Creative Thoughts to Date
After 2+ days of presentations, several creative thoughts have emerged:
1) Universality of access to early childhood information and programming
a) Print format
b) DVD or Video format
2) Exposure to ECD priniciples at the prenatal phase or right in the hospital at birth
3) Use the prenatal system and public health nurse system to first share ECD priniciples and programs with parents. Make ECD instruction to parents as important, as natural as prenatal classes.
4) Stop being so nice. The literacy community has been good at what it has done for the last 20 years and we take their role and literacy for granted. It’s time to get active, to get angry and to use new media to drive a social movement to get to full literacy.
5) Get to the influencers. Inform the decision-makers (politicians) but don’t take truth to power because power has it’s own agenda and won’t care about truth (Ken Chapman). Get to the influencers in each of our communities and have them take the literacy crisis message to their networks.
6) Don’t squander this recession. Position EDC and literacy generally as a foundational piece of the skills agenda.
7) Literacy Ministries. Literacy is foundational yet most of our provincial and territorial governments treat literacy programming and development as either an after-thought add on to the education system, or a sub-sub-unit of the higher education ministry. The role of literacy in government needs to have a higher profile, increased funding, and executive-level sponsorship to ensure that its lens can be applied across all government programs and services. Think of a Literacy Secretariat or a Ministry of Literacy with at least Deputy-Premier-level sponorship.
8 ) De-stigmatize ‘literacy’ and ‘illiteracy’. Not only do Canadians with low levels of literacy skills face the stigma of being considered ‘illiterate’ the literacy community faces the challenge of the stigma that prospective learners associate with ‘literacy’ programs. How do we create positive communities of learning, where low literacy skills are viewed in the same non-stigmatized perspective as diabetes. How do we create positive communities where all members encourage each other to develop their literacy levels and value reading. See Digby County NS and the Digby County Family Resource Centre for an example.
9) Literacy Development in Deaf Persons. Critical importance of using ASL for literacy development, supported by English print. The importance of technology, video blogging, and videophones in helping to equalize the information access gaps between persons of hearing and deaf persons.
10) Getting to the Dads - unique approach to assisting Wal-Mart workers with their literacy levels. Informal conversational approach with those workers with the greatest need for literacy support. The program ran from 1:30 to 3:30am over 6-8 weeks and has now expanded to more formal literacy skill development. See Further Education Society of Alberta for more information.
Just some of the creative highlights to date!
Tags: Influencers, Literacy stigma, Power, Pre-natal classes, Randy Boissonnault, Universality
