Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current, March 11, 1998, Image 20

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What is
Study
Technology?
L. Ron Hubbard developed Study
Technology which teaches a person
HO W to learn.
Students are not taught how to leant
in school. They are expected to learn
their basics and their subjects but are
never taught what learning is, what
barriers they might run into and how to
overcome such barriers.
What are the primary symptoms
of study barriers?
Common ones are:
A student losing interest in a subject
or his studies.
A lack o f understanding o f what is
being taught.
Feeling blank and stupid.
Studying the theory but not being
able to apply what was learned.
Forgetting what is learned.
Unruliness and discipline problems.
Dropping out and quitting learning
altogether.
What is Study Technology ?
Study Technology directly addresses
these symptoms.
It is not a study aid, memorization
technique or speed reading.
Study Technology provides, for the
first time, the tools for a student to be
able to study and understand fu lly any
subject.
It is not rote learning, but actual
understanding o f the material and an
ability to apply what is learned.
Study Technology identifies three
primary barriers to learning which helps
a student overcome his difficulties.
It even establishes aptitude by
enabling the student to become an
independent and eager learner, who
loves to study and thereby learn how to
do new things.
Study Technology is not
complicated or hard to learn. Hundreds
o f thousands o f people in schools and
communities around the world are
using this brand new approach to
learning.
This method is applauded because
o f its sim plicity and effectiveness.
im h m m
Eradicating
Illiteracy:
Isaac Hayes
Speaks Out
S o lv in g o u r com m unities ’
greatest challenge
he fact th at a g reat m any
in c lu d e d fo r m e r
sc h o o l c h ild re n c a n n o t
gang
m e m b e rs,
read at b asic lev els is a adults w ho had been
tro u b lin g statistic, o n e that ad d icted to d ru g s,
b o d es tro u b le fo r o u r c u l­ and men and w om en
ture. P eo p le w h o are not literate
w h o had b een liv ­
lack a basic ability that en ab
ing les on the streets.
Isaac Hayes
th em to be resp o n sib le fo r th e m ­
A gainst all odds,
selves an d others. A s a resu lt, they
th e s e p e o p le h ad
d o not h av e h o p e— and
ch an g ed th eir lives for
w ith o u t h o p e, th ey are
the better. O ne fo r o n e,
not eth ical.
they told m e w h at had
Illiteracy is the evil
"I am
tu rn ed th eir lives aro u n d
th a t lie s b e h in d the
—
L. R on H u b b a rd ’s
convinced that
p ro b lem s o f o u r in n er
S tu d y T echnology.
the single
cities. U ntil it is e lim i­
T h is
w a sn ’t ju s t
nated , m illio n s o f y o u n g
an o th er w ell-intentioned,
greatest
p eo p le w ill live as v irtu ­
but ultim ately ineffective
challenge
al ex iles in th eir ow n
p ro ject. 1 saw liv in g
facing the
society, u n ab le to p ro ­
lig h tn in g . T h e re su lts
vide a d ecen t life for
spoke for them selves.
community
th e m s e lv e s an d th e ir
B illy W rig h t cam e
today is the
fam ilies.
to Rev. Jo h n so n fro m a
In 1994, I d is c o v ­
h o m eless shelter, fu n c ­
eradication of
ered a w ay to en d the
tio n a lly illite ra te an d
illiteracy."
terrib le toil th at illitera­
su ffe rin g
th e
a fte r­
effects o f dru g ab u se. In
cy tak es on in d ividual
— Isaac Hayes
lives. I w as in v ited to
less th a n a y ear, he
im p ro v e d h is re a d in g
v isit a literacy p ro ject
c o m p re h e n sio n to c o lleg e level
fo u n d e d
by
th e
R e v e re n d
A lfred d ie Jo h n so n , a B ap tist m in ­ an d passed an en tran ce ex am for
n u rse training.
ister from C o m p to n . T he students
T
Kathy Johnson from Columbia Academy works with her students.
Teachers Welcome Tools
for Effective Learning
m erica’s educational cri­ why they drop out o f school and why
sis is not confined to the they turn to violence and drugs.
classroom . Educational Against this backdrop o f confusion,
failures play out on the the solutions offered have included
streets as gang violence, such drastic measures as drugging
drug abuse and teen pregnancy.
students w ho have “attention deficit
T eachers, adm inistrators and disorder” and lifetime prison sen­
parents cry out for reform, yet the tences for young offenders.
question rem ains, reform w hat—
Yet according to many working
and how ? For to com bat illiteracy on the grassroots
decades, ed u ca­ level, there is a way to ensure that
tors and policy students succeed. Known as Study
m ak ers
h a v e Technology, it is the culm ination o f
argued about the twenty-five years research into the
reasons why chil­ field o f education by author and
dren and young hum anitarian L. Ron H ubbard.
adults can’t read. C om m unity centers, tutoring pro­
A
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gram s and schools throughout the
w orld have used Mr. H ub b ard 's
methods since the 1970s. And they
are used increasingly by teachers in
public schools.
“Look at the high failure rates o f
o ur schools,” said Don Woods, a
high school teacher. "F rustrated
teachers. School boards w restling
desperately with the issues o f the day
and with the futures that await stu­
dents. These bad things don’t have to
continue. If o n e know s Study
Technology, one know s w hy all o f
these things are so, and what to do
about them "
To date, more than 3 million
teachers and students have participat­
ed in program s utilizing Mr.
Hubbard's technology— in over 200
organizations in 29 countries on six
continents. From inner-city learning
centers to college preparatory schools,
students and teachers are finally able
to reach and understand each other.
