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State University of New York
Graduate School of Education
Fall 2013
Critical Literacies
EDUC 680N
Meets Thursdays in AB234 from 4:40 – 7:10 p.m.
Course Instructor:
Bogum Yoon, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Literacy Education
Office: AB-238
Phone: (607) 777-3325
Email: byoon@binghamton.edu
Office Hours: Mons & Thurs: 3–4 & by appointment.
Graduate Assistant:
Rukhsar Sharif
Doctoral student in Educational Theory & Practice
Email: rsharif1@binghamton.edu
Course Overview
We have all heard that literacy is power. But who holds the power and in what
contexts? Critical literacy provides a framework for exploring the power relations
inherent in interactions with texts of all types, both in school environments (in the U.S.
and internationally) where students are likely to be engaged in “academic literacies” and
in a range of out-of-school literacy interactions. How do texts position us as readers to
think and act in certain ways? How can we as teachers facilitate discussions that
include critical examinations of texts and contexts? This course will provide
opportunities for students to reflect critically on a wide range of literacies, with
opportunity for each student to choose a specific area of focus (such as a specific content
area, country, grade level, or out-of-school realm like advertising). The course is
designed for students with or without backgrounds in literacy/critical literacies.
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Course Objectives
1. To understand and deepen the meaning of critical literacies in U.S.A and other countries
through key writing from critical theorist of education.
2. To understand the theoretical underpinning of critical literacies and how it is articulating
with concerns in other areas, including in cultural studies and postcolonial studies.
3. To understand how literacy policies and practices are inextricably linked to historical,
social, cultural, political, and economic circumstances.
4. To develop an understanding of theoretical issues and instructional practices of critical
literacies inside and outside of the classroom.
Required Texts
Freire, P. (2000). Pedagogy of the oppressed. New York: Continuum
Janks, H., Dixon, K., Ferreira, A., and Granville, S. (2013): Doing critical literacy: Texts
and activities for students and teachers. New York: Routledge.
Muspratt, S., Luke, A., & Freebody, P. (1997). Constructing critical literacies: Teaching and
learning textual practices. New Jersey; Hampton Press.
Torres, C. (1998). Education, power, and personal biography: Dialogues with critical educators.
New York: Routledge.
Selected current articles will be posted to Blackboard.
Journals to Get to Know
American Educational Research Journal, Harvard Educational Review, Teachers College
Record, Review of Research in Education, Review of Educational Research, Reading Research
Quarterly, Research in the Teaching of English.
Blackboard
Course handouts will be posted on Blackboard for you to download and print. (You need a BU
ID to access Blackboard and online journals from the library. Go to
http://blackboard.binghamton.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp.
1. Login using the first part of your Binghamton email address (Use BUSI to find out your
BU email if you do not already know it: http://busi.binghamton.edu/. Go to active
accounts. You need the PAC number from your BU student ID to login on BUSI. If you
do not know your PAC, contact the Registrar’s office for instructions on how to obtain a
replacement PAC – that telephone number is 607.777.6871)
2. Your initial password should be the first two letters of your last name and the last four
numbers of your social security number. You can change your password once you are
logged in.
3. Once you are logged in you should see a list of your classes using Blackboard and new
announcements.
4. Click the class link you want to enter. From there you can view class documents.
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Classroom Environment
The Faculty and Staff in the Graduate School of Education are committed to serving all enrolled
students. The intention is to create an intellectually stimulating, safe, and respectful class
atmosphere. In return, I expect that each of you will honor and respect the opinions and feelings
of your fellow students. Additionally, I ask that you respect me as well as others, by attending
class daily and on time with cell phones off and brains prepared for class.
