What is Critical Literacy?

What is critical literacy?

As a teacher, Critical Literacy is the way we teach students to view and respond to text. It is a standard of higher order questioning skills used by the teacher thus allowing students to think and use the resources around them to organize their world.

Critical Literacy can be spoken, written or viewed. In the classroom, teachers create a conducive environment that is print rich and reflect students' work in all forms. Activities supported by Critical Literacy are debates, narrative essays, poetry, biographies, plays, and dramatization. These are opportunities to question, problem-solve, create solutions and analyze for clarity and understanding.

For the Early childhood population and the elementary grades, there is a "text-text" and "text to self" component when dealing with Critical Literacy. How do students feel about what they are doing? What relationship do they have with the text? How do they relate to text? Do they have the taxonomy? Do they know the taxonomy? Do they know the writing standards - How to write a sentence? How to write a paragraph?). These are some of the questions that derive from an effective classroom.  The answers according to Freire is in the "question-posing concept" where students as well as teachers are learning together.

Is Gaming a component of Critical Literacy?

I think gaming would be considered a component of critical literacy because students are interacting, viewing, problem solving and applying what is learned to real life situation. We spoke in class about rules. Well the games have written rules and objectives that students must identify with to meet the challenges of being considered a winner. Students will develop and learn creative ways to navigate the game, develop a resolve that it is a game and not real life and create opportunities to conduct discussions on aspects of the game. (connection to self).

I tried the sample games Professor Hochman suggested. The games were entertaining and engaging and as I played I understood the attraction that youngsters have to gaming, but for me, well the jury is still out to lunch. Something can be said about gaming in the libraries, for students will stand and wait their turn just to either complete a game or begin a new challenge.

"Gaming" is not allowed in my elementary school but after playing the sample games, it is worth further investigation for inclusion in my school.