Critical Literacy and Writers Workshop 1 Running head: CRITICAL LITERACY AND WRITERS WORKSHOP

Teachers can enhance critical literacy by the using writers workshop. Mary Hoover EDUC 301 B December 3, 2008

Critical Literacy and Writers Workshop 2 Abstract Critical literacy is an approach to reading in which students grapple with tough texts in order to make connections and deepen their understanding of the world around them. Many teachers shy away from this approach based on fear and unease. However, researchers have found that critical literacy can be beneficial for students and allows them to contemplate difficult issues and ideas. It has the potential to show students that they can make a difference. One way to enhance critical literacy is through the use of writers workshops. Students will be able to connect critically with a text, and through writing place themselves or someone else in a difficult situation. The writing is an exploration of possibilities, and students begin to journey into a realm that few teachers dare to let them go.

Critical Literacy and Writers Workshop 3 Fredrick Douglas once said, If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom, yet deprecate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground. They want rain without the thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters. This struggle may be a moral one; or it may be a physical one, or it may be both mental and physical but it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without demand (as cited in Christensen, 2000, p. 4). While Douglas may not have been talking about critical literacy, his idea of struggling with moral issues in the hope of progress are at the core of critical literacy. Heffernan (2004) cites Comber for the definition of critical literacy: people using language to exercise power, to enhance everyday life in schools and communities and to question practices of privilege and injustice (p. 3). In this process, beliefs will be modified but this change in ideologies cannot be achieved without a struggle. Writers workshop is a way to foster this struggle within students thinking. It allows them to create their own scenarios, through which they construct meaning and have a safe outlet to creatively solve problematic issues. According to Combs (2006) writers workshop consists of an adaptable way to organize students experiences. The learners are given an allotted amount of time for writing as well as a choice of different topics. The process of writers workshop involves seeing the writing process demonstrated, and getting to evaluate their work. Combs believes it should be a structured time that allows students to explore the writing process. Using writers workshop can be a great transition from group writing to individual writing. In a world that is becoming more globalized by the year, the diversity our students will face will only grow as they get older. It is essential that they are able to communicate effectively

Critical Literacy and Writers Workshop 4 and deal with the many disparities that are within their school, nation, and world. Teachers can use tools such as critical literacy and writers workshop to facilitate such communication. In addition, critical literacy and writers workshop can be used to enhance Pennsylvanias Department of Educations (PDE, 2001) standards for reading, writing, speaking, and listening. In standard 1.2 reading critically is addressed and students are expected to read and understand the essential content of the text (1.2.3.A). In addition, students are to produce a work of one literary genre that follows the genres rules (1.2.3. C). Both of these standards would be addressed by using writers workshops and critical literacy, because students are learning to critically analyze texts and write their own stories. Often, learners are not pushed to think about critical issues of their time, or to try and create solutions to these problems. Teachers need to embrace critical issues and make it their mission to have their students address tough problems. Discussion The discussion will be divided into two parts. The first will explore the current research about critical literacy and writers workshop. Much of the research is a testament to the usefulness of writers workshop to enhance and promote critical literacy. Within this discussion the work of Lee Heffernan will be mentioned frequently. She has done extensive solo and collaborative research about critical literacy. In addition, she has discovered a plethora of issues that can be talked about in the classroom because of the combination of critical literacy and writers workshop practices. In the second half of the discussion implications for the classroom will be discussed, and the different ways these theories can be put into practice in the classroom. This research is pertinent for anyone in the education field who hopes to be an effective and influential teacher of literacy.

