Author Archives: Maxine Einhorn

About Maxine Einhorn

Maxine Einhorn is from London and has lived in the Bay Area for 12 years. She has worked in adult education in London,UK, for over twenty years as a tenured instructor and department manager. She has an MA in Film and TV from University of London and has taught, moderated and appraised academic work in film studies and media literacy at undergraduate and college level. She runs the ESL/ Post Secondary project at KQED which offers media-rich resources for and created by ESL educators.

A Collaborative Vision for Serving Adult Learners

May 24, 2013, 10:45 am • Posted by Maxine Einhorn
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Redshirts
Photo by Tom Jung, San Mateo Adult School

Round table discussion report from CATESOL Northern Regional Conference.

The 2013 Northern Regional CATESOL Conference on Saturday May 4th gave us a wonderful opportunity to bring together a panel of ESL educators from community colleges and adult schools to talk about A Collaborative Vision for Serving Adult Learners. It was a chance to share ways of thinking about the two systems, how they differ, what they share and how they both strive to serve adult learners through the different historic filters that have shaped them.

The session was moderated by KQED Education and the panel brought considerable experience and expertise from both sectors to the table. Dr Bob Harper, Director of Campbell Adult School and Kristen Pursley, Lead Teacher from West Contra Costa Adult Education, presented their vision for adult education and Greg Keech, elected Chair of ESL at CCSF and Sonja Franeta, former Chair of ESL at Laney College, spoke to issues confronting noncredit ESL provision in community colleges. Both sectors addressed ways to work together towards a fair and equitable system that meets the needs of non native speakers in Northern Californian communities.

Greg Keech laid out the context for this discussion in his post on KQED ESL Insights blog - What is Noncredit? “What is known as "adult education" in the K-12 system is generally known as noncredit in Community Colleges. In the ESL realm, there have been two separate entities delivering instruction: some districts have adult ESL classes under their local K-12 district, while credit instruction is provided by the community college; in other areas, the community college district provides both credit and noncredit ESL, though not always under the same roof.” Our panelists offered examples of the differing systems - City College of San Francisco provides both credit and noncredit ESL classes, whereas Laney College offers only credit ESL courses.

The discussion was further set against the backdrop of Governor Brown's recent proposal to move adult education into the community college sphere, which was unanimously rejected on March 19th by the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance. However the subcommittee voted to approve it "without prejudice," which means they did not disagree with the principle. As such the idea is likely to come back in the May budget revise.

To summarize the points discussed:

  • Both systems are based on principles of social justice.
  • The community college system is more driven by standards and outcomes that frame their work.
  • Colleges privilege credit courses in terms of funding, with more funding allocated to courses where students matriculate. Many ESL students do not seek to go to college but look for other outcomes that may be vocational. Their right to language provision should be protected, as should the rights of seniors to attend lifelong learning classes, and classes for adults with disabilities. CCSF also offers non-credit Parent Education classes – all of this provision could be under threat if the Governor’s plan goes though.
  • Both sectors stressed the importance of open access, fluidity in terms of access and achievement, with clearly delineated pathways for students to navigate systems whether in terms of progression or reentry.
  • Participants in the session talked about the importance of solidarity between sectors in terms of defending provision. Adult schools are clearly in a more vulnerable position and face considerable uncertainties in terms of jobs and program survival if they are absorbed into the community college system.

To understand the impact on adult education under K-12 in California, please visit http://a4cas.blogspot.com/2013/03/weekly-update-33113.html.

It was agreed that setting up a working group between adult education and noncredit ESL sectors would be a positive way forward to collaborate on issues discussed. Participants from the group signed up to stay involved.

Resources

For KQED ESL Educator resources, visit www.kqed.org/esl

Edsource 5/14/2013 - Governor tries to fix adult ed plan, but controversy remains

Filed under: ESL Insights, Post-Secondary ESL
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Are You Willing to Alter Your Fashion for Ethics? (Do Now #81)

May 17, 2013, 7:54 pm • Posted by Maxine Einhorn
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Ts

To respond to the Do Now, you can comment below or tweet your response. Be sure to begin your tweet with @KQEDEdspace and end it with #DoNowFashion

For more info on how to use Twitter, click here.

Do Now

Would you pay more for clothes if they were manufactured ethically i.e. produced in a factory with fair working conditions and wages? What would ethical shopping look like to you?

Before answering, look at a garment that you recently purchased and find out the brand and where it was made. Take a picture and tweet it with the info (or post it in the comments section below).

