Paulo Freire's goal was to help his students 'read the world.' If that is to be the goal of an educator, I feel the foundation of their teaching must be grounded in the principles of literacy. Literacy, in this case, goes far beyond the ability to read or write. In this case, literacy must mean the ability to consciously gather, process, interpret and create information. As I look back on the semester, I feel empowered with educational tools meant to aid my students in cultivating literacy.
Within Social Studies are multiple opportunities for students to engage in critical literacy. By comparing documents, photographs, legislation and statistics, students can come to understand how certain groups, races, and genders have been excluded, underrepresented and even oppressed throughout history. As the popular saying goes, "recognizing there is a problem is the first step." After helping students 'recognize the problems,' I can help them discover ways in which they can change the world.
To build students up to critical literacy, I will help them lay a strong foundation of comprehension, vocabulary and writing. As a long time student, I understand the essential nature of primary source documents in the study of history. For the untrained, these documents can prove difficult. By providing good comprehension instruction before, during and after examining these documents, I feel students will gain confidence, not only in history, but in a variety of subjects. These documents could also prove invaluable in generating vocabulary for further study. Often times primary source documents are impregnated with vocabulary that define the era in which it was written. For example, The Declaration of Independence includes such words as tyrant, despotism, liberty, unalienable rights, government and so forth. These are the words that defined the era. By providing students the opportunity to define these words, study their roots and encounter them multiple times, they will gain greater understanding of the philosophies that founded the nation. Finally, by giving students the chance to write frequently concerning their understanding and feelings, the material of the past can find new meaning. Many individuals find historical writings to be boorish. I feel this sentiment would not long remain should those same individuals truly understand the content of those writings. By allowing students the chance to synthesize the information in new and creative ways, I feel they will discover how the themes of the past are not so different from the themes of today. By building comprehension, vocabulary and writing, students will have many of the tools necessary to engage in critical literacy and 'read the world.'
Thanks for such a thoughtful and articulate posting. I really like your connections between "reading the world" and "reading the word." In essence, we can read the word in order to read the world better. I also think you might add "writing the world"--in there...as students work to re-write or re-create the world in a way that is more socially just and personally empowering.
ReplyDeleteI really like how you, in essence, use critical literacy as a lens for the rest of your teaching, and you use comprehension, reading, and writing as a way to support and enhance this lens.
I am so excited for your future career as a history educator at the college level!