Thinking about what critical literacy means to people in different places and contexts... I was reading through some documents for a school improvement and teacher training program in Bosnia-Hercegovina. For a practicum, some students from my program will be travelling there, with faculty members to perform a formative evaluation. The focus of much of the teacher training was based on a program that attempts to develop critical thinking in students through reading and writing. The basis of the training program was developed by an organization in NY and is to be adapted by trainers and educators to suit the needs of the country.
This brings up a lot of questions. What would critical literacy entail in Bosnia-Hercegovina? What is the situation with children's literature there? I'm sure there is plenty of it, but what are the underlying messages, biases and perspectives? What other texts are children reading?
More importantly, what are the dangers in critical literacy? If we ask students to enquire, be critical, take action, is there a support network in place? Imagine for example, opening discussions about recent history texts in the context of post-conflict Bosnia-Hercegovina. Texts are most certain to be biased in someway, and will probably always seem so to at least one of the different ethnic/religious groups. This is a very heavy topic to address in a classroom(or anywhere), and could also create issues for the students with their families and communities outside the school. This is just one example if how critical literacy and discussion of sensitive topics could have unintended effects, and may not always present the opportunity for students to carry through with the valuable step of social action.
As critical literacy and critical thinking become integrated in school reform initiatives around the world, I think educators have to carefully consider the ethical considerations in different contexts. I'm not talking about students getting into trouble by oppressive regimes or anything like that. I'm talking about how their peers, families and local societal structures may react to new ideas and opinions generated by the students. For example, exploring literature and discussing gender inequalities in Georgia, a country where I taught, was very delicate. Girls could explore the societal enequalities and roles and how they felt about it, but outside that safe environment the roles were imposed on them without much personal say in the matter. I'm not saying educators should avoid difficult topics, not at all. However, educators need to at least consider what their students are up against outside the classroom. Now that I think about it, it would be interesting to consider any ethical concerns about implementing critical literacy curriculum in US schools. Are there concerns for students well-being when they participate in critical literacy and consequent social action? What happens when their families/communities aren't supportive? Perhaps it's not a major concern, but it's something to think about.
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3 comments:
Let me start from the premise that there is most definitely a relationship between language and power and knowledge as power. Schools are one site for accessing languages of power (when teachers choose to do this) and knowledge so in some case the very participation for some children, in the enterprise of schooling can be alienating. Think for instance of immigrant families, families where English is not spoken as the first language, or children who come to the US from oppressive regimes and so forth.
On the one hand, critical literacy (which is different from critical thinking) is sometimes seen as controversial because it's a perspective on learning that is not part of the dominant discourse of school.
On the other hand, you are right, CL can create instances of learning that can put students in positions of vulnerability.
I think before we engage our students in any kind of learning experience or event, we first must know as much as we can about that child, the community in which the child lives etc. With critical literacy there are always a plethora of possible topics and issues to take up so my suggestion would be to work in areas that don't make your students vulnerable. At leas this is one way to avoid possible dangers.
Thanks for a very thoughtful comment!
vivian
I have strong emotions about your blog post: i am not sure whether i love it, hate it, or both. I was most struck by the last paragraph addressing cultural sensitivity and literacy within the U.S. Each state and county has its own vibe and culture. It is amazing what students will say to each other in one district and how that will be completely opposite in another. I am struggling with being able to identify with my students. My background is different from theirs and my rules of right/wrong are different from theirs. Where is the line? Can I draw one? My students often use racially insensitive jokes in class, but that is the norm here. I am attempted to admonish the students, but that is ok here. But I still feel that the issue should be pushed and addressed. Being uncomfortable means that you need to think and reconsider your thoughts, ideas, and options. Good post!
I was most intrigued by your questions, "what are the dangers in critical literacy". It never really clicked that there could be anything troublesome about criticla literacy, but then, that is sometimes an unintended effect. You may mean well, but it doesn't always end up well. Good post. I really enjoyed it.
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