Introduction

Two weeks ago, KQED Do Now examined the human cost of making clothing cheaply, stating that U.S. fashion companies design their merchandise in the United States and then outsource the labor in countries like Bangladesh where workers are paid very little to sew the garments. Has the tragedy in Bangladesh changed our thinking? Have we made the connection between the cost of clothes and the conditions of these factories? Are we ready to acknowledge the human costs of this relentless fashion treadmill and shop ethically? If workers are to be paid a living wage, would we be prepared to pay more for clothes?

Take a look at the label on your latest bargain, those trendy, cheap items from stores such as H&M, Esprit, Lee, Wrangler, Nike, J.C. Penney and Wal-Mart. Where were these clothes made?

In her book Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion, journalist Elizabeth L. Cline describes buying “seven pairs of $7 shoes” at Kmart and admits to being a “reformed fast-fashion junkie. She writes “because of low prices, chasing trends is now a mass activity, accessible to anyone with a few bucks to spare.” Fashion trends dangle the constant lure of display and self branding in front of us and the drive to keep up becomes relentless. Quality is not the issue, but the fear of losing face in the social mirror.

There is now an “ethical fashion” movement and clothing companies like H&M, for example, has a “Conscious Collection.” American Apparel and Fair Trade Fashion offer natural, organic cotton or hand made clothing and sweatshop free production. Is then organic and locally produced clothing a way of shopping ethically? Does it also become a marketing strategy?

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Filed under: Do Now, Do Now: Government and Civics
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Do Now #80: What Makes a Good Citizen?

May 10, 2013, 6:49 pm • Posted by Maxine Einhorn
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photo by USDAgov/Flickr

photo by USDAgov/Flickr

To respond to the Do Now, you can comment below or tweet your response. Be sure to begin your tweet with @KQEDEdspace and end it with #KQEDDoNow

For more info on how to use Twitter, click here.

Do Now

What makes a good citizen? What should be required of a citizen and how do you prove worthiness?

Introduction

Last month, there was quite a rich conversation on KQED Do Now about immigration reform, as students examined the proposed changes to legal immigration to the United States and the path to obtaining citizenship. The discussion focused on immigrant rights and what policy should be put into place to attain citizenship. It invited a further question that examines more deeply the whole idea of citizenship and asks what makes a good citizen? What should be required of a citizen? Does the current application system measure worthiness or should different criteria be taken into consideration? Do you feel you meet these criteria yourself?

The USCIS website specifies what is required to seek US citizenship and clearly explains the value:

“Deciding to become a U.S. citizen is one of the most important decisions in an individual’s life. If you decide to apply to become a U.S. citizen, you will be showing your commitment to the United States and your loyalty to its Constitution. In return, you are rewarded with all the rights and privileges that are part of U.S. citizenship.”

But what is important here? Should a good citizen be able to demonstrate commitment through some kind of community involvement, like cleaning beaches, taking care of the environment, or community service? In other words are good character and social responsibility important?

How about social contribution such as skills and expertise or the ability and willingness to work, especially in areas where there is demand for labor.

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Filed under: Do Now, Do Now: Government and Civics
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Work Voices 12: Alicia De Toro - Environmentalist

May 10, 2013, 7:45 am • Posted by Maxine Einhorn
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Alicia De Toro

Transcript (English)

Alicia De Toro is from the Philippines and is employed as an instructor in the Environmental Studies Department at De Anza College. She describes her journey starting with her first job in the environmental field working in recycling in Santa Barbara. She taught different communities and businesses how to recycle and the cost benefits of recycling.

Alicia moved to intern in habitat restoration learning about restoration ecology. This included understanding the benefits to ecosystems of cultivating native plants.

Alicia offers inspirational advice about finding a rewarding path to careers in environmental justice and sustainability. She became an educator, but she advises students to visit city or country websites to get a sense of the different departments, resources and career opportunities in the non profit world or within other organizations that work with the environment.

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Filed under: Post-Secondary ESL, Work Voices
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Work Voices 11: Elizabeth Sarmiento, Environmental Coordinator

May 3, 2013, 7:43 am • Posted by Maxine Einhorn
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Elizabeth Sarmiento

Download Educators' Activities Here

Transcript (English)

Transcript (Spanish)

Elizabeth Sarmiento is from Honduras and works as a project manager with Valley Verde, a non profit company based in San Jose. The company provides gardens and supplies to low income families, and Elizabeth and her colleagues teach the families about nutrition and growing their own food in a way that yields healthy food while having minimal impact on the environment.

