wonderful day

Patricia Ashie, very proud Adult Learner

kinesthetic and visual

There are a lot ways people can learn you have the audio, kinesetic, and visual. I'm kinesthetic and visual. Yes, if you asked the teacher if they could do what you need. Like read the paragraph, or ask them to show you what problem comes next. My program is all independent studies, so if you need help it's there.

By Elishia

speak up for learners

I am a Adult Learner.
I speak up for learners who need more help in the program.

What does speaking up mean to you?
I speak out for learners and I voice my opinion on some sharing ideas on what we can do to make things better in the program.

by Ida

equal opportunity right

In order for learning to be Good Learning I believe it must be an equal opportunity right.

If education were equal then all would have the services needed to address their learning challenges, which would begin the very first day a child starts school.

At this time the vast majority of existing learning opportunities are only possible for those who have the money to take advantage of the opportunity.

All knowledge is valuable; it is our right to learn! For me GOOD LEARNING is learning that provides us with the opportunity, the tools and the ability to share our learned knowledge’s which would empower us to be the best that we can be.

This is my opinion what do you think?

by Patricia Ashie

they can be FANTASTIC

I used to have the same problem about getting nervous reading and speaking in front of people. I too was afraid people would laugh at me and make fun of me. Then one day I decided to stop allowing this fear of mine to control me and in a sense make a prisoner of me, because I realized I was losing out on the things I really wanted and enjoyed doing in my life. I thought about how much money entertainers make to be laughed at, so now when anyone laughs at me I look at them and say" entertainers make big money pay-up". Another thing I noticed; the people who were laughing at me were the people who sat back and watched life instead of participating in life. I do not want to be like them I want to live, laugh and love to the fullest in my life and going to school has done that for me. The time you take to learn and grow is unimportant what is important is YOU and what you decide is right for you in your life. You are strong and it means a lot to me to see their are people like you out there willing no matter what to become the best that they can be. FANTASTIC

by Patricia Ashie

P.S. Speaking in front of others is the number one fear for people, so you are with the majority and I still get nervous but that does not stop me.

not from the dollar perspective

I absolutely loved school as an adult, and no one thought I should go to school either. They would say "what will you get out of it" because it is always looked at from the dollar perspective and personal growth does not seem to be considered as a concrete factor of the human experience. I am very proud I did not listen, my schooling experience has led me to become a life long learner and my thirst for education, the right to learn and literacy have taken me from my upgrading program to become the adult Learner Representative from Ontario in Canada, Africa, South America And Uganda. I am very proud to say I am a full time adult learner/student literacy volunteer and advocate and it is all because I went back to school.

By Patricia Ashie

an actively involved participant in my destiny

I hope you are all enjoying the gift of this day. Here are my answers to the questions, let me know what you think, your opinions are important to me.

What does it sounds like when learners speak?
I think learners sound like anyone else. We talk about our friends, families, love, news, politics and what we are doing or is affecting our life's. There is nothing different about us except we have learning challenges, but doesn't everyone have some sort of challenges?

What happens when learners speak?
When learners speak we are making connections providing understandings and a sense of community. Speaking out provides familiarity and the understanding that we are not alone.

Change comes from factual knowledge and understandings; knowledge and understanding comes from the connections we make and interactions coming from those connections which leads to the development of growing confidences in our own value and our importance in our society.

Why doesn't Minnie want sympathy and what does she want instead?
Unfortunately I can not view Minnie's video because I with Minnie have dial-up connection with my computer. However, from the title I get an impression of where she is coming from. I am always saying in regards to myself that I do not want a pity party, there is nothing to feel sorry for me about and I have much better things to do with my life then to dwell in the pity party arena.

What does Jerry want?
My take about Jerry, HE is amazing!!!! He wants learners to connect and have their own representation and he wants education to be part of the Bill of Rights. I agree 100% until Education becomes an equal opportunity right we will always provide an unequal playing field in our society. We have a right to learn and our learning challenges should be given the same consideration and respect has any other challenge. I believe it is a human right for us to be the best that we can be.

What do you want?
My opinion the most important issue that learners need to speak up about is to have their own representation. We are always being spoken for thought for and done for. Our destiny is reliant on what others believe is right for us. They make life decisions for us. I want to be an actively involved participant in my destiny.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

By Patricia Ashie

questions about learning circles

What do you think of the Working for change in a learning circle video?

I thought it was great. It had a lot to offer.

What are the advantages of the learning circles approach?
You are more open to ideas.

What are the disadvantages of the learning circles approach?
I don't think there are any disadvantages in the learning circle approach.

What are the advantages of the hierarchical approach?
We could achieve our goals and reach to success. We can all learn from each other.

What are the disadvantages of the hierarchical approach?
Everyone may not agree. but we can still work at reaching our goals.

What other approaches could help learners speak?
As a group we can all make a stand to achieve what we believe in.

by Michelle

ownership and safety

The learning circle audio was very interesting and informative and I agree with most of the comments.

The learning circle does promote my views but the word safety I believe takes value away form the individual who has made a commitment to self and are facing on a daily bases what appears to be insurmountable challenges to achieve the dream that planted the seed for their goals in life.

Yes the learning circle is to provide an arena of openness and acceptance, however the very reason we would be in a learning circle is because we have stepped outside of our safety zone. We decided that the comfort of the familiar in our lives was no longer beneficial for our search of self. I don’t think we need to feel safe, I believe what is more important is respect of an individuals belief’s and knowledge’s and the realization that all belief’s and knowledge’s are not right or wrong because they are based on what we know at that given time.

