Reading the World in the Word: The Possibilities for Literacy Instruction Framed Within Human Rights Education

The purpose of this critical ethnography (Madison, 2005; Noblit, Flores & Murrillo, 2004) was to investigate the experiences of teachers and students when literacy instruction was framed within human rights education. Informed by theories of cosmopolitan education (Beck, 2002; Beck & Szneider, 2010; Goldstein, 2007; Harper & Bean, 2009; Hull, 2010), critical socio-cultural theory (Moje & Lewis, 2007) and incorporating Freirean concepts of critical literacy and praxis, this study details the experiences of two servant leader interns (teachers) and sixteen scholars (students) participating in human rights education within the context of a Children’s Defense Fund Freedom School

Reading the world in the word: The possibilities for literacy instruction framed within human rights education

The purpose of this critical ethnography was to investigate the experiences of teachers and students when literacy instruction was framed within human rights education. Informed by critical socio-cultural theory and Freirean concepts of critical literacy and praxis, this study highlights the experiences of two servant leader interns (teachers) and sixteen scholars (student) participating in human rights education sessions within the context of a CDF Freedom School. Data sources included semi-structured and informal interviews, scholar and intern artifacts including multimedia projects, and recorded classroom discussions. Data were analyzed utilizing Michel Foucault’s concept of “regime of truth” in order to examine how the CDF Freedom School and Human Rights Education articulated notions of freedom, knowledge, rights and power as a counternarrative to the dominant discourse in literacy education. Thematic analysis resulted in the identification of four essential themes in both discourses: literacy as power, construction of rights, construction of particular identities, and advocacy as an intervention in the world. The findings indicate that while both discourses sought to empower students through literacy and in learning of their rights, the particular naming of literacy, identity and rights within each were constraining as well as liberating for the participating scholars. A key implication of this study is the need for a cosmopolitan critical literacy in both discourses that recognizes the need for global and local literacies, identities and rights for 21st century adolescents

The Role of Mobile Learning in Promoting Literacy and Human Rights for Women and Girls

In this chapter the authors review the fairly recent advances in combating illiteracy around the globe through the use of e-readers and mobile phones most recently in the Worldreader program and the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) mobile phone reading initiatives. Situated in human rights and utilizing the lens of transnational feminist discourse which addresses globalization and the hegemonic, monolithic portrayals of “third world” women as passive and in need of the global North’s intervention, the authors explore the ways in which the use of digital media provides increased access to books, and other texts and applications in both English and native languages for people in developing countries. However, while advances in combating illiteracy through the use of e-readers, mobile phones and other mobile learning initiatives are promising, the tensions and power imbalances of digital literacies, which resources are available by whom, for whom and why, must also be examined

A Glimmer of Hope for Tomorrow: Conversations with the 2022 Social Justice Literature Award Winners

Against a backdrop of legislation aimed at classroom book bannings and efforts to whitewash curriculum, this article draws from interviews with the winners of the 2022 International Literacy Association\u27s Social Justice Literature Award winners to offer hope and inspiration for literacy teachers, researchers, and most importantly, young readers. Utilizing a World Cafe approach, the authors of this article talk with the award winners about their personal stories, the origins of these social justice books, and their message for students, teachers, and caregivers in these tumultuous times. It concludes with a discussion of the use of social justice texts in the classroom and the importance of the continued need for diverse representation in children\u27s and young adult literature

The Role of Mobile Learning in Promoting Global Literacy and Human Rights

In this chapter the authors review the fairly recent advances in combating illiteracy around the globe through the use of e-readers and mobile phones most recently in the Worldreader program and the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) mobile phone reading initiatives. Situated in human rights and utilizing the lens of transnational feminist discourse which addresses globalization and the hegemonic, monolithic portrayals of “third world” women as passive and in need of the global North’s intervention, the authors explore the ways in which the use of digital media provides increased access to books, and other texts and applications in both English and native languages for people in developing countries. However, while advances in combating illiteracy through the use of e-readers, mobile phones and other mobile learning initiatives are promising, the tensions and power imbalances of digital literacies, which resources are available by whom, for whom and why, must also be examined

Beyond Binary Gender Identities

Judith Dunkerly-Bean and Camden Ross—parent and child—share their perspectives on how Camden, who is transgender, navigates a duplicitous existence in a Christian private school

Advances in Promoting Literacy and Human Rights for Women and Girls Through Mobile Learning