Elizabeth describes her journey working odd jobs and attending evening classes to learn English. She transferred to Foothill College and joined the ESL program, eventually moving to De Anza College to study in the Environmental Studies Department.

She describes all the different employment options in the environmental studies field. For example, she talks about opportunities in water conservation and water resource management and in landscaping which is a huge field in itself. There is also the option to become an educator in any of these fields.

Elizabeth emphasizes that almost any job can promote sustainability and awareness of environmental impact.

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Filed under: Post-Secondary ESL, Work Voices
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Do Now #75: Immigration Reform - The Path to Citizenship

April 19, 2013, 7:10 pm • Posted by Maxine Einhorn
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Naturalization Ceremony, Commander US 7th Fleet/Flickr

Naturalization Ceremony, Commander US 7th Fleet/Flickr

To respond to the Do Now, you can comment below or tweet your response. Be sure to begin your tweet with @KQEDEdspace and end it with #KQEDDoNow

For more info on how to use Twitter, click here.

Do Now

Who should be considered for a path to citizenship? Do you agree with the proposed immigration reform bill? What is a fair/equitable approach?

Introduction

The Gang of Eight, as the eight bipartisan US Senators have been termed, has managed to reach a compromise on immigration reform after months of negotiating. Their immigration reform bill is a trade off between the four Republicans and four Democrats allowing many of the 11 million undocumented immigrants to seek U.S. citizenship, in exchange for way stricter border security standards.

"This is a very balanced bill," said Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), the lead Democratic negotiator. "The American people have told us to do two things. One, prevent future flows of illegal immigration, and then come up with a common sense solution for legal immigration. And that's what our bill does."

The bill also makes changes to how foreigners can legally immigrate to the United States going forward. These changes are intended to make the process easier. However, only immigrants who came to the country before Dec. 31, 2011 can apply. To process the application undocumented immigrants will have to pay $500 plus assessed taxes, as well as processing fees and then it would take 10 years to obtain a green card. Gaining full citizenship would take another three years. Those convicted of serious crimes are not eligible to apply.

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Filed under: Do Now, Do Now: Government and Civics, Social Studies/Lang. Arts
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Work Voices 10: Marjan Javanmard, Building Auditor in Energy Conservation

April 3, 2013, 2:20 pm • Posted by Maxine Einhorn
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Marjan Javonmard

Download Educators' Activities Here

Transcript (English)

Transcript (Spanish)

Marjan Javanmard came to the US from Iran 12 years ago and now works in energy conservation for Solar City as a building auditor. She attended San Mateo Adult School for ESL classes and trained at Skyline College on the HERO Program (Home Energy Retrofit Occupations) – a training program in building systems for residential energy efficiency. Check out programs in the Energy Systems Technology Management (ESTM) Department at Skyline College.

Marjan describes the training course at Skyline College which offers “an overview of residential building science. Foundational principles in general residential construction and energy aspects of building envelopes, mechanical systems, appliances, water heating, lighting and more.” She recommends it for anyone with a basic knowledge of construction and a real interest in sustainability and conserving energy.

Marjan talks of the growing number of jobs in this area of green industry which, with government support, offers retrofit solutions to promote energy conservation. She stresses the importance of sustainable applications for future of the built environment.

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Filed under: Post-Secondary ESL, Work Voices
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Do Now #70: Equal Playing Field for Women

March 22, 2013, 7:42 pm • Posted by Maxine Einhorn
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Jupiterimages for photo.com

Jupiterimages for photo.com

To respond to the Do Now, you can comment below or tweet your response. Be sure to begin your tweet with @KQEDEdspace and end it with #KQEDDoNow

For more info on how to use Twitter, click here.

Do Now

Does our culture foster an equal playing field for women? If not, how can the circumstances improve for women? Explain your thoughts.

Introduction

Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s Chief Operating Officer, has a lot to say on this. Her new book, Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead, is all about female ambition, personal and professional ambition, and she tells it like it is. There are barriers to achievement for women, and her view is that women need to “lean in” and go for it, talk about the obstacles to achievement and aim high.

