Critical Issues in Literacy Pedagogy: Notes from the Trenches

Every day, classroom teachers struggle with numerous issues involving literacy and literacy instruction. Many call on professors and instructors for advice and support. Critical Issues in Literacy Pedagogy: Notes from the Trenches, is a response to that call. This anthology presents current, relevant information on literacy issues that are related to comprehension, assessment, best practice approaches, technology, and bi-literacy. It also addresses the theoretical and political contexts that inform them.

This is a book for teachers, by teachers. The information and ideas in Critical Issues in Literacy Pedagogy are presented from the perspective of those who are directly involved in the teaching and learning environment, where they grapple with the issues and difficulties involved in teaching reading. The selections represent a collective wealth of experience and knowledge in reading and literacy. The contributors are researchers, writers, and scholars who are fully engaged in the dynamics of literacy instruction. Their voices rise from the trenches as they bring their own research and personal expertise to bear on the critical issues that teachers deal with in the current literacy classroom. Critical Issues in Literacy Pedagogy allows for informed and frank discussions of literacy learning.

This text can be used by schools of education and departments of literacy in classes including literacy assessment, language and literacy in elementary schools, middle school and adolescent literacy courses.

Eurvine J. Williams, Ph.D. is an assistant professor in literacy at Illinois State University. Dr. Williams is a Certified INTEL (Teach to the Future) Instructor and has comprehensive experience in Technology Mediated Pedagogy for K-Higher education. He has collaborated in the development of NASA Earth Science Technology Curriculum and has amassed a wealth of technology knowledge and experience as a technology coordinator for a number of research grants and projects. Dr. Williams is well versed in Web 2.0 and 3.0 Technologies and Client-Server Architecture for eLearning. He specializes in Language Literacy and Culture and Technology Mediated Pedagogy. His research interest areas include: Technology Use and Practice in Literacy Instruction; Socio-radical and Critical Constructivist theory and practice and Socio-psycholinguistics.

Eurvine James Williams is an assistant professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Illinois State University, where he teaches literacy. Dr. Williams specializes in Language Literacy and Culture and Technology Mediated Pedagogy. His research interests include technology in literacy education, and socio-radical and critical constructivist theories and applications as they relate to literacy practices and applications. In particular, he is keenly interested in how language, culture, social, and psychological contexts affect literacy instruction. Dr. Williams' current focus is on creating opportunities for teachers to explore issues of equity, social justice, and diversity in literacy pedagogy.