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    • Welcome
    • Resume
    • Writings: US, 2019-2023
    • Writings: US, 2010-2018
    • Writings: US, 2002- 2010
    • Writings:US/Canada'94-'01
    • Writings: US, 1982-1994
    • Writings: International
  • Welcome
  • Resume
  • Writings: US, 2019-2023
  • Writings: US, 2010-2018
  • Writings: US, 2002- 2010
  • Writings:US/Canada'94-'01
  • Writings: US, 1982-1994
  • Writings: International

Paul Jurmo

Paul JurmoPaul JurmoPaul Jurmo

Writings: International, 1980-2022

Here are writings on basic education for children, youth, and adults in developing countries. Topics include content and methodologies for literacy education, appropriate uses of technologies, and collaborative strategies for involving families and communities.  Also includes reflections on Peace Corps Volunteers.  

NEW: Learning from Basic Education in Developing Countries

  • "Learning from Adult Basic Skills Efforts in Developing Countries" is a PowerPoint presented virtually by Paul Jurmo and David J. Rosen on April 11, 2022 at the 2022 national conference of the Coalition on Adult Basic Education.  It describes how basic education has evolved in developing countries, recent international  guidelines developed for basic education programs, examples of programs in four countries, and lessons that U.S. adult educators might learn from such basic/foundational skills efforts. The presentation draws from "Basic Skills for Community-Oriented Development: A Resource Book for Educators and Other Partners" written by Paul Jurmo in 2021 (available at no charge from ProLiteracy at https://www.proliteracy.org/Portals/0/pdf/Research/White%20Papers/2021-BSFCOD-PJurmo-Resource.pdf?ver=2021-08-04-122813-600 and also directly below on this website. )

COABE learning from developing countries PPT 4-11-22 (pdf)Download

Basic Skills for Community-Oriented Development

  • "Basic Skills for Community-Oriented Development: A Resource Book for Educators and Other Partners" (a) summarizes approaches to basic skills education in developing countries from early colonial to current times; (b) describes recent international guidelines for basic skills programs; (c) describes two dozen basic skills programs for diverse populations of children, youth, and adults, in multiple regions, and integrating basic skills education with a range of other development initiatives; and (d) provides links to dozens of related resource documents and organizations. Published by ProLiteracy's International Division in July 2021, the document is written for educators and other stakeholders who are already operating basic skills programs and/or launching new ones. 

2021-27. 06-PRG-BSFCOD-PJurmo-1407 FINAL (pdf)Download

Reflections for the Museum of the Peace Corps Experience

  • In 2020 Paul Jurmo donated a series of artifacts from his work with the Peace Corps in The Gambia (1976-1979) and Tonga (2012-2017) to the new Museum of the Peace Corps Experience in Washington, DC.  See photos of four of the objects from The Gambia and brief reflections he wrote about them in the accompanying "Peace Corps at 60: Inside the Volunteer Experience" document. This document accompanied the virtual opening of the Museum in March 2021.  (The opening was "virtual" due to the COVID-19 pandemic.)  The writings demonstrate the intercultural understanding and friendship that can be produced by an institution like Peace Corps. 

Museum of the PC Experience (pdf)Download

Pulling Together

  •  A 3-page description of how Peace Corps Volunteers worked in teams with host-country partners and Peace Corps staff to help the Tongan Ministry of Education to reform its English literacy education system.  Appeared in the Fall 2019 issue of “Worldview,” the magazine of the National Peace Corps Association. 

Jurmo Worldview Fall 2019 (pdf)Download

Re-Thinking English Literacy Development in Tonga

  • “Re-Thinking English Literacy Development in Tonga: A Case Study, 2012-2017”. This 14-page article describes the objectives and results of a five-year collaboration of the U.S. Peace Corps and partners from Tonga and other nations to reform literacy education in Tongan primary and middle schools. It recommends actions that policy makers, funders, and other stakeholders can take to support, use, and sustain the kinds of innovations generated in the project. Published in 5 March 2018 edition of UNESCO’s PROSPECTS Journal. 

