Videos:

Adult Illiteracy In The U.S.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwghwsgZ5AY

This video is a CNN clip about a 52 year old, adult male from U.S who is illiterate, but he learns to read from his children and his literacy coach. This is a very “happy” story because this man tries to learn how to read, he says in the video that when his kids started to learn how to read it encouraged him to start learning with them. Watching this video really made me appreciative of my education, this ties into my topic because I found it shocking that a grown man (in the states) couldn’t read. Watching other videos I found out that America is the dumbest country, which was also very shocking, but I can see it more now after watching other videos, which was comparing us to Asia.

Education Is Important
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVNRh7blzLk

This video is a clip from a Guyanese comedy skit called Agya Koo, this is very funny, because you know, it is not true, but if it were to be really it would be very sad. The man in this video is illiterate; he cannot speak, and communicate with the girl. The girl gets frustrated because she cannot understand him. By the end of the skit, the girl is practically yelling at him to write what he is trying to say down, but the man is still talking to her. At the end of the skit the man “say” that he will hire someone to write what he is saying down. I thought that this part was sad because he looked so confused and frustrated the whole time, which is often what happens to people who are illiterate, now they are so fed up they do not even want to learn.

Fox and the Hound~Lack of Education
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYEWabQoloM

“It’s either education or Elimination” this is a clip from the movie Fox and The Hound. It is where the owl warns the fox not to be friends with the hound because he is a hunting dog. The Owl is telling the Fox that he needs to be educated or else he will die, even though in this case the “education” is about hunting, this relates to my project, because many children and adults who are illiterate die, because of the other problems that illiteracy lead to like poverty, and hunger, and poorness.

Can't Read Write Documentary Illiteracy in Britain John Simm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0M6aGbfY04&feature=related

This is a very moving video. The teacher is one of the greatest in his area. He gets kids engaged, and really is ashamed of his past. In his past years, he let children pass his class who did not deserve it at all, so now he is giving back to his community by teaching a group of adults to read. The two families that they showed in this film really need his help, one woman did not tell her children that she could not read, and could not even go grocery shopping when her child made a list for her. She came back very frustrated. The families that this man is helping are very grateful for him, but some of them get frustrated along the way. This ties into my topic, because it shows that illiteracy not only effects one person, but it effects many and it also show that it isn’t always the persons fault that they cannot read, it could be because their teachers are just passing them instead of taking the time to teach them.

Using Audio Technology to Reduce Global Illiteracy, Poverty
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8tln5Ym3t4&feature=related

This is about a non-profit organization called Literacy Bridge. Literacy Bridge uses audio technology to reduce global illiteracy, poverty, and disease. They take advantage of the knowledge that already exists in developing countries and help them share it. They empower children and adults to share and get knowledge at a cheap price. This is important to my topic because this organization helps children and adult take advantage of knowledge so that the “cycle” does not continue. This cycle will end because educated people are more likely to want to educate their kids.