Critical literacy and it's application to real life

The readings for this week are at the heart of a question I’ve been asking myself all semester and Lisa Simon says is so well “How do we help students engage with texts that pose such challenges to comprehension and engagement but which have potential to extend readers’ understanding of self and their role in the world?” (Simon, 135). I appreciate her suggestions about how to help students understand complex texts and her use of a specific work, House of Mirth and the challenges the students faced throughout the novel.

I like her points of contact exercise a lot. It helps students who may not be represented in the work have a chance to reflect on the relations of power and class in Wharton’s novel and that time period 1905. It lets them critique the novel and consider Wharton’s biases. Her depiction of only the upper class whites in New York ignores the bigger picture of the immigration boom, the fight of the suffragettes, and workers rights that were going on in that era. The characters can seem static to students today, which can make them unmotivated. What can they learn from these outdated characters?

When reflecting on my own education I realized that I rarely questioned what an author wrote. I saw their voice as authoritative and I took it at face value. I believe that a lot of students relate to texts the same way I did and this is to their detriment. I want my students to understand that the author doesn’t have the last say. They should be able to realize that every author has a bias and a purpose for what they are writing. Questioning and critiquing authors is a valuable skill that extends beyond the classroom. It is vital when watching the news or viewing advertisements. It is also crucial when interacting with people. Teenagers can be cruel. They look down on each other and spread rumors like wildfires. I want my kiddos to realize that people have motivations behind their actions that may not be honest or respectable. This means that if they hear a rumor about someone it doesn’t automatically mean its true.  Critical literacy is a good jumping off point for our students to think and react to situations in their lives.

On another note, I am substituting for my CT all day on Thursday. I am excited to be in the classroom all day. This will be a first for me. She says her classes in the afternoon are big and rowdy. If they’re rowdy with her, how will they act with me?! I’ll let yall know what happens next Monday… Stay tuned.