Critical Literacy and Writers Workshop 5 Critical Literacy Research Researcher and third grade teacher Heffernan (2003) discovered that year after year the topics about siblings, pets, and favorite gifts appeared in her classrooms writing. When she assigned a personal narrative prompt she knew these themes would arise. Together with Lewsion (2003) they began research on the effects critical literacy and writers workshop would have on Heffernans class. They questioned if using critical literacy practices in the classroom could shake up the learning. The classroom contained twenty students, thirteen boys and seven girls. Books containing social issues were read to the students and used as resources for writers workshop (see Appendix). Together the researchers collected students writing and audiotaped interviews about the stories. They coded the stories based on four global categories: story structure, use of language, themes, and representations of power. Students wrote about things that they saw in the world of school; they looked at situations from others perspective not just their own. As the researchers finished coding they saw several themes and patterns occurred. Twenty of the students had decided to write fiction. Heffernan and Lewison (2003) noticed that the those students shared cultural resources, used writing as an instrument to construct and explore shared social worlds, and made the workshop a way to transmit their message to others. In nineteen of the twenty stories bullying appeared, and seventeen of the twenty stories occurred during recess. The researchers also found that most of the stories lacked adult authorities and when adults were present students made complaints about them. Out of all twenty stories, four ended up with a main character who had unresolved issues. Through this experiment the students were able to write about troubling issues that they had either witnessed or heard about. Most of the accounts took place at school; whether before school, in the classroom, or at recess.

Critical Literacy and Writers Workshop 6 The students were able to learn from one anothers stories and put themselves in each others shoes. Heffernan (2004) wrote in her book that as students began to expand their thinking skills, she witnessed an alteration in the classroom dynamics and the way social problems were dealt with. Lewison and Heffernan (2008) have been key researchers in the use of writers workshops to enhance critical literacy. They did a further research study that analyzed the texts and power relationships. The texts originated from nineteen students, twelve boys and seven girls, in Heffernans class. The students read books about social issues culminating with a project to design a picture book that gave a voice to the silenced and made differences visible. In these stories Lewison and Heffernan coded for bullying actions, bullying reactions, role of adult characters, and protagonist agency. The results were staggering; within nineteen stories there were fifty six incidents of bullying. The most prevalent type of bullying was verbal taunts or exclusion on the basis of physical appearance. Fifty seven percent of the bullying girls experienced took place in this category, but four boys also wrote about verbal bullying. One of the surprising results in this study dealt with the characters reaction to the bullying. Out of the twelve stories written by boys, seven of their main characters cried while only two out of the seven girl main characters cried. When the researchers looked at the representation of adult characters their findings were concurrent with the previous study; adult characters were generally not mentioned and if they were they were not portrayed as helpful for the characters being bullied. It is through studies like these that Heffernan was able to see what types of bullying had been going on within her classroom and her school district. She was able to have a window into her students world and they in turn were given a safe space to deal with disruptive stories.

Critical Literacy and Writers Workshop 7 Together through the use of critical literacy and writers workshop the students were able to make the inequalities visible that were present in their school. It is important to note that not everyone agrees with the concept of critical literacy. Many teachers may worry as Christensen (2000) did, that by having students write about certain topics it may glorify it and actually cause an increase in the undesirable behavior. When Christensen initiated critical literacy in her classroom, she found this not to be the case. Her classroom became a place where fears were shared not where delinquent acts were frequently talked about. In Heffernans (2008) book, she examines some critiques of writers workshop. She has found that some critics have pointed out ways in which writers workshop actually divides students and prevents them from analyzing how texts silence particular views. Others believe students are apt to write pieces filled with ideas and stereotypes they have seen on television or in the movies. While these questions are understandable, the research done by Heffernan and her colleagues, shows this to be untrue. In addition, Heffernan (2004) talks about Comber and Cormacks concern about writers workshop. These two researchers are concerned that in some classrooms childrens writing is considered sacred and is published regardless of the negative content it contains. They argue that sexist, racist and violent writing is published for the sake of the child instead of considering the impact their piece could have on the classroom as a whole. Lastly, Heffernan mentioned researchers Soo Hoo and Brown who feel the best way to talk about social issues is through discussion. In their experiences, writing about social issues has produced flat, dull responses. While it is important to value these critiques, we must not discredit critical literacy and writers workshop altogether. Both the studies looked at previously have shown how effective this method can be if the teacher provides the correct environment and scaffolding.

