Candice CarmichaelOctober 11, 2011C&T 820

Annotated Bibliography: Critical Literacy

1. Critical Literacy: Challenges and Questions for ESL Classrooms.By: Jennifer Hammond

Hammond, J. (1999). Critical literacy: Challenges and questions for ESL classrooms. TESOL Quarterly, 33, 528-544.

This article describes a case study done in Australia in a high school Biology class. In this study, the science teacher implemented critical literacy into their unit on human reproduction. The article defines critical literacy as “assisting students in developing insights into the ways ideologies, identities, and power relations work in society.” This teacher developed lessons that would encourage students to engage critically and analytically with written texts. She presented the class first with the basic scientific information on human reproduction and then began extending into more critical aspects of the field. By having the students study the moral and ethical issues present in our society today with developments in genetic engineering. The class studied and critically analyzed how the news media reported scientific developments, emphasizing the relationship between science and society. In addition, the teacher focused on metalanguage, and encouraged the class to think and talk about the vocabulary and terms present in this particular unit. While the unit did engage students in critical literacy and analysis, it was very extensive. The unit became a ten week long project, which could be problematic in classrooms where time is limited because of issues such as state testing.

I found this article to be very helpful in applying to my own inquiry based curriculum plan. It was interesting to see how critical literacy could be applied to such a variety of fields, and going beyond the basic reading and writing units. My inquiry unit is on the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960’s, with an emphasis on segregation and desegregation. Using the ideas presented within this article, I would like to have students read about the different perspectives and opinions surrounding the movement at the time. I would provide them with newspaper articles that might exhibit a bias or opinion on the issues during this time and have students discuss and analyze them in groups. I would also like to incorporate a section on the Jim Crow laws, where students could read the laws and analyze them in terms of fairness and human rights. Then, I would like to incorporate a final project where students could look at civil rights issues that are occurring today. I might introduce them to several issues today, and then encourage them to choose one and research it.

2. Learning Language and Critical Literacy: Adolescent ESL StudentsBy: Jennifer Alford

Alford, J. (2001). Learning language and critical literacy: Adolescent ESL students. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 45, 238-242.

This article also addressed the issue of critical literacy in classrooms in Australia. Here, in the state of Queensland, critical literacy has been included into the state curriculum and design rather than an optional teaching method. In this article, the author addresses how the language, layout, and images of texts effect students as readers. The article explains that most texts that are introduced to students (both native English speakers and English language learners) is Western literature, and the importance of giving students the opportunity to self select text. Interestingly, in this article, the author also addresses issues related to teaching critical literacy to ESL students. Unfortunately, she explains, published research into the needs and experiences of ESL students engaging in critical literacy is scant. Our existing secondary literacy research does not fully address the demands of the diverse groups of students and communities that educators serve. Another interesting issue the author presents is that many ESL students may come from a culture where critical literacy is not encouraged. Rather, memorization and reproduction is rewarded and submission to text may be the preferred reader response.

The issues presented in this article with critical literacy were not ones that I had anticipated, so it was interesting to read about them. While critical literacy does emphasize the importance of being culturally responsive as teachers, it is equally important to be aware of the educational styles these students may have come from. In terms of my own curriculum plan, some information from this article that I intend on applying to my lessons is the importance of building background knowledge. The article encourages teachers to brainstorm with students what they already know about the topic. If the information is new to them, teachers should connect students to it through images and video clips. Then the article encourages teachers to allow students to explore related issues or choose an issue that the teacher has introduced. This can then be applied to what they are reading. In my unit plan, I would like to begin each lesson with an anticipatory activity to engage students and connect them to what we are learning. For example, when I begin the unit, I would do an activity that simulates what segregation would like in the classroom. I would do this by handing each student a card (red or blue) and separating them based on what color card they receive. In addition, I would like to expand their knowledge on the civil rights movement and segregation by allowing them to do a research project at the end of the unit on an issue or person of their choice.

3. Critical Literacy in a Primary Multiliteracies Classroom: The Hurricane GroupBy: Penny Silvers, Mary Shorey, and Linda Crafton

Silvers, P, Shorey, M, & Crafton, L. (2010). Critical literacy in a primary multiliteracies classroom: The hurricane group. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 10, 379-409.