This article is taken from a larger review of extant research from a chapter titled “The role of mobile learning in promoting global literacy and human rights for women and girls” from the Handbook of Research on the Societal Impact of Digital Media. In this article we review the fairly recent advances in combating illiteracy around the globe through the use of mobile phones and e-readers most recently in the Worldreader program and the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) mobile phone and reading initiatives. Utilizing key human rights publications and the lens of transnational feminist discourse, which addresses globalization and the monolithic hegemonic representation of “third world” women as passive and in need of the global north’s intervention. We explore the ways in which digital media provides increased access to books, and other texts and applications in both English and native languages for people in the global south. Although the use of e-readers, mobile phones and other mobile learning initiatives are providing advances in combating illiteracy, the tensions and power imbalances of digital illiteracies as to which resources are available by whom, for whom and why, must also be examined

Cosmopolitanism, Globalization and The Field of Adolescent Literacy

In this article we discuss the current nature and circumstances of cosmopolitanism and what it means to the field of adolescent literacy. Drawing on contemporary scholarship, cosmopolitanism is understood as: 1) the local experience or condition of globalization, what has been called ‘internal globalization,’ and, 2) as a disposition or sensibility that ensures productive and peaceful relations in light of globalization or any circumstance that creates dynamic and culturally diverse contexts. From a critical review of the key documents in the field, we argue that for many adolescents their lives and literacies now, and especially in the future, will be lived out in the interface of the local and global. In what might be described as a cosmopolitan age we discuss what that means for the field of adolescent literacy. In critical review of the work done under the rubric of adolescent literacy, it was evident the field has been carefully documenting the terrain of adolescent literacies, and leading the charge for reform in policy and practice. However, there is a need to reconfigure and expand the concepts, precepts and practices that have come to name adolescent literacy in order to ensure that students are well served by the field and by their literacy education. Cet article discute la nature et les circonstances du concept de cosmopolitisme et ce qu’il signifie dans le domaine de la littératie des adolescents. Du point de vue du savoir actuel, ce concept définit (1) l’expérience ou la condition locale de globalisation, ce qui est connu sous le terme de « globalisation interne » et (2) la disposition ou sensibilité qui assure des relations productives et pacifiques dans un contexte global ou toutes circonstances qui créent des contextes culturellement dynamiques et différents. En nous basant sur une révision critique des documents clés, nous argumentons que les vies et les littératies actuelles et futures de beaucoup d’adolescents seront vécues dans une interface entre un monde tout aussi local que global. Nous discuterons ce que ce monde peut représenter dans le domaine de la littératie adolescente dans l’ère cosmopolite. En révisant cette littératie de façon critique, il est facile de s’apercevoir du nombre croissant de publications et de son importance dans la réforme de politiques et de pratiques de terrain. Il est cependant tout à fait nécessaire de reconfigurer et de développer ces concepts, préceptes et pratiques afin d’assurer leur adéquation dans le domaine et l’éducation en littératie des adolescents

Writing the Rainbow: Facilitating Undergraduate Teacher Candidates’ LGBTQIA+ Allyship Through Multimodal Writing

This yearlong qualitative descriptive case study conducted by an interdisciplinary team of education faculty with pre-service elementary teacher candidates sought to disrupt heteronormativity and to increase candidates’ awareness and preparedness for inclusivity with future LGBTQIA+ elementary students. Central to our findings was that in researching and authoring multimodal texts addressing topics and concerns faced by the LGBTQIA+ community for their future classrooms, there was a shift in the perceptions and preparedness of the candidates toward working with children identifying as LGBTQIA+. However, we also encountered resistance and/or apathy that led us to develop an analytical framework for disrupting teacher candidate cisgender heteronormativity and facilitating their progression toward allyship

Estimating Groundwater Evapotranspiration for Tamarisk-Dominated Riparian Communities through Satellite Imaging, Virgin and Muddy Rivers, Nevada

Southern Nevada features very high water demands and very low water availability. Tamarisk is a significant user of surface and groundwater supplies but uses significantly less water when it is defoliated by the northern tamarisk beetle. Because the ability to account for the water conserved by tamarisk defoliation would be helpful to water managers, I attempted to measure the difference in evapotranspiration rates before and after defoliation using remote sensing. Estimations of annual groundwater evapotranspiration rates were made using remote-sensing data from the Landsat 5 satellite for the Virgin and Muddy River systems in Southern Nevada for the years of 2007 through 2011 at various points in the northern tamarisk beetle’s diapause cycle. Comparisons were then made between the evapotranspiration rates of tamarisk groves that had or had not been defoliated to estimate the water total water saved. Results suggest that for the year 2011, the reduced transpiration rate of tamarisk due to defoliation saved an estimated 2,205 ac-ft of water