Critical Literacy and Writers Workshop 8 Implications for Classroom Teachers Research is wonderful, but the labor would be in vain if classroom teachers did not use the findings. In order to enhance critical literacy in the classroom the teacher must take certain steps by themselves. Dozier, Johnston and Rogers (2006) explain that teachers must be critically literate, view social justice as significant, and understand the cultural context they work in. When teachers recognize the importance of social justice, they can lead the classroom in critical literacy. Vasquez (2003) recounts her experience of leading her kindergarten class on quests of social justice. After creating a community that discussed diversity and valued cultural experiences, she found that many of her students who were from various countries could not find books about their nationality in the library. Vasquez took this on as a class project and together they researched what books were in the library and wrote letters to the librarian requesting books that represented their nationalities. Teachers must exhibit this leadership if they want their students to use the concepts of critical literacy. Another application for classrooms is offered by Ciardiello (2004). He identified five practices that can be done in the classroom as well as in writers workshops to enhance critical literacy. The five practices were named by Ciardiello: regaining ones identity, the call of service, examining multiple services, finding an authentic voice, and recognizing social barriers and crossing borders of separation. When examining multiple perspectives he recommends to introduce the idea through personal stories and picture books, stressing that no single version tells the whole story. Next, Ciardiello talks about ways to help students find the authentic voice. Teachers can personalize this concept by talking about relationships within the family and whose voices are heard. In addition, books can be read and the different voices can be distinguished and discussed. When he wanted to recognize social barriers and cross borders of

Critical Literacy and Writers Workshop 9 separation he had the students make personal connections and then read a story that exemplified this idea. Fourthly, the idea of regaining ones identity can happen through the use of critical literacy in the classroom. Ciardiello shows how the concept of self-identity can be brought into the classrooms and used to show what effects prejudice and injustice can have on it. Lastly, he believes that morality and service can also be learned through critical literacy. By reading texts and reflecting on them through writing you are able to identify present problems that are in the students world. From this identification the class can determine what steps they can take to prevent and help the common good of humanity. The classroom becomes a place of empowerment and students begin to realize they can and do make a difference. Critical literacy through writing can extend outside the regular classroom time. Skinner (2007) used an after school writing club to infuse the idea of critical literacy in nine of her students. She allowed her students to draw upon magazines and movies to make critical connections. Together they journeyed into popular topics discussing and writing about the things they experienced in the current culture. Skinner observed the girls making connections about social class and hierarchy through their writing. Lastly, she found that that by acknowledging adolescents fluency with popular culture texts in literacy classrooms is empowering to students (p. 38). This technique could be used by teachers to infuse critical literacy into schools. When teachers want to introduce critical literacy through writing they also must be conscious of the environment of the classroom. Heffernan (2008) found that the teacher must take on the role of an activist. She started early in the year with books and real life examples that would create dialogue about critical situations. In addition, she wrote her own book about pressures she felt from society and shared it with her class. The students began to copy her model and became comfortable with the idea of writing about big issues.

Critical Literacy and Writers Workshop 10 Vasquez (2003) also identifies some key classroom principles that she believes will enhance critical literacy. She feels that the teacher must first help students understand the importance of language and how they can best use it to convey their messages. Next, teachers can respect their students and try to recognize the diversity within their classroom. Lastly, Vasquez believes teachers must help students find the problems in the texts and world that may be overlooked. Furthermore, Lenski (2008) has found critical literacy to be a tool teachers can use to help struggling readers. She felt critical literacy appeals to students because it gives a purpose to their reading. Langers research was cited in Lesnkis article because her research found this to hold true in marginalized schools that beat the odds. The research concluded that students were able to do better if they could connect instruction with central topics that gave purpose to their reading. In addition, Lenski believes struggling readers need more practice thinking critically, which could be accomplished by using writers workshop. Students may have spent their efforts on learning how to read, and never grasped how to think about what they read. Critical literacy provides various ways for students to practice critical analysis. Conclusion While critical literacy may not be the easy way out, it is a way to encourage students to grapple with real world problems. One of the best ways to enhance critical literacy is through the use of writers workshops. Writers workshops enable students to use their voice about a given or chosen topic. Heffernan (2004) has found that by creating guidelines and giving support, a teacher can foster writers workshops to elicit critical responses that deal with bigger issues than the average elementary school student would have originally written about.

