One of the reasons I want to teach is to ensure that students are literate in the media that they produce and consume. So many of us are bombarded with images and sounds non-stop (I for one have been listening to Glenn Campbell’s “Witchita Lineman” on repeat. Don’t judge). But why? Why do we listen to what we listen to? Why do I watch Bridesmaids when I am sad?
Why is Airplane still funny?
One needs a certain amount of cultural currency to examine this, and to delve deeper.
One of my goals for my classroom is to ensure that the students are engaged with the texts. This might mean I step out of my comfort zone, and it might mean that they step out of their comfort zone. We can examine the texts together, and hopefully, if true learning is taking place, we can learn from each other.
While literature does hold a special place in my heart, I am going to be an English teacher after all, my bigger love is analyzing texts of all sorts. Whether this is songs on the radio, memes on the internet, and movies and television shows. These all require a type of literacy that many of us go without. But if we learn how to consume media, we can then claim some control over what kind of media is being produced.
What I would love to learn how to do, is to seamlessly incorporate media studies or pop culture studies in the English classroom. While I have some ideas, I need to know whether these are just my ideas to get kids to listen to the music I like (kidding!) or if there is actual precedent in studying music videos, film, and other assorted ephemera from pop culture.
Some texts I plan on using to create this sort of curriculum, or lesson plans are Bahktin’s Carnival theory (but might this be too much for high school students? or middle school students?), Reading in the Dark by John Golden. edutopia.org has some great resources and real-word applications for topics ranging form social media and general pop culture. I also have a slew of articles that are piled and buried away from my graduate school and undergrad days that may come in handy once uncovered (see the title of this blog if there is any question about my organizational style).
I picked a plain old novel to work with for this project and from a fellow English major I am glad to see that you chose to take a different route. In our classrooms, media is going to be just a prominent as written text will be. I cannot wait to see what kind of information you gather this semester!
I happen to like Glen Cambell as well, and airplane. (I have not seen Bridesmaids) I do like the idea of using multimedia to teach English; be it something as simple as using film to reinforce ideas in a novel, or as differentiation for students who are struggling readers. I have not heard of Bahktin's Carnival Theory but am going to look it up when I am done here. I realize after looking at the rest of the blogs that I need to step mine up.
I think analyzing texts, especially literature, is so much fun. I love that you're considering how your students can use multimedia text. Using media to help them learn about analysis may be a great idea since media is probably more relevant to their lives, at this age, than more traditional texts/books. So excited to see what you do next! I do not know anything about the authors you mentioned so I look forward to learning about them! Also, regarding your concern, I always think it doesn't hurt to give your students the chance to do what you may deem to hard! Who knows what they can accomplished until they are challenge?!
When I think of an English class, I don't normally think of music, pop culture, or multimedia studies. I'm guessing the majority of your future students won't either which is why your idea is so brilliant. Using media that students are familiar with (songs, memes, or television shows), but using it in a new way, will open up a whole new form of literacy that will benefit them outside of a classroom. Like some of our other classmates, I'm unfamiliar with most of your resources so I'm looking forward to learning more about this topic.
I think a healthy serving of popular culture will benefit all of our students no matter what topic you are working on with students. I'm a huge fan of Bahktin and feel his theories offers much insight into the realms of classroom learning, especially his approach to the carnivalesque (as you mention) but also his notions of double-voicedness. In many ways popular culture texts provide another route, somewhat irreverent, to engage with school content and can be the buy in factor for students who may find it socially risky to "do school" In addition to Bhktin, you may also want to check out the work of Ernest Morrell and Duncan-Andrade, who both focus a lot on the use of popular culture in the classroom.
While I think Bahktin, Morrel, or Duncan-Andrade may come off as a bit too scholarly and dry for adolescents, I very much look forward to seeing what other texts you select for your text set.
Ummm, A) damn, girl, for wanting to use Bahktin. B) I just want to say yes to this whole post. I was watching this TedTalk yesterday about what a crazy media age we live in--how, for the first time, we, every day citizens, have a real part in shaping the creation of the news by what we click on. Basically, we need to stop clicking on "Does Kim Kardashian Have Butt Implants?" if we don't want the news to create as much of that clickbate junk... #medialiteracyman
I picked a plain old novel to work with for this project and from a fellow English major I am glad to see that you chose to take a different route. In our classrooms, media is going to be just a prominent as written text will be. I cannot wait to see what kind of information you gather this semester!
ReplyDeleteI happen to like Glen Cambell as well, and airplane. (I have not seen Bridesmaids) I do like the idea of using multimedia to teach English; be it something as simple as using film to reinforce ideas in a