UNESCO Tonga Case Study by Jurmo, March 2018 (pdf)Download

Peace Corps/Tonga Reader

  • This 75-page compilation of background readings was prepared in August 2017 for Peace Corps Volunteers in Tonga’s English Literacy Project.  Each reading succinctly presents basic information on a topic that a Volunteer might encounter when trying to achieve the project’s goals and objectives. Volunteers could review a particular reading prior to a related training session or when the topic comes up during the Volunteer’s work in the field. 

PC Tonga Reader 8-30-17 (pdf)Download

Tech Tools for Literacy in Tonga

  • “Tech Tools for Literacy in Tonga”: This July 2017 Technical Note describes how Peace Corps Volunteers in Tonga have used various kinds of electronic technologies for instruction, assessment, professional development, and other purposes in a five-year national English Literacy Project.  Also recommends actions that Volunteers, Peace Corps staff, and others can take to further develop such tools. 

Tonga Tech Tools 7-14-17 (pdf)Download

What to Teach & How to Teach It (in Tonga Literacy Project)

  • “What to Teach and How to Teach It (in the Tonga English Literacy Project)”:  A Technical Note prepared for Peace Corps/Tonga, July 2017. Describes how Peace Corps and various partners  (1) defined the range of knowledge, skills, and attitudes to be taught in English literacy education in Tongan primary and middle schools and (2) developed a variety of student-centered instructional practices to actively engage students in the learning process. 

Tonga What & How Teach 7-8-17 (pdf)Download

Atakai ‘o e Ako (The Environment of Learning)

  • “‘Atakai ‘o e Ako” (“The Environment of Learning”):  A Technical Note prepared for Peace Corps/Tonga, June 2017. Presents why and how Tongan schools might work with families and other community stakeholders to create “community learning systems."

Atakai 'o e Ako 6-12-17 (pdf)Download

Idea Book for English Literacy Facilitators

  • “Idea Book for English Literacy Facilitators”: Describes promising practices that emerged in the first three years of a five-year Tongan national literacy reform project co-led by the Tongan Ministry of Education and Training and Peace Corps/Tonga.  July 2015. 

PCTonga_Idea Book 2015_1st Edition (pdf)Download

Review of Evaluation of NZ Upskilling Partnership Programme

  • Review of evaluation report of the New Zealand’s national “Upskilling Partnership Programme” in Adult Basic Education and Literacy Journal, November 2011.

ABEL Journal Nov 2011 New Zealand Review (pdf)Download

Review of “Talking about Literacy" . . .

  • Review of Talking about Literacy:  Principles and Practice of Adult Literacy Education (by British educator Jane Mace).  Review published in Adult Education Quarterly, Vol. 44, No. 1, Fall 1993.

Mace review 1993 Jurmo (pdf)Download

The Freirian Model

  • “The Freirian Model” in Development Communications Report, August 1990. Article discusses principles, examples, and challenges of Freirian approach to literacy education. 

Dev Comm Report 1990-1 Jurmo (pdf)Download

Dialogue Is Not a Chaste Event: Comments by Paulo Freire ...

  • “Dialogue Is Not a Chaste Event: Comments by Paulo Freire on Issues in Participatory Research”: Center for International Education, University of Massachusetts, 1985. An interview with Paulo Freire in which he responded to a case study of an adult basic skills program in Africa which tried to adapt "Freirian" principles and practices. .

Dialogue is Not a Chaste Event (pdf)Download

Multi-Purpose Literacy: Responding to Interests & Contexts

  • “Multi-Purpose Literacy: Responding to the Complex Interests Found in Program Contexts”: This 40-page Comprehensive Paper was written in 1982 by Paul Jurmo as a requirement for his doctoral degree at the University of Massachusetts.  It summarizes six potential purposes for adult literacy programs in the U.S. and other countries and identifies strategies that literacy programs might take to clarify and respond to agreed-upon purposes, for the good of learners and other stakeholders. 

Multi-Purpose Lit'cy 1982 Jurmo comp paper (pdf)Download

Participation: Do Villagers Really Want It?

  • “Participation: Do Villagers Really Want It?”:  An article about the challenges of introducing participatory practices in an African village literacy program (in World Education Reports,  March 1980).  

World Ed Reports 3-80 (pdf)Download

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