Sunday, February 19, 2012
Session 4: Part Two
Discuss elements of a critical literacy program for high school teachers in English and in Social Studies. What resources and strategies would you include in a professional development session with teachers in one of these disciplines? How will you help teachers understand the need to teach and the necessary skills to analyze skills from multiple viewpoints or perspective?
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I feel that elements of critical literacy would probably be the same in both English and in Social Studies. The difference would be in the vehicle, or literature, that the subjects examine. For critical literacy, teachers need to teach students to examine the modern world with a critical eye. The “vehicle” they choose can be a book, song, movie, tv show, pictures, ads, etc. In either subject though, the teacher should be having the students examine and question power issues such as poverty, equity, diversity, education, equality, and family from multiple perspectives. To be critical readers, students need to be taught how to read reflectively, examine the hidden messages in text, and discuss the disparities of the issue between the haves and the have nots.
ReplyDeleteFor staff development, I would introduce teachers to this website: http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/4437. It has a number of great hints on what is needed to promote critical literacy in the classroom. I would then introduce teachers to the most commonly used practices to support critical literacy, which are: reading supplementary texts, reading multiple texts, reading and creating texts from a non-mainstream perspective, having students conduct research on a topic interesting to them, and challenging them to take social action. After a session to discuss what those practices may look like in the classroom, I’d like to have multiple sessions where I can guide and assist teams of teachers in choosing materials and texts that they can use in their curriculum to promote a critical literacy approach.
I think a great way for teachers to understand the need to teach critical literacy is by using examples such as Disney movies or a book like Lies My Teacher Told Me for them to see all the multiple perspectives they can view things from. This may also be a fabulous activity to include in the staff development.
Ruth
I remember looking at Disney movies (was it 603??) and discussing all the different perspectives... interesting stuff! Great way to practice critical thinking.
DeleteI agree with Ruth that the elements of critical literacy would be quite the same for both English and Social Studies: students are reading the texts in an active, reflective manner to better understand the social context. There is a lot of questioning, monitoring, and connecting going on in the mind of the reader throughout the reading. Students are engaged in the text to look at it from multiple perspectives.
ReplyDeleteIn English, I feel that students would be using critical literacy when reading the classics or young adult literature- more novels than non-fiction informative reading. Critical literacy allows the students to look deeper into the story, really looking at the relationships between the characters and seeing the plot from different view points. By reading critically, the reader will try to think about why the author wrote the piece or who was the intended audience... or perhaps the reader will pick up on a message in the text that isn't written. Offering students opportunities to read different pieces from the same time period by different authors would be a great way for students to explore how race, gender, and socio-economic status are painted by authors with different backgrounds.
In Social Studies, I feel that more historical fiction or non-fiction would be used. This would be a great class to offer a "social action" project for the students, where they could reseach aspects of their community, and than create a project to improve that area. Students can look at texts from different periods of time and discuss how views were very different from now- for example, looking at what some authors wrote when segregation in the south was happening. Having the students critically read different texts will allow them to learn more about different time periods and how the views of people have changed.
Like I said, the act of "critical literacy" would look the same in both English and Social Studies- it would just be different texts used. The students are engaged and active readers in both classes- really looking at text from multiple perspectives.
If I were to share about critical literacy for staff development, I would provide teachers with the background information and allow them to hear about the benefits of critical literacy. This could be done with a powerpoint. I would also allow teachers to practice by having a selection ready for them to read, and then walking them through the steps of looking at it from multiple perspectives. I would also include the importance of reading supplementary texts, reading multiple texts, reading from a resistant perspective, having students research, etc. There are many elements that I would share with the staff, and I would think it a good idea to meet for study groups to follow up after the initial staff development to learn more about critical literacy and practice the strategies.
I like how you differentiated the types of texts likely to be used in English and Social Studies.
DeleteOh, and it was 603 that we looked at Disney movies. Now that I have a daughter, I certainly try and steer her towards movies like Tangled, versus Sleeping Beauty :).
Ruth
I like the idea of a social action project in the social studies classroom. There are so many outside influences that could get students to look at the bigger picture. They can research for real time information and compare to different things around the world at different time in history. Being able to see events from different perspectives will helps students see the text in an active and philosophical way and use the critical literacy skills and techniques to see more than just what the text reads.
ReplyDeleteThe definition of Critical literacy is the ability to read texts in an active, reflective manner in order to better understand power, inequality, and injustice in human relationships. Critical Literacy challenges ones perspective into looking at a bigger picture verses being narrow minded and having only one focus. Within this framework, educators would be able to implement a critical literacy program equally into an English and a Social Studies classroom. By allowing students to actively reflect and examine upon the books, novels, fictional and non-fictional materials that they read will allow them to look at the hidden messages that lies within the texts and the author’s perspectives. Using critical thinking will boost students and their understanding in the core content in which they are learning by analyzing different social and political connections that are socialize within our texts.
ReplyDeleteThere are many strategies that can be used in order to educate professionals and help them incorporate the critical literacy program inside their classroom. Several strategies include: choose readings or listening, speaking, or writing activities that are relevant and interesting for learners, be aware that multiple interpretations of information and different points of view may or may not be represented in classroom texts, materials, and discussions, so choose activities in which learners must consider a variety of perspectives, prompt learners to examine how their own experiences and values relate to and influence their approaches to topics, balance instruction in basic literacy skills (decoding, vocabulary building, predicting, summarizing) with practice in critical analysis skills, and finally use authentic texts so that you can outside look and perspectives on materials. A full list of strategies can be found on http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/.
I like the idea of a social action project in the social studies classroom that Marni mention in her explanation. I have seen several schools where the Language Arts and Social Studies classes are combined for a “real adult life” scenario. The students get married, have kids, get jobs, and pay bills so that they can see the economical aspect of real life after school or maybe even high school (for some students that become pregnant). It is definitely an interesting concept.
I believe that teachers are always looking for new ways to teach a variety of content especially English and Social Studies. By getting them involved in finding supplemental readings, research studies, and looking at different personal experiences and expectations, educators will be able to better accommodate the aspect of the critical thinking and analyzing in the literacy program.
I agree that critical literacy would be similar, if not the same, for both English and Social Studies (history). Students need to be presented with the skills "to read texts and books in an active and reflective manner". This would help them understand more how to interpret the messages of an author with a more critical eye and encourage the students to question what they are reading about different societal issues. To assist students in gaining their own power to think authentically themselves instead of just retaining what book, teacher, text, story, song, etc. is saying will open up dialogue about issues that are important to them and their lives. We need to learn and adjust to becoming facilitators and not just information givers. Linda Pulchinski
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