Saturday, December 19, 2009
A few myths of Critical Literacy
Hi!!
Here are a few myths that surround Critical Literacy as I found in our readings...
Myth #5
“Learning the ‘basic skills’ of reading and writing doesn’t make anyone literate”
Smith, Frank (1995) “Overselling Literacy” pg. 55
Important fact many teachers need to realize.
Literacy is not only about reading and writing.
Teaching phonics etc isn’t the only important aspect of literacy ... we need to help create critical students.
Myth #6
“When literacy is promoted as the cure for all economic, social, and educational problems, it is easy to assume that inability to read and write causes economic, social, and educational ills. Literacy becomes a caste mark, and those who haven’t got it are discriminated against. They are blamed for our troubles.”
“...not only is education a relatively ineffective agent for overcoming the effects of poverty and discrimination, but schools may actively participate in maintaining a status quo in which people have unequal access to our countries’ social and economic riches.”
Smith, Frank (1995) “Overselling Literacy” pg. 55
Curt Dudley-Marling et al (1997) “A Political Critique of Remedial Reading Programs: The Example of Reading Recovery” p. 460
Need to understand that it is not the students fault they cannot read or write, and that won’t cause the economic ills later on. Many other factors are at play.
See above
We need to focus on how to make things better instead of simply blaming the students or saying they will never be able to do it.
Myth #7
“Behind all the instructional programs, all the classroom materials and techniques, is a notion that learning can be improved, if not guaranteed, when what is to be learned is spelled out one little bit at a time, in the form of objectives that the learner must attain.”
Smith, Frank (1995) “Overselling Literacy” pg. 58
Money is being spent frivolously.
Techniques from prescribed programs are not the solution to the ‘literacy problem’.
Following the book isn’t the only path to success.
Myth #8
“I want to refer to the gross overselling of evaluation, to the incredible notion that students will learn more (and teachers will teach better) if there is continual detailed monitoring of everything the student is supposed to learn.”
“Tests that measure reading performance in terms of decontextualized measures or grade equivalents, unqualified by the context of reading, suggest that people learn to read “once and for all,” that learning to read is merely a technical activity.”
Smith, Frank (1995) “Overselling Literacy” pg. 59
Curt Dudley-Marling et al (1997) “A Political Critique of Remedial Reading Programs: The Example of Reading Recovery” p. 464
Testing leads to too much accountability which causes us to falter at our jobs.
Continuous testing makes us better teachers and teachers.
Here are a few myths that surround Critical Literacy as I found in our readings...
Myth #5
“Learning the ‘basic skills’ of reading and writing doesn’t make anyone literate”
Smith, Frank (1995) “Overselling Literacy” pg. 55
Important fact many teachers need to realize.
Literacy is not only about reading and writing.
Teaching phonics etc isn’t the only important aspect of literacy ... we need to help create critical students.
Myth #6
“When literacy is promoted as the cure for all economic, social, and educational problems, it is easy to assume that inability to read and write causes economic, social, and educational ills. Literacy becomes a caste mark, and those who haven’t got it are discriminated against. They are blamed for our troubles.”
“...not only is education a relatively ineffective agent for overcoming the effects of poverty and discrimination, but schools may actively participate in maintaining a status quo in which people have unequal access to our countries’ social and economic riches.”
Smith, Frank (1995) “Overselling Literacy” pg. 55
Curt Dudley-Marling et al (1997) “A Political Critique of Remedial Reading Programs: The Example of Reading Recovery” p. 460
Need to understand that it is not the students fault they cannot read or write, and that won’t cause the economic ills later on. Many other factors are at play.
See above
We need to focus on how to make things better instead of simply blaming the students or saying they will never be able to do it.
Myth #7
“Behind all the instructional programs, all the classroom materials and techniques, is a notion that learning can be improved, if not guaranteed, when what is to be learned is spelled out one little bit at a time, in the form of objectives that the learner must attain.”
Smith, Frank (1995) “Overselling Literacy” pg. 58
Money is being spent frivolously.
Techniques from prescribed programs are not the solution to the ‘literacy problem’.
Following the book isn’t the only path to success.
Myth #8
“I want to refer to the gross overselling of evaluation, to the incredible notion that students will learn more (and teachers will teach better) if there is continual detailed monitoring of everything the student is supposed to learn.”
“Tests that measure reading performance in terms of decontextualized measures or grade equivalents, unqualified by the context of reading, suggest that people learn to read “once and for all,” that learning to read is merely a technical activity.”
Smith, Frank (1995) “Overselling Literacy” pg. 59
Curt Dudley-Marling et al (1997) “A Political Critique of Remedial Reading Programs: The Example of Reading Recovery” p. 464
Testing leads to too much accountability which causes us to falter at our jobs.
Continuous testing makes us better teachers and teachers.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)