Critical perspectives

Hazel Edmunds emailed me recently about an article which she says is based on the book Teaching Defiance: Stories and strategies for activist educators.
Newman, M. (2007) "Adult education and the home front."Adults Learning, 18 (7), (probably pages 8-11, I found this info on another site; the publisher - see URL below - doesn't give page numbers!).
Hazel continued "one part of Newman's article struck me as very apt for the information literacy scene. I quote: 'The skills I suggest we examine and practise are:
- 'how to critically appraise the statements of others;
- 'how to think clearly for ourselves;
- 'how to think inventively;
- 'how to participate actively in the affairs of our state; and
- 'how to participate wisely.
'Whenever we come across an apparently authoritative statement we can encourage people to tease out 'truth' from 'ideology'. I realise that both these concepts are contested but we can ask such questions as:
- 'Has the speaker (or writer) included all relevant information?
- 'Has the speaker included inconvenient ads well as convenient arguments? Or
- 'Is the speaker pushing a party line?'
"Newman then goes on to talk about legitimacy, authority, sincerity and openness."
Thanks to Hazel for this. The contents page for that issue of Adult learning is at http://www.niace.org.uk/Publications/
Periodicals/AdultsLearning/BackIss/Mar07Cont.htm
There is a review of Newman's book in College and research libraries, here

Photo by Sheila Webber: There are memorial trees for students on the Sheffield Campus. This is a young memorial tree for Louise Andrews, a student of French and German, which has a foxglove growing beside the little tree.