This article described a first grade classroom’s study on Hurricane Katrina, specifically they completed a social injustice inquiry study surrounding the event. A small group of students from the classroom worked with the teacher who raised critical questions, presented alternative perspectives, and encouraged multimedia responses from the students. This article particularly focused on moving beyond print literacy and using new technologies and venues to encourage students to present their ideas. For example, in this unit students used the internet, drew pictures, dramatized stories, painted their interpretation of a story, and sang songs and listened to music. In New Orleans, Jazz and Blues are in important part of the culture, so the teacher incorporated this into the student’s study. The teacher in this class based her teaching on the theory that “a critical literacy curriculum makes diversity and difference visible and helps teach children to critique their world, examine their own assumptions and beliefs, and take on new identities as they try to make a difference through social action.” The students that participated in this unit of study were only in the first grade, but the teacher maintained that all learners, regardless of their age need the opportunity to explore and think critically about the world around them.

There are several points from this article that I would like to apply to my own inquiry based curriculum plan. Firstly, I liked how the teacher in the article was explicit about informing her students that it is important to ask critical questions as they analyze what they read. The students were conscious throughout the unit that they were thinking critically and participating in critical literacy. In addition, the teacher presented several questions to incorporate into critical literacy that I would like to include in my own unit. These questions were: 1. Whose voice/ voices are heard in the reading, and whose are absent?2. What does the author/ illustrator want the reader to think/ understand?3. What is an alternative to the author/ illustrator’s message?4. How will a critical reading of this text help me change my views or actions in relation to other people?I would specifically like to incorporate these questions into my lesson on Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I have a Dream” speech. I would like students to both read the speech and watch the video of Dr. Martin Luther King presenting it in Washington D.C and then discuss these questions. Finally, I would like to follow this teacher’s example and present students with multiple media representations of information.

4. English Class or Speaking about Everything Class? Dialogue Journal Writing as a Critical EFL Literacy Practice in an Iranian High School.By: Ghahremani-Ghajar, Sue-san, Mirhosseini, and Seyyed Abdolhamid

Ghahremani, G., San, S., Mirhosseini, & Abdolhamid, S. (2005). English class or speaking about everything class? Dialogue journal writing as critical EFL literacy practice in an Iranian high school. Language, Culture, and Curriculum. 18, 286-299.

This article was written based on a study of thirty 16 year old high school students from Tehran. Throughout the year, these students wrote a total of over 600 dialogue journals for critical literacy. These writings varied from reflections on classroom topics, to feelings about national holidays and school subjects, to favorite authors. The study found that this journal writing helped empower learners by providing them with opportunities to express their voice. In addition, dialogue journaling led to gains in critical self-reflective EFL writing ability. Through these journal entries, students met the joint goals of developing communicative language abilities while developing a critical understanding of the world. The teacher viewed writing as an act of exploring social issues and thereby engaging in critical literacy.

This article highlights the importance of writing in critical literacy, and it is something I would like to incorporate into my inquiry based curriculum plan. The article concludes that students will consistently take the opportunity to speak out and this gives them a great sense of empowerment. Within my curriculum, I would like students to research present day issues of prejudice and social injustices. After their research and analysis of Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I have Dream” speech, I would like students to create their own “I have a Dream” speeches. This will allow them to engage in critical literacy by analyzing issues in the world today, and then writing about how they would like to change them. In addition, I would like to gives students an opportunity to express their opinions on the subject matter and the lessons themselves in journal entries. I think that this will allow them to express themselves without concern of what their classmates may think. This would also give me an opportunity to assess student knowledge, address questions, and assess the effectiveness of my own teaching strategies.

5. Teachers Texts in Culturally Responsive TeachingBy: Ted Kesler

Kesler, T. (2011). Teachers’ texts in culturally responsive teaching. Language Arts. 88, 419-428.

This article discusses a third grade teacher’s unit on family trees, and the issues he came across with the texts and information used to teach this unit. The texts that he was using were functioning from dominant cultural norms and assumed certain family trees. He encountered issues with these texts when a student who was adopted confronted him with difficulties she was having creating a family tree that met the dimensions of the ones he had shown in class. The article shows how critical literacy might inform culturally responsive practices and encourage more inclusive teaching for all students. The article defines culturally responsive as students learning best when academic skills and content are all situated within the student’s frame of reference and lived experiences.

One of the most important ideas that I took from this article is that “literacy entails reading both the word and the world.” When we as teachers, introduce children to literacy and text, we are also introducing them to social ideas, practices, beliefs, and information within the world. It is important that we encourage students to think critically about the texts they are reading instead of just accepting it blindly. In addition, it is our responsibility as teachers to introduce them to a diverse selection of texts and ideas. This is a large component of connecting students to the material and encouraging engagement. To implement this theory into my curriculum, I would like to give the students an opportunity to look at a variety of primary resources from the Civil Rights Movement. I would encourage discussion of the opinions presented within these texts and the opinions the class may have of them. In addition, I would like to start each lesson with an anticipatory or engagement activity that will help the students connect to the material.