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Critical Literacy. Critical Literacy. Related to critical pedagogy and social justice work of Paulo Freire (Freire, 1998) The active and often resistant engagement with texts (broadly defined) (Stevens & Bean, 2007) A process aimed at exploring (and disrupting) issues of power (Foucault, 1977)
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Critical Literacy • Related to critical pedagogy and social justice work of Paulo Freire (Freire, 1998) • The active and often resistant engagement with texts (broadly defined) (Stevens & Bean, 2007) • A process aimed at exploring (and disrupting) issues of power (Foucault, 1977) • A cultural practice directly related to citizenship and democracy (Harper & Bean, 2006) • Dr. Allan Luke Lecture • on Critical Literacy • http://blip.tv/presenting/dr-allanlukeseg5-3020955
Critical Literacy is: • One of four processes readers need (Luke & Freebody, 1990): • Code breaker • Meaning maker • Text user • Text critic (critical literacy) Critical literacy involves deconstruction of texts “with an eye toward elements of historical, social, and political contexts that permeate and foreground any text” (Stevens & Bean, 2007, p. 9).
Disrupt & Critique • Critical Literacy seeks to: • Disrupt and critique • Provoke multiple interpretations • Critique essentialist, simplistic views of issues, people, and things • For example, class, gender, and ethnic stereotyping • “People in that neighborhood are like that….”
Critical Literacy Habits of Mind In any discourse: • Who has their views represented? • Who is privileged? • Who is left out or silenced? • What social, political, economic, gender, and ethnicity elements are at play? (Stevens & Bean, 2007)
Texts are Social Constructions • Texts are never neutral • Texts can be: • Deconstructed and • Reconstructed through: • Critical questions and discussion
“Zesty”??? Or Sexist? “Once you go Italian you never go back..” ~ Kraft Italian Dressing Commercial
Action Steps • Start small: incorporate critical literacy questions into lessons using pop culture • Bridge to other content material (e.g. textbooks, articles etc.) • Bring Awareness to positioning and impact of images and messages. • Deconstruct and reconstruct texts with your students
Your turn… • For our next class – • This time we “deconstructed” images of gender roles and race. • Next time we will “reconstruct” these images through critical literacy: • Bring in a text that you feel could be used from a critical literacy perspective for the grade level you would like to teach that reconstructs a negative stereotype.
References • Bean, T. W., & Harper, H. J. (in press). Exploring notions of freedom in young adult literature. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy. • Cervetti, G., Damico, J. S., & Pardeles, M. J. (2001). A tale of differences: Comparing the traditions, perspectives, and educational goals of critical reading and critical literacy. Reading Online (On-line). Available: http://www.reading.org • Foucault, M. (1977). Power/Knowledge: Selected interviews and otherwritings. New York: Pantheon. • Friedman, T. L. (2005). The world is flat: A brief history of the twenty-first century. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. • Freire, P., (1998). Pedagogy of freedom: Ethics, democracy, and civiccourage. New York: Rowman & Littlefield. • Harper, H. J., & Bean, T. W. (2006). Fallen angels: Finding adolescents and adolescent literacy (ies) in a project of democratic citizenship. In D. E. Alvermann, K. Hinchman, D. W. Moore, S. Phelps, & D. Waff (Eds.), Reconceptualizing the literacies in adolescents’ lives (2nd ed.), (pp. 147-160). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
References Cont’d • Lankshear, C., & Knobel, M. (2002). Do we have your attention? New literacies, digital technologies, and the education of adolescents. In D. E. Alvermann (Ed.), Adolescents and literacies in a digital world (pp. 19-39). New York: Peter Lang. • Luke, A., & Freebody, P. (1999). Further notes on the four resources model. Reading Online (On-line). Available: http://www.readingonline.org/research/lukefreebody.htm • Malloy, R. (2006, April). Itronix Hummer Laptop: The in-your-face status symbol for the ultimate road warrior. Laptop, pp. 146-147. • Martin, T. (1999). Essential Surrealists. London, England: Parragon. • Mazda. (2004). ‘05 Mazda Miata: Zoom-zoom. Irvine, CA: Mazda North American Operations. • Stevens, L. P., & Bean, T. W. (2007). Critical literacy: Context, research, and practice in the K-12 classroom. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.