Learning Circle Approach Advantages: The learning circle would be an amazing arena for the expansion of knowledge’s because of the right to be an individual, and all knowledge’s are good knowledge’s and must be accepted.
Learning Circle Approach Disadvantages: The group in the learning circle may become so involved in their own issues that they for get to look outside of themselves.

Hierarchical Approach Advantages: Sound leadership can provide a directional, productive, orderly, balanced and inclusive foundation for an organization.
Hierarchical Approach Disadvantages: Poor leadership can present a lack of direction, productivity, order, balance and inclusion, which leads to confusion, mistrust and credibility.

Other Approaches: Ownership
I believe learners need to have the opportunities and tools required for them to be active participants in the development of self. This provides ownership. What I own I am responsible for and I will stand up for what is mine. It is my right to learn, it is my right to be the best that I can be and it is my right to be an active participant in my development.

by Patrica Ashie

watching football? learning english?

I am a very easy going person, and I am friendly. I love music, I enjoy playing tennis, and bowling.

I like to meet new people, and I would like to make some new friends. I have green eyes.

I love watching football, but now I keep all my time for learning English.

what i like to learn

I like to learn to do reading and writing.

l like to learn to do sign language.

by Sheri

learn at our own pace

I think a person learns best when the person who is teaching them has a lot of patience and love what they do. Learning is a big part of life and we continually learn.

The program that I attend help us to learn at our own pace and also help us to believe in ourselves and reach our goals.

I really love the creative video.

by Michelle

believe in ourselves

I I think it is extremely important to have lots of patience and encouragement to help other people learn to the best of their ability. I think we learn better when we work on our own because we are better focused on what we are doing.

I really loved the creative video because I thought it was interesting to see how people think and believe in ourselves.

by Maria

each person does one thing...

When you are working on a group activity then each person does one thing and when they are finished with the one thing then work on the next. Also have meetings once a week and bring your notes together with others and discuss what you have done so far and what is the next step needs to be accomplished. If you are doing a fundraiser then you will need to book a hall, send out letters informing the public what you are fundraising for and where the money will be put towards.

Yvonne Spicer

time to teach

What helps me learn the best is that the teacher takes her time to teach me what I need to learn but sometimes slowly so that I can grasp what I am being taught by the teacher.

I am a person who has a developmental disability and I need someone take time to get to know me what I can do and what I can't but even if i can't I can learn but a slower way until I get it. It doesn't mean that I can not learn but I can.

The class I am in is a place where I feel I belong and feel safe so that I can learn what I want to learn from math to english so I can get into a way where I can get to be able to go to college and then university.

Yvonne Spicer

work at their own pace

I think people need to be comfortable with themselves and comfortable in the program they are attending. They need to feel safe, have their opinions heard, be able to ask questions and get the help they need. People need to work at their own pace, not feel they have to rush to get finished and maybe not achieve what they could have if given the time. I feel our program does have all these things.

I really liked all the videos, it shows that creativity is not given the importance in some places like it should be. A lot of food for thought in them all. I particularly liked the last one, Creativity with Sir Ken Robinson. He spoke a lot of sense.

Heather

Ways people speak

They speak differently in different ways. They can speak from sign laugauge and other ways such as voices and people will listen what people say so that they understand what the other person is talking about.

Some people will listen when they want to because sometimes they will tune people out when the other person is talking to them and not realizing it.

By Yvonne Spicer

But what about the voices?

I am a young single mom and student now taking the ALP program with the Cunard learning centre in Halifax N.S.

I began this program 3 months ago now and feel great about my choice in coming here. I gave up on school in grade 7 when I was 14 years old and pregnant for my first son who is now 14 years of age. I tried once again to go back the following year but then got pregnant again for my second son who is now 11.

Since then I have done some major changes in my life and am fully dedicated to getting a proper education and hopefully achieving my goal of someday becoming a youth worker to help the children of my community as was offered to myself as a youth. I preach to the youth in my community about how strongly important an education truly is and what can be achieved if continued education. I believe that our youth are not given enough opportunity to continue their education, especially those who come form troubled homes. My reasons of this belief are because I live in a community of poverty, trouble and crime and see the children and youth of our future on a daily basis with no hopes in their hearts. I know there are kids networks, help phones, programs. sports. etc for children with special needs. But what about the voices? Does anyone listen to them or understand?

by Spry Gurl NS

a good meal

Myself I had a lot of trouble learning how to speak up for learning but now I am speaking up for learning to my friends and family and also to the church because I have been able to help out with different groups.

I think that people learn best if it is something that they like or else they can ask to talk to the teacher to get some help. I also think that if you have eaten a really good meal then you should be able to do what every you want to do.

by Sarah Fischer

part of something great

The common theme that I hear "in the learning circle" is the same as the need to be part of something great. The family unit echoes that greatness and embodies all of the processes that learning has to offer. The hierarchy approach can stifle any idea that might, not only improve the circumstances but also improve the individual ability.

We all want to be leaders in some form or another, I believe, that basically comes from the need to exercise that new knowledge we picked up over the years. The hierarchy method can be thought of as having the initiative to be assertive in believing in what we have learned about ourselves to be true.

by Mike Altirei