Applied Scholastics is the non­
profit organization that has spear­
headed the broad use o f the Study
Technology. Headquartered in Los
Angeles, it has affiliated offices in
C anada,
M exico,
the
U nited
Kingdom, South Africa, Venezuela,
Australia, Malaysia, China, Russia
and throughout Europe.
ONE TEACHER'S STORY:
Kathy Johnson of Portland's
Columbia Academy
Like so m any other teachers,
Kathy Johnson enthusiastically start­
ed her college career in order to
obtain a degree in teaching so she
could make a difference in the lives
o f children.
D espite her good intentions,
K athy becam e disillusioned soon
after she had taken her college ed u ­
and students in the Compton World Literacy Crusade center.
V erlin L ew is w a s a fo rm e r
g a n g m e m b e r w h o to ld m e th at
th e s e tu to rs stu ck w ith h im u n til
he w o k e up a n d re a liz e d th at he
c o u ld learn . H e h ad g o tte n in to
d ru g s an d g a n g -b a n g in g , an d g o t
h im s e lf sh o t. A ll o f th a t is in th e
p a s t now . V erlin now h a s a
s te a d y jo b , a n d c an p ro v id e fo r
h im s e lf in an e th ic a l, p ro d u c tiv e
m a n n e r. H e h as g o n e fro m b e in g
a g a n g m e m b e r to m a n a g e r o f a
fast fo o d re s ta u ra n t in n o rth e rn
C a lifo rn ia .
W h en Rev. Jo h n so n asked m e
to be the International S pokesm an
for the W orld L iteracy C rusade, 1
realized that I had found the w ay to
fulfill m y dream s fo r o u r c o m m u ­
nity and for children ev eryw here.
T h is d ream began fo r m e during
m y o w n involvem ent in the early
d ay s o f the C ivil R ights m o v e­
m ent, m arch in g w ith Dr. King.
S in ce a ss u m in g th e ro le , o f
sp o k esp erso n , I’ve w orked c o n tin ­
uously to get the m essage out in
e v e ry w ay I can. W ord ab o u t
S tudy T ech n o lo g y and the W orld
L iteracy C ru sad e has spread, and
to d a te m o re th a n 3 0 W orld
L iteracy C ru sa d e ™ cen te rs have
b e e n e s ta b lis h e d in th e US
(in c lu d in g P o rtla n d ), C a n a d a ,
G reat B ritain and A ustralia.
I am co n v in c e d that the single
g re a te st c h a lle n g e facing the c o m ­
m u n ity to d ay is the e ra d icatio n o f
illite ra c y .
S tu d y
T ec h n o lo g y
sm ash es illiteracy, an d p ro d u ces
d ra m a tic , life -c h a n g in g re s u lts .
D o n ’t let an y o n e tell you d ifferen t.
Isaac Hayes
/ ntemationa! Spokesperson
World Literacy Crusade
cation into a real classroom setting.
In hindsight, she states, "I realized
there’s not going to be a 100 percent
success rate and so there’s an apathy
that I went through and that I think a
lot o f the teachers go through."
“Resources are needed that provide
A fter four years in the public
teachers with materials to teach students
school system, Kathy heard o f an
deeper reading strategies. I believe that
opening at C olum bia Academy, an
L. Ron Hubbard's materials provide a
A pplied Scholastics school in
valuable resource that is not currently
covered in the K-12 curriculum.”
Portland. She knew nothing o f the
Sandra Chapman M.A.
Study Technology when she walked
Heading Specialist/Curriculum
in the door. But after touring the
Writer
classroom s her original enthusiasm
“As an adult basic skills educator
for teaching was rekindled.
and family literacy specialist, I work
Johnson recalled, "The kids were
with adults and families who have
excited. They were really into their
withdrawn from learning and
studies. They didn’t need the teacher
participation in school, work and
to tell them to get back to study every
society. One thing I notice that they
tw o seconds, because they wanted to
have in common are concepts that
be there."
they don't fully understand. For
The mysteiy o f how to handle a
example, they say, ‘I can’t do math!’
difficult student was resolved when
or ‘I hate math'... this started in the
she learned to use the Study
third grade when multiplication and
fractions entered the scene. Study
Technology herself. One o f her stu­
Technology works for any subject
dents "had a really tough time in
area and for all age groups. I’ve
math— she couldn't even confront
never met a person who can't learn,
math.” said Johnson. After a year and
but I’ve met a number who say they
a half at Columbia Academy, using
can’t. Families need literacy for
Study Technology, this student began
success."
to like the subject. “All o f a sudden she
Virginia Tardaewether
wanted to do math all the time. She's
Training Specialist
now really bright and very capable."
National Center for Family
Such stories are not uncommon.
literacy, Portland
O ne seven-year-old had been
labeled as som eone w ho w ould
A nother student. Jessica, a third
“never be able to read," by his second grader, cam e to C olum bia Academy
grade teacher. Testing by Colum bia in constant fear o f m aking a mistake
Academy revealed his reading ability or being wrong. After learning Study
to be at kindergarten level. After 6 Technology she becam e “excited
months o f learning to read using about learning and confident in her­
Study Technology, his reading level self,” said her mother. Jessica herself
had improved by more than one year. had this to say: “ Before I knew about
“He was reading with enjoym ent," Study Technology I was confused
his mother said. "H e began to read and didn't understand things. Study
everything he could get his hands Tech helps get things cleared up so I
really understand."
on— even the newspaper!"