Something To Write Home About.

So Critical Literacy... this is the discussion topic after a wonderful class discussion on which to focus here. Critical Literacy in many ways it seems as a way to have an equal balance of listening, learning, knowledge, and growth... and being constantly proactive in creating a means to have this happen. Looking at my current library role there is not much of an expansion of other people's minds based on the material I produce or anyone else does for that matter. Mostly I do a lot of web management of an extensive art collection and in my mind I like to dream that I am adding all of these pages to add to the collective world of art and hopefully someone will find the artist they've always been searching for on our site and be fulfilled. In a sense that is how I see my critical literacy playing out, I try to organize the digital art collection in a way that others may be able to find the information they are seeking. However, I am reminded daily in my office that although its pretty straightforward in organization, generally by the artist's last name and also the same within categories, that many people struggle with the content no matter how obvious I try to make it. Its difficult to make a website have this balance between the creator and also the user, and probably most who observe websites do not see that someone has planned the content to make it easier for them. In attempts to make the relationship between myself and the user I have implemented surveys of the site and occasionally beyond that I am open to feedback when I rarely answer the phones I try to sneak in any customer opinions of the site. It is frustrating to see people struggle with knowledge, and as Freire discusses the best way to make content is to make it of direct personal interest of those who are experiencing it, so that is something that I should try to incorporate perhaps to have people feel more comfortable with the information.

Furthermore, inside of the office on a more direct level with both the digital and extensive book/catalog collection we have it would be of use to have the critical literacy in this sense be more balanced by having a more direct selection for those who are seeking the information. My boss wants to keep every book that ever comes in, and that is overwhelming to everyone and I end up being the one who organizes it all and also then has to find it when someone is looking for it, if they had a more active role in the material then it would be of more use to everyone in the long run. Having a more balanced and direct collection would probably be much more useful to everyone and would create a much more respectful atmosphere in general.

However, my current work is not in my interest group per se... I enjoy the art world and do feel that I could continue within it, my deeper interest lies within children's museums and the education possibilities held within that realm. Currently, from some of my observational study of children's museums, I have found that more often than not the museum let's the child take over the museum, be king/queen of the day and climb on everything and just have a fantastic time. Doing this though shifts the balance of education so far towards the child that there is not a direct connection in many people's minds that the children's museum is actually of any educational value to children, and this definitely needs to be shifted. There has to be a way of creating a children's museum in which children can be hands on and also learn about while they are having fun. I am reminded actually of an exhibit at the Minnesota Minneapolis/St. Paul Science Museum, within which they had a very small exhibit that was a big hit actually where the child got to weave wool. There were four looming stations set up with recycled wool ropes, that you could weave between the loom and learn the basics of how textiles are created. This exhibit had an enormous line, it was incredible actually to see the interest in weaving amongst all of these children, both boys and girls to create something that was just going to be demolished by the next user... This exhibit I feel is almost perfect in creating the relationship that Freire would want in a children's museum between the exhibit being very focused on one task and teaching many different aspects of the process in a very hands-on way. This exhibit taught the hard work, the struggles with wool, the beauty of a finished product, and the actual craft of weaving. To me it seems there is rarely a good balance in active more hands-on museums such as the science or children's museum that creates something that drives interest and also teaches through the exhibit... ultimately this would be the critical literacy required for a successful museum environment.

Also, if you've made it this far down, somehow Amazon sent me two copies of the Postman book and I do not see a need of having two, I did pay for both and don't feel like hassling them to send it back for a refund. If you would like it, comment and I don't know maybe five dollars? best offer really.