Critical Literacy and Writers Workshop 11 Research done by Heffernan and Lewsion (2003), along with numerous others, has shown that critical literacy can be an effective tool in the classroom when supported by writers workshops. Heffernan and Lewsion found in their research that topics about race, playground bullying, and exclusion became apparent through the classs writing. The class crossed gender and race lines when choosing their main characters. Moreover, from the writings they could analyze the way the children perceived adult roles to be in the school, and where the students saw most of the problems occurring. Not only does critical literacy provide a window into the childs world, but it also offers a door to the students to release their inner feelings and discuss their concerns. The implementation of critical literacy through writers workshop does require some work from the teacher. Dozier, Johnston and Rogers (2006) noted that teachers must be willing to be critically literate and view social justice as important for they will be the models for their students. Both Vasquez (2003) and Heffernan (2004) identified some ways teachers can make their classrooms better equipped to facilitate critical literacy. Ideas like respecting diversity, presenting real life examples, as well as creating numerous connections can improve the amount of critical literacy that takes place in the classroom. Critical literacy grants all students the opportunity to make connections between the text being read and the world in which they live. It empowers students and creates a classroom culture of understanding and respect. In addition, when students get a chance to write about critical issues, they develop a deeper understanding for others and a desire for change. Finally, critical literacy gives the teachers and students a positive outlook that critical issues can be discussed and change is possible.

Critical Literacy and Writers Workshop 12 Appendix Browne, A. (1998). Voices in the park. New York: DK publishing. Bunting, E. (1996). Going home. New York: Harper Collins. Krull, K. (1996). Wilma unlimited: How Wilma and Rudolph became the worlds fastest woman. New York: Harcourt Brace. Levine, E. (1993). Freedoms children: Young civil rights activist tell their stories. New York: G. Putnams Sons. McCurdy, M. (Ed.). (1994). Escape from slavery: The boyhood of Fredrick Douglass in his own words. New York: Knopf. Steptoe, J. (1997). Creativity. New York: Houghton Mifflin. Tunnell, M., & Chilcoat, G. (1996). The children of Topaz: The story of a Japanese internment camp based on a classroom diary. New York: Holiday House. Webb, S., Nelson, R.W. (1980). Selma, Lord, Selma: Girlhood memories of the civil rights days. Tuscaloosa: The University of Alabama Press. Yashima, T. (1976). Crow boy. New York: Puffin.

Critical Literacy and Writers Workshop 13 References Ciardiello, A. (2004). Democracys young heroes: An instructional model of critical literacy practices. Reading Teacher, 58, 138-147. Combs, M. (2006). Readers and writers in primary grades. (3rd Edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall. Dozier, C., Johnston, P., & Rogers, R. (2006). Critical teaching: Tools for preparing responsive teachers. New York: Teachers College Press. Heffernan, L. (2004). Critical literacy and writers workshop: Bringing purpose and passion to student writing. Bloomington, IN: International Reading Association. Lenski, S. (2008). Teaching from a critical literacy perspective and encouraging social action. In S. Lenski, & J. Lewis (Eds.), Reading success for struggling adolescent learners. (pp. 227-245). New York: Guilford Press. Lewison, M., & Heffernan, L. (2003). Social narrative writing: (Re)constructing kid culture in the writers workshop. Language Arts, 80, 435-442. Lewison, M., & Heffernan, L. (2008). Rewriting writers workshop: Creating safe spaces for disruptive stories. Research in the Teaching of English, 42, 435-465. Pennsylvania Department of Education. (2001). The academic standards for reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Retrieved from http://www.pde.state.pa.us 30. Shor, I. (1999). What is critical literacy? In I. Shor, & C. Pari (Eds.), Critical literacy in action. (pp. 1- 30). Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook Publishers, Inc. Skinner, E. (2007). Writing workshop meets critical media literacy: using magazines and movies as mentor texts. Voices from the Middle, 15, 30-39.

Critical Literacy and Writers Workshop 14 Van Sluys, K., Lewison, M., & Seely Flint, A. (2006). Researching critical literacy: A critical study of analysis of classroom discourse. Journal of Literacy Research, 38, 197-233. doi:10.1207/s15548430jlr3802_4 Vasquez, V. (2003). Getting beyond I like the book: Creating space for critical literacy in k-6 classrooms. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

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