Part Two-Things to Try
The Significance of Values
Trying new things can feel like going on a trip to a place that you
have never been. You start to get ready by focusing on what you need
to take to do the things you want to do. This was very much how we started
our work in each community. We began with looking at what type of information
we needed to offer, all the different ways to make contact with agencies
and interagency groups, and what we needed to know about adult literacy
and the communities we were entering. We focused on the practical and
tangible. However, every decision we made about how to connect with
our communities was influenced by our values about the work we were
taking on.
We did not start the project with articulating our values about adult
literacy and the communities we worked in, yet over time it became apparent
that we needed to explore what we felt and thought about literacy and
about community. In other words, it became clear to us how much our
values influenced how we went about doing our work as literacy specialists.
As a team, we shared what we valued about adult literacy and the communities
we worked (and for most of us, live) in. We agreed that being committed
to our communities and being passionate about adult literacy as a social
issue (rather than an individual's problem) fueled the way we connected
with service providers, learners, volunteers and other members of the
community. We strongly recommend that you take time to explore, reflect
upon, and converse about your values about adult literacy and your community.
Two questions to get you started might be:
- What do you value about literacy and adult literacy work?
- What do you value about the community that you work in?
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