Over spring break, I had the opportunity to travel to Turkey with a group of teachers from DC. The trip was part of a professional development program designed to improve science education in DC. The Turkish teachers we met with had great things going on in their classrooms -- students who were engaged in the learning and performing at a high academic level. There were many things I saw that I would like to find a way to better incorporate into my classroom. However, one thing that wasn't seen in their classrooms was an emphasis on critical literacy. The Turkish school we visited is very successful in developing students who have the potential to be top-notch scientists, however, I wonder if they ever have the opportunity or ever are encouraged to critically examine what they are learning and the scientific literature. It left me thinking about what priorities should be in a classroom. Can a high school science class successfully incorporate critical literacy which still academically achieving at a high level? In a school like the one I visited in Turkey, where a major goal is continuing to produce some of the nations top science students based on their test scores, what would happen if they changed their teaching style? Would test scores stay up if the teachers focused on critical literacy? I believe in the value of helping students develop the ability to critically analyze their world, but I am curious how it would change a school like the one I visited in Turkey.
4 comments:
You ask very important questions and there are no easy answers but I think there are more opportunities with critical literacy across the curriculum than we think. For instance look at what MF Edoomcator has done with his Math classes and so forth.
Critical literacy as a framework for thinking about words and the world in general isn't always about working with texts...part of deals with the way in which we use language ... the way we communicate with and about the world and so forth. It's finding the place to start that is hardest.
Thanks
vivian
I wanted to comment on your latest post, but there is no comment field allowed.
As a second year veteran (we are all veterans if we have survived one year in DCPS), I feel really comfortable improvising my lessons these days. I write up a core skeleton of what I am going to do (detailed for those pesky PPEPs) and then let it flow with the way my class runs.
I maintain sticking to the curriculum, but there are just so many more "ah ha!" moments this time around that allow for discussions away from the everyday lesson.
I hope it only continues to get better and easier as the years go on...
I hear what you are saying Sarah. I believe that throughout this semester I have changed my way of thinking to realizing that it is really important to have a critical literacy perspective in both an English/Social Studies classroom as well as a Math/Science classroom. Students NEED to know their content area, but they must also have the big picture, the ability to step back and have perspective, awareness, and question what they are learning. It is difficult to know how to properly balance that in your teaching...
I agree with MF edoomcator, I definitely have more "aha" moments than last year. I write up my standards, put some on the board and initially the class get more lecture than usually, but more time has been alotted for discussion and unwind time, that wehn we do go to lecture, they are there with me. Make the day smoother. Thank God for growth.
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