Utilizing Critical Literacy

Critical literacy is not limited to one specific mode of communication, nor does it require a written text. One needs to accept alternative forms of literacy, such as different types of media messages that our youth is exposed to on a daily basis. These messages once absorbs and interpreted become a form of critical literacy in a classroom setting. In “Critical Literacy and Urban Youth”, Ernest Morrell suggests that critical literacy education provides students with the tools and skills to better understand a text, by using a language that they are more accustomed to. I thought the way that Morrell combined hip hop music and poetry was a very creative idea to motivate students. This allows the reader of said literacy to make connections to what they already know.
Morrell provides several methods to providing critical literacy that students will be engaged in. The most common strategy is to relate the lesson to the student’s life. As with most things in life, they can be better understood once introduced to the concepts; be it the rules to a certain sport or how to prepare a meal. As a future teacher I believe that Morrell’s strategies and examples of how to incorporate critical literacy in the classroom were great, and would love to try to use them im my own classroom. I was also inspired by how he documented his strategies and would do the same for my own records so that I can better understand what works best.