About
“It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education.” — Albert Einstein
What is The First Teacher Framework? The term, “First Teacher,” is borrowed from the saying, “parents are a child’s first teacher.” It refers to the vital role adults (female AND male) play in raising the next generation of decision makers. Simply put — educated adults raise educated children — hence my belief that adult learning should be a priority in every education system around the world. The “framework” refers to this blog – a space for public discussion of ideas on how to create new systems of adult education. These systems I talk about will appear in a number of contexts: American, international, rural, urban, community based education programs, community colleges, and other post-secondary institutions.
About the author My name is Halona Y. Black, M.Ed. (formerly known as Halona Agouda) and I am an advisor at a community college in the DC metropolitan area. Everyone who knows me understands that my greatest passions are learning, food, and international travel. I am particularly passionate about educating people who have historically been excluded from participating in formal education for a myriad of reasons. I got my start in adult education as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Togo, West Africa teaching literacy and basic business skills to women in agricultural cooperatives. The Peace Corps led to other opportunities for me to do similar work in Mali and Ghana as well as manage international education projects involving Haiti and Afghanistan, just to name a few. I have also been highly involved with literacy and workforce development projects in DC as a teacher, training facilitator, and program manager.
Education I am researching ways to improve developmental education and learning assistance centers in community colleges. I received my M.Ed. at UMass Amherst’s Center for International Education where I wrote a thesis titled, “Globalize Me: The Rural Woman’s Struggle for Socio-Economic Inclusion in West Africa.” I also did a graduate certificate in adult education at the University of DC. I completed my B.A. at Rutgers University in Newark, NJ in Theater Arts and Video Production.
Teaching I currently teach a First Year Seminar course at the Community College of DC. I have taught basic writing and math at Montgomery County College in Maryland. The bulk of my teaching has been done in community based nonprofit organizations teaching college and career development, ABE to GED, and computer literacy courses with nontraditional students.
Amateur Chef Hahaha! That’s right, I’m an amateur chef. I enjoy spending Sunday afternoons coming up with menus for the week, perusing the aisles of my favorite grocery stores, and reading food blogs. I’ve dedicated 2011 to learn more about food photography, Indian cuisine, and breadmaking (way harder than I thought it would be…). If you are interested, you can take a look at my new food blog, Garlic & Lemons!