She writes, “The percentage of women at the top of corporate America has barely budged over the past decade.” And the data on women in the workplace supports her arguments. Women hold about 14 percent of executive officer positions, 17 percent of board seats, up from 16 percent in 2007 and 12 percent in 2002 (Spencer Stuart 2012 report). Women account for 18 percent of Congress. For women of color, the situation is worse since they hold only 4 percent of top corporate jobs and 5 percent of the congressional seats. As for pay, The Lowdown looks at earnings equality between men and women:

“……in 2010, female full-time workers made only 77 cents for every dollar earned by men, according to US Census data (and that number drops significantly for black women, and even more for Latinas). Women, on average, earn less than men in almost every occupation for which there is sufficient wage data, according to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research.”

When looking at female aspiration Samberg describes the “leadership ambition gap,” where fewer women than men aspire to senior jobs. “Young women internalize society’s cues about what defines ‘appropriate’ behavior, and, in turn, silence themselves,” writes Sandberg.

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Filed under: Do Now, Do Now: Government and Civics
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Do Now #69: A New Approach with the New Pope?

March 15, 2013, 11:56 pm • Posted by Maxine Einhorn
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PBS NewsHour

PBS NewsHour

To respond to the Do Now, you can comment below or tweet your response. Be sure to begin your tweet with @KQEDEdspace and end it with #KQEDDoNow

For more info on how to use Twitter, click here.

Do Now

Times are changing with the election of the first South American Pope. What should the role of the pope be in today’s world? Is it time for the church to update its positions on social issues like birth control and gay marriage?

Introduction

The Cardinals are smiling in Rome with the election of a new pope. He is the first pope who is not from Europe, but is South American (where 40% of the world’s Catholics live), from Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is a sign of new times for the 1.2 billion Catholics in his huge world-wide constituency.

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio has taken the name Francis – drawing on the connection to St Francis of Assisi who saw his calling in working for social justice, working with the poor and living a simple and humble life. As a cardinal, Pope Francis did not live surrounded by luxury, and is expected to continue to take a low profile, traveling by bus rather than chauffeur driven cars, cooking his own meals and visiting slums. In his view, pastoral work rather than doctrinal battles is the work of religion in the modern world.

But is this feasible? Can Pope Francis be a reformer by emphasizing the needs of the poor without taking a clear stance on secular issues e.g. the financial scandals in the Vatican and sex offences by priest? Can the Church separate itself from political or social laws and doctrines? Although seen as a modernizer of Argentina’s Catholic Church, Pope Francis is a Jesuit who is committed to traditional Church beliefs and values. He has spoken clearly against same-sex marriage, gay adoption, abortion and ordaining women as priests.

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Filed under: Do Now, Do Now: Government and Civics
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Languages and the Way We Think - Talking with Lera Boroditsky

March 15, 2013, 7:58 am • Posted by Maxine Einhorn
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shared by Solidus Editorial Solutions

shared by Solidus Editorial Solutions

Interview with Lera Boroditsky, Assistant Professor of Psychology at Stanford University and Editor in Chief of Frontiers in Cultural Psychology. She was the opening speaker at the annual statewide CATESOL conference held in Oakland in 2012.

Lera claims “Learning another language is not just a matter of learning to speak differently, it is also learning to think differently.” This connection between words and thoughts goes to the heart of teaching language, and poses questions for ESL teachers about cultural understanding.

ESL Insights: Growing up as you did speaking Russian, do you feel you are a different person when you speak a different language? Does your personality change?

Lera Boroditsky: I do feel different when speaking different languages. This is a very common experience for bilinguals to report.  For example, when I am speaking Russian, I feel more free to be non-literal (metaphorical or ironic) in what I say. Russian communicative culture values clarity and directness less than standard American culture does, but values cleverness and erudition more.

So if you asked me this question in Russian, you might not have gotten the simple direct answer I just gave, and instead something more clever, abstract or absurd.

ESL Insights:  Are there associations that go along with speaking in different languages? For example: you grew up in Russia, does that mean you feel more of a child when you speak the language?

Lera Boroditsky: Most of my experience speaking Russian was as a kid, living in Russia.  And most of my experience speaking English has been as an adult, with a job, living in the US. Switching from English to Russian certainly cues this big switch in context.  Viorica Marian at Northwestern University has shown through her research that bilinguals will recall different memories and espouse different values when they're asked in one language versus another.  Language acts as a cue for cultural values and also for the contexts in which you speak those languages. This is definitely an experience I have.

ESL Insights:  You mentioned in the panel discussion (above) that some people are rather suspicious of you when you speak Russian. Why do you think that is?

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Filed under: ESL Insights, Post-Secondary ESL
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