Critical Literacy Resources

Inspired by the work of Librarians at the University of British Columbia (Fornwald et al., 2021), and influenced by the writings of Friere & Macedo (1987), the Teacher Resource Center sought out partnerships with Kremen School of Education and Human Development courses to develop a critical wayfinding system for current and future teachers.  In the Fall of 2023, Professors Steve Hart and Gladys Villanueva partnered with the TRC and students in their LEE 159 & LEE160 courses to develop our first sets of Critical Literacy Resources. Our Critical Literacy Resources are developed by future teachers in order to help other teachers navigate classroom material selection. Using Rudine Sim Bishop's framework of providing students with books that are Mirrors, Windows and Sliding Glass Doors, rural residents identified problematic texts and identified characteristics to look for. After research and reflection, teacher candidates provide alternative texts that can be used in school classrooms and learning opportunities that are more culturally appropriate

To facilitate exploration of these materials, we've created an accessible wayfinding tool for students, parents, and educators. This platform organizes books by theme, presenting both the potentially problematic titles and their alternative counterparts. This resource aims to support the educational community in making informed decisions that respect the rich cultural histories, familial identities, and modern values of today's learners. We encourage students and educators alike to explore this tool as a means of enhancing the educational experience with literature that reflects modern values and pedagogical goals.

More on Critical Literacy

Many scholars have explored the concept of critical literacy and at the center of definitions you will likely find an aspect of inquiry.  Williams (2022) defines critical literarcy as "a lens for reading, interpreting, and creating texts that suggests that no text is neutral, no person is neutral, and therefore the reading and writing of texts are never neutral activities." (p 323)  Brannon et al. (2010) take it a step further, "critical literacy doesn’t offer a prescribed way of teaching—it isn’t a commodity, it isn’t something that a teacher “does.” Rather, critical literacy is what a teacher enacts. It is a way of thinking about teaching and learning that places reading, writing, and questioning at the center so that students and teachers can read, write, and learn together. The act of collaboration and the building of community replace sorting and competition."    These modern definitions are strongly influenced by a century of thought dating back to the Frankfurt School (Vasquez et al., 2019).  In the classroom context, no discussion of literacy would be complete without mentioning the work of Friere & Macedo (1987):

Reading the world always precedes reading the word...For this reason I have always insisted that words used in organizing a literacy program come from what I call the word universe of people who are learning, expressing their actual language, their anxieties, fears, demands, and dreams.  Words should be laden with the meaning of the peoples existential experience, and not of the teachers experience. (Friere & Macedo, 1987, p. 35)

In the Teacher Resource Center, our collection hosts an expansive range of children's literature, with our oldest volume dating back to 1895. This historical diversity means that some works reflect values and norms that, while perhaps accepted in their time, might be considered problematic by today's standards. These books, as well as many modern titles originally intended to educate or entertain young readers by imparting moral lessons or reflecting societal norms, are still in use in some educational settings - leading to debates over their appropriateness.  In some cases, these titles may be embedded in the curriculum and contain values teachers have not yet realized.  No text is neutral - and therefore all texts deserve careful consideration by the educators employing their use in the classroom.  

Our goal is not to advocate for the removal of books but to provide educators and curriculum designers with resources to critically evaluate and, where necessary, offer potential alternatives that align with current educational objectives and societal values.