GRDG620 Nature & Acquisition
of Literacy
Week 9: Critical Literacy and Media Literacy
Dr. Gloria E. Jacobs
Agenda
Feedback on Essays
 Minilecture on Critical Literacy
 Group Discussions
 Break
 Book Club Planning
 Next Week’s Readings
 Literacy Artifact Review

Feedback on Essays
Citing throughout a paragraph
 Synthesizing readings
 Connecting concepts
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Dimensions of Critical Literacy
Disrupting the commonplace
& questioning taken-for- granted
practices
Interrogating multiple viewpoints
Focusing on sociopolitical issues
Taking action and promoting
social justice
From Heffernan & Lewison (2004)
Critical literacy: An Overview
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Paulo Freire: Reading the word and the world
◦ Pedagogy of the Oppressed (Freire, 1970),
 Banking model of education versus Problem Posing
 Action (praxis) and reflection (reflexivity)
◦ Based on assumption of class struggle and oppression

Australian Model
◦ Begins with examination of texts
◦ Does not assume oppression
◦ Deconstruction/Reconstruction cycle
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Social constructionist view of knowledge.
 No neutral position from which truth claims can be made.
 What counts as evidence, facts or data varies from group to group
 Evidence and knowledge claims influenced by the status of the
advocates and the impact of the truth on the community.
What is Critical Literacy?
 Analyzes
issues or topics in different ways
 Suggests possibilities for change or improvement.
 A component of the struggle for a better society with an
explicit ideological focus on issues of inequity as related to
race, gender, class, linguistic variations, and sexual orientation
(McKenna, 2006).
 Literacy that brings with it the freedom to explore and act on
our past, present and future. (Shannon, 1995).
 People using language to exercise power, to enhance
everyday life in schools and communities, and to question
practices of privilege and injustice (Comber, 2001).
Tenets of critical literacy
Issues
include gender, queer theory, fairness, media
representation of information, power and control
and positions taken by governments and institutions.
Meanings are never neutral, as they always reflect
particular perspective of individuals or groups.
Not all meanings or truths are created equal. Some
meanings carry more privilege or power.
Official knowledge are versions of the truth
privileged by people in power or mainstream.
Tenents of Critical Literacy
 Just
as individuals have multiple identities, texts have
many layers of meaning and their interpretation
depends on the individual’s background, unique
experiences, race, social class, gender among others.
 Students need to read a variety of texts that discuss
critical issues and use them as a springboard for
discussions.
 Students need opportunities to question, counter or
agree with texts of various kinds and give reasons for
their stances.
 Teachers need to select thought-provoking texts to
generate critical discussions, not books that end with
“they lived happily ever after.”
Small Group Discussion
Questions
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Texts are not so much to be comprehended in the traditional sense
but rather interpreted and critiqued for the perspective they
represent…(Kucer, p. 235). What can this look like in the classroom
at various grade levels? (guided reflection question 1)
How did Vasquez navigate critical literacy in her classroom? What
aspect of critical literacy did she facilitate? (guided reflection
question 2)
What does changing participation in a participatory culture look
like, and what the implications are for literacy acquisition and
learning. (guided reflection question 3)
How can participatory culture and digital media support the goals
of critical literacy?
Critical literacy in the classroom
Literature that deals with social issues e.g. bullying,
theft, racism, stereotyping, marginalization,
disobedience, divorce, etc. Let students critically
respond to these texts.
Discussion of issues pertaining to social justice.
Help students to discuss, interrogate and expose
hidden and taken for granted assumptions so as to
transform students understanding of text.
Multiple perspectives in students’ response
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While encouraging students to draw from background
knowledge, teacher intervention is required when such
experiences run counter to the promotion of just and
equitable classroom e.g. writing workshop.
Reading different perspectives.
Writing in authentic contexts on authentic issues.
Bridging the participation gap and supporting
students in learning 21st century skills
Critical Media Literacy
Participatory Culture
 Focus on opportunities for learning 21st
century skills, not what technologies to
use

Break
Book Circles
Requirements
 Meet with your group to plan your
reading schedule, determine online
sharing/discussion platform
 Meeting and jigsaw sharing on 11/22
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Next Week
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Reading:
◦ Baron, D. (2001). From pencils to pixels: The stages of literacy
technologies.
◦ Larson & Marsh (2005), Chapter 4 -- Do not read
◦ Lankshear, C., & Knobel, M. (2003). New literacies: Changing
knowledge and classroom learning. Chapter 1
◦ Agreed upon section of Literature Circle Book

Writing:
◦ Baron annotation
◦ Lankshear & Knobel annotations

Literacy Artifact Review Presentations
Literacy Artifact Review: now – End
See syllabus for details
 Presentations – use presentation style
consistent with the era you are
presenting

◦ Create something only your group could do
◦ Examples:
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Museum displays with docents
Digital stories, podcasts
Simulations
ANYTHING EXCEPT POWERPOINT TALKS!