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