Students seek to understand the 'why' behind what they are learning in the classroom. Although answering 'why' they have to learn something can be challenging in the moment, supporting students to understand the context and application of what they are learning is essential to getting students to truly make sense of the information gained and be…

Increasingly, librarians are encouraged to deliver information literacy sessions that go beyond finding and using traditional scholarly sources. They are asked to cover a wider range of the information ecosystem and develop students' capacity to critically engage with Google and the open web. In this study, we incorporated these learning…

The role of social media in the global society and economy has increased substantially over the years across different populations, age groups, and contexts. Using social media can be both beneficial and risky. People's ability to navigate it safely and effectively largely depends on their social media literacy skills, which has significant…

This paper proposes a videogame grammatics in which the values communicated in action-adventure videogames are investigated to meet the requirements of disciplinary English. Despite the popularity of action-adventure videogames, concerns about the representation of violence, gender depictions and racial stereotyping make using these games in…

This chapter critiques and builds upon critical digital literacy studies by synthesizing queer theory to inspire more inclusive approaches to understandings of digital literacy.

Students' curiosity in the world and sense of belonging in the elementary classroom can develop as teachers learn alongside students in the context of a critical literacy framework. In an end-of-year reflection, one of my fifth-graders, Anne (all names are pseudonyms), a student of color (at times, I used the term "student of color" to…

Creativity in the classroom should inspire teaching and learning that maximizes the students' abilities and language competency. Humanity in education is based on respect, dignity, transparency, and compassion. It should be the foundation for the classroom environment before implementing any framework. Offering compassion for all learners is a…

As educational institutions grapple with questions about increasingly complex Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems, finding effective methods for explaining these technologies and their societal implications to students remains a major challenge. This study proposes a methodological approach utilising Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT) and UNESCO's…

This article presents a historical and theoretical framework for understanding fascist visual culture as a form of public pedagogy. To do so, it provides an overview of the use of imagery found in American fascist print media dating from the 1950s-1990s. In particular, the article focuses on how fascist media centers on the construction of the…

This article introduces the Critical Literacies Advancement Model (CLAM) as a practical and theoretical framework designed to disrupt bias through adult learning. Grounded in critical literacy and critical thinking traditions, CLAM integrates diverse literacies (e.g., racial, human rights, media literacy, etc.) into a unified model that empowers…

This essay examines students' transgressive critical literacies in response to current events and contemporary manifestations of sociopolitical youth resistance, calling on educators to uplift malicious compliance, creative compliance, and transgressive humor to live out the core value of qualified hope.

This study sought to revisit established definitions of critical visual literacy and determine how this concept could be re-envisioned specifically for picture books when informed by the approaches of teacher education students who had received limited prior formal instruction on critiquing visual texts. Seventeen sophomore elementary education…

In this article, the author examines how young learners became critical information architects for presenting community and classroom data. The article begins with an overview of the literature on critical literacy, critical data literacy, and young children's visual cultures. Next, it lays out the project's context, modes of inquiry, and methods…

Doing and teaching critical literacies (CL) is complex, unpredictable work. In this article, we explore an unexpected turning point, and "teachable moment", with postgraduate students in a South African university. We focus on a redesign task created to scaffold postgraduate students' developing understanding of critical literacy theory…

Over the past few years, the author and her colleagues have been engaged in a teaching and research project that explores what it means to "connect math to the real world" and how to effectively design and implement mathematics lessons that integrate real-world, sociopolitical issues with mathematics in elementary classrooms.…