One of his first challenges was figuring out how to implement Krashen’s theory of free voluntary reading for these students, who not only spoke no English but also had never been to school. He started with some talking books online.
Next, with
One of his first challenges was figuring out how to implement Krashen’s theory of free voluntary reading for these students, who not only spoke no English but also had never been to school. He started with some talking books online.
Next, with the knowledge that “in community organizing we find that often the best ideas for solving problems come from the people most affected by the problem”, Larry set off with the help of an interpreter to meet parents of his new students in their homes. One parent mentioned that having computers at home would help; lacking public transport (and driving licenses which required knowledge of English) most parents couldn’t get to the school to take advantages of the after-school program he’d developed for the students. Larry got the school to donate the computers it happened to be replacing right then directly to the families. He also succeeded in getting a grant from a foundation which he’d worked with in his organizing days to cover the cost of an Internet connection.
Eighty percent of the members of each family agreed to use the computer and Internet for English reading with the talking books for a minimum of one hour a day; often they ended up using it together. In this way, the Internet, which is often seen as weakening face to face relationships, served as a tool which families used together.
Comparison of progress with a group who did not have computers and Internet at home revealed that the “computer group” showed double the improvement. The school district was so impressed that it provided $80,000 to triple the size of the program. You can read an article about the project here.
Larry has commented that community organizing and teaching aren’t really all that different. This may not s