Critical literacy and critical thinking are becoming a big part of the standards in public schools. As scientist, we are constantly encouraged to think critically, however I never really thought too deeply regarding this matter and what it really entailed. In order to think critically, we will need to read critically as well. Heather Coffey’s article, Critical literacy, defined it as the “ability to read texts in an active, reflective manner in order to better understand power, inequality, and injustice in human relationships.” As we discussed in Monday’s class, being able to dissect the various aspects of text that present social justice, prejudices and various viewpoints within text is a necessary skill to develop critical thinking. Coffey also states that promoting critical literacy skills will better allow students to actively construct knowledge, to bring into the discussions their own experiences rather than just looking at students as “vessels to be filled” with knowledge. I think this aspect is very important to build within students as it facilitates students to be life-long learners and can spark creative thinking along the way. If students just regurgitated information, there would be no progress in society. Additionally, as educators, we need to model critical literacy and open up the discussions for students to input their experiences, thoughts, and viewpoints.

This idea of critical literacy is such an important aspect in the American society because of the diversity that exists in regards to culture, ethnicity, and socioeconomic and social status. Being able to question the text, in whatever form it comes in, by analyzing the target audience, determining which group of people it benefits, formulating what the author’s intent(s) is (are), etc., will make the text more meaningful to the student. It also exposes biases and helps the student to understand what the societal norms are and hopefully inspire students to take a more active roll in the community.