Week 6 The Critical Mind

2 Announcements  Section meetings this week:  Wednesday, November 1 at 11:30 AM, Larsen 210  Thursday, November 2 at 2:00 PM, Larsen G01  Quick questions after class  Yasmin Kafai presents: "Hard Fun - Digital Games and Learning" on Tuesday, November 7, 2: pm in Longfellow 308.

3  Words from the Teaching Fellows about the proposals (see other PowerPoint)

4 Review & Preview

5  Creating learning  Pandora questions  Avoiding ‘aboutitis’  Theory One  Teaching for Understanding  Whole game learning, big field of action around the knowledge base  Teaching and learning for transfer  Learning from others, distributed cognition  ‘Hot’ cognitive economy

6 Preview Beginning ‘The challenge of better thinkers and learners’ 1.Pandora and the critical mind 2.Academic and critical literacy 3.Designing with the story of knowledge 4.Rapid review and looking ahead

7 Learning Goals  Understand how the Pandora questions help to organize ideas about the critical mind.  Get a sense of how two powerful critical stances – academic literacy and critical literacy – can help to organize thoughtful learning  Develop the ‘story of knowledge’ as a design tool

8 Pandora and the Critical Mind Goal: Develop perspective on the readings by relating them to the Pandora questions

9  The Three Sources Toward a critical pedagogy of popular culture -- Morrell Facts or critical thinking skills? -- Wenglinsky Knowledge alive -- Perkins  The Pandora Questions 1.What’s worth learning? 2.What’s hard about learning that? 3.So how is it best learned? 4.How is the learning going?

10 Academic and Critical Literacy Goal: Understand the potential of the two ‘whole games’ of academic and critical literacy by trying and comparing them

11  “Academic literacy…refers to those forms of engaging with, producing, and talking about texts that have currency in primary, secondary, and postsecondary education.”  “Critical literacy…is defined as the ability not only to read and write, but also to assess texts in order to understand the relationships between power and domination that underlie and inform those texts…  …the socially constructed meaning embedded in texts as well as the political and economic contexts in which texts are embedded.” Ernest Morrell Michigan State College of Education

12  A. LISTEN to the poem, A. E. Stallings, “Apollo Takes Charge of his Muses”  Roles 1.Academic literacy applied to ‘Apollo…’ 2.Academic literacy applied to ‘Things…’ 3.Critical literacy applied to ‘Apollo…’ 4.Critical literacy applied to ‘Things…’  B. WATCH the music video, C&C Music Factory, “Things that make you go hmmm….”  C. Individually APPLY your perspective to the work you are particularly responsible form  D. Collectively COMPARE AND CONTRAST what the academic and critical literacy stances yield to produce 2 or 3 HEADLINES

13 A. E. Stallings Apollo Takes Charge of his Muses  They sat there, nine women, much the same age,  The same poppy-red hair, and similar complexions  Freckling much the same in the summer glare,  The same bright eyes of green melting to blue  Melting to golden brown, they sat there,  Nine women, all of them very quiet, one,  Perhaps, was looking at her nails, one plaited  Her hair in narrow strands, one stared at a stone,  One let fall a mangled flower from her hands,  All nine of them very quiet, and the one who spoke  Said, softly:

14  "Of course he was very charming, and he smiled,  Introduced himself and said he'd heard good things,  Shook hands all round, greeted us by name,  Assured us it would all be much the same,  Explained his policies, his few minor suggestions  Which we would please observe. He looked forward  To working with us. Wouldn't it be fun? Happy  To answer any questions. Any questions? But  None of us spoke or raised her hand, and questions  There were none; what has poetry to do with reason  Or the sun?"

15  C&C Music Factory  featuring Freedom Williams  1991 #4 top single

16  A. LISTEN to the poem, A. E. Stallings, “Apollo Takes Charge of his Muses”  Roles 1.Academic literacy applied to ‘Apollo…’ 2.Academic literacy applied to ‘Things…’ 3.Critical literacy applied to ‘Apollo…’ 4.Critical literacy applied to ‘Things…’  B. WATCH the music video, C&C Music Factory, “Things that make you go hmmm….”  C. Individually APPLY your perspective to the work you are particularly responsible form  D. Collectively COMPARE AND CONTRAST what the academic and critical literacy stances yield to produce 2 or 3 HEADLINES

17 Designing with the story of knowledge Goal: Understand the ‘story of knowledge’ as a design principle through quick design

18 Creating knowledge Organizing knowledge Communicating knowledge Acting on knowledge We are participants in the story of knowledge

19 How Morrell’s approach shows the story of knowledge Creating knowledge Organizing knowledge Communicating knowledge Acting on knowledge Through critical examination of works Through examination of works, discussion, writing The two ‘games’ Through encouraging activism

20 Creating knowledge Organizing knowledge Communicating knowledge Acting on knowledge Topics for the Story of Knowledge Democracy Rain forests The origins of the universe Tragedy The germ theory of disease Revolutions …Or something else 1.Choose a topic from the list opposite 2.Choose an educational setting, e.g. middle school, adult ed, ed television, etc. 3.Sketch how the topic might be treated so as to engage learners in the full story of knowledge:

21 Rapid Review and Looking Ahead Goal: Consolidation and mental preparation

22 Learning Goals  Understand how the Pandora questions help to organize ideas about the critical mind.  Get a sense of how two powerful critical stances – academic literacy and critical literacy – can help to organize thoughtful learning  Develop the ‘story of knowledge’ as a design tool

23 Beyond these walls  Apply a critical literacy stance to everything!  Look for the story of knowledge