Academic Honesty
The university’s Student Handbook http://studentaffairs.binghamton.edu/studenthandbook0809.pdf provides detailed information on academic integrity (see pp.106-110). The Graduate
School of Education website: http://www2.binghamton.edu/gse/currentstudents/index.html#academic-honestyalso explains procedures for professors to deal with
academic dishonesty. Unless specified otherwise in the syllabus, I expect the work you submit
for grading to be yours and yours alone. Not acknowledging another’s work with proper
references, taking credit for someone else’s work, or letting your work appear in another
student’s paper are grounds for failing the assignment and/or the course. The University’s
Student Handbook specifically prohibits “Submitting substantial portions of the same work for
credit more than once, unless there is prior explicit consent of the instructor(s) to whom the
material is being or has been submitted” (p.107). If you have any questions about what
constitutes plagiarism or cheating, please ask me.
The Student Handbook and Graduate School of Education website also outline procedures if you
have a grievance about a course grade. In both documents, the first step is to contact the
instructor to discuss your concerns. If you have any questions or concerns about how I have
graded your work, please arrange to meet with me. Finally, Binghamton University has a license
with Turnitin.com to facilitate faculty review for potential plagiarism of papers and projects in
their courses, which we are encouraged to do.
Disabilities
Students who have a documented disability and wish to discuss academic accommodations
should contact your instructor as soon as possible to explore alternative arrangements in class
learning and completing assignments. Additional assistance also is available through the Office
of Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) at 777-2686. Their office is at LH-B51. The
SSD office makes formal recommendations regarding necessary and appropriate
accommodations based on your specific diagnosed disability. Information about your disability
will be treated in a confidential manner.
Course Requirements
1. Attendance, Participation, Efforts, Professionalism, & Reflective Essay (20%)
Attend class regularly, Participate in discussions, and actively Complete assigned activities.
You are expected to attend all sessions, arrive on time, and stay until the end of class. I reserve
the right to increase or decrease your grade based on your participation, efforts, and
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professionalism. You are also expected to contribute to class discussions and to be prepared for
every assignment. Additional readings and activities will be assigned that are not listed on this
syllabus.
As a part of your participation, you will write a reflective essay that shows your learning
throughout this semester. You’ll turn this at the end of the semester. The format is free, but it
needs to reflect your learning experiences in a synthetical manner.
2. Discussion Questions (30 %).
The questions will be used for peer or group discussion. Bring in 3 to 5 most significant
questions that you might have while you read the weekly assignments. The key idea of this
assignment is to challenge/question the author’s points. Recommended format: 1) Identify the
key ideas of the reading, the page #, or the author’s quotes to help your peers locate your
questions, 2) Write down your own perspectives/thoughts on the author’s points, and 3) Pose
your question in a critical and concise manner.
The questions need to be typed for your peers and instructor to read your points clearly. The
questions will be evaluated based on following criteria:
 Apparent understanding of the readings. It should be clear that you have read
the material thoroughly and that you understand the material as it is presented by
the author(s).
 Depth of response/questions. Your questions should show evidence that you
have seriously considered the issues or concepts presented in the readings.
 Timeliness. Late responses will not be accepted regardless of attendance status.
3. Facilitator of a Class Discussion (20%)
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You will be asked to choose a text that interests you related to critical literacies. The
definition of text is broad here which includes articles, advertisements, movies, dramas,
music, arts, and etc.
You will be asked to let everyone in the class will read the text of your choice at least
one week before and will be discussed in class with your facilitation.
You will be asked to facilitate a segment of a class focused on your topic. You are
NOT being asked to lecture/present on your topic, although there might be a small
amount of presentation involved. I would like you to use one or more innovative and
creative techniques to engage the class in experiencing and thinking about your topic.
You will do this project with one or two peer(s) in class.
5. Final Project (30%)
Option 1: Critique texts which have components of critical literacies
You will critique at least three relevant books, films, advertisements, or articles about critical
literacies. A critique has three dimensions. One is sufficient information about the piece itself
such that the reader of your critique has a decent sense of the original work. The second
dimension is an evaluation of the components of the piece (e.g., theory, practice, perspectives).
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When you evaluate, you need to stand on your position. Your arguments (agreeable
points/disagreeable points) should be supported by relevant examples and be linked to theories
which you have been accumulating through this course and others. The final dimension is to
conclude your paper by comparing and contrasting of all the three texts.
Option 2: Write a research report after conducting your study
You will find a school, a classroom, or any other setting and observe it with your own research
questions that are related to critical literacies. You will write a research report that includes the
introduction with rationales of the study and research questions, method (eg. data, setting,
participants), findings, discussion, and implication/conclusion.
Option 3: Interview a critical theorist of your choice and write an analysis of the interview.
You will contact and interview a scholar among critical theorists that we discussed in class. Write a
paper that includes questions that you ask to the scholar, your analysis of the interview transcripts, and
your learning of the interview.
Option 4: Conduct a literature review on the topic related to critical literacies.
You will conduct a literature review with your own research questions that you developed.
You synthesize the studies on critical literacies based on current research articles (e.g., after 2000s).
A possible topic might be “Reading comprehension from critical literacies perspectives”
Option 5: Your choice. Discuss your possible project with your instructor & peers before you conduct
it.
*Your final project can be about 20 double spaced pages including references, but the page length
should not limit the quality of content. Content is more important than the page length.
Final Grades
Grades: 95-100 A, 90-94 A-, 87-89 B+, 83-86 B, 80-82 B-, 77-79 C+, 73-76 C, 70-72 C-, 69 & below
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In completing all papers, it is expected that your writing is appropriate for a doctoral level
class.
EDUC 680N Critical Literacy Tentative Schedule
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Date
READINGS/TOPICS
8/29
Course Overview: What is Literacy?
What is Critical Literacy?
No Class (School holiday)
9/5
ASSIGNMENT DUE
12
Conversation with critical
pedagogues
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Historical perspectives of critical
literacy
Questions on the book Education, power, and personal
biography by C. Torres and BB article by H. Janks (2000).
*(Attend Webinar by Janks on 9/15, 1PM)
Questions on BB articles by Morrell (2008), by Luke
(2012) & by Gee (1990)
Foundation of critical literacy and
pedagogy
Relevant theories of critical literacy
as a social practice/construction
Questions on the book Pedagogy of the Oppressed by
Freire.
Questions on CCL Ch. 1, 12, 16 & 17 and BB articles by
Vygotsky & Baktin.
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Critical literacy traditions in the U.S
and beyond U.S
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New literacies, media literacy &
popular culture
Critical literacy, global and
multicultural education
Questions on BB articles by Kozol (1986), McLaren
(2000), Ward (1994), Mikander (2012), Delpit (1995), Luke
& Gore (1992), and on CCL Ch. 4 & 5
Questions on CCL Ch. 2 & 3, and BB articles by Dolby
(2003) and by Giroux (1996).
-Questions on BB articles by Noddings (2005), LadsonBillings (1995), Morgan & Ramanathan (2005), and by
Yoon (2008).
-Text name & hard copies for next week
-Reading of the text provided by your peers
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10/3
24
31
Discussion as a facilitator: Choice of
your text
11/7
Online discussion: Literacy,
technology, & identity
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Read CCL Ch. 14 & 15, and BB article by Moje & Luke
(2009) and participate in on-line discussion by posing
questions and responding to your peers’ questions.
Critical literacy application in school Questions on BB article by Yoon, Simpson, & Haag
and in the classroom
(2010), and CCL Ch. 6, 7, & 22
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Doing Critical Literacy
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No Class (Thanksgiving)
12/5
Student Independent Work Day
(Instructor at the conference of
Literacy Research Association at
Dallas, TX)
Final project presentation
Course evaluation
12
Questions on the book by H. Janks.
Work on your final project and share the draft at least two
peers in class for feedback
Final paper due 4:40
Reflective essay due 4:40, Dec. 16 via e-mail
*CCL refers to the text book by Muspratt,Luke, & Freebody
*BB article refers to the articles that are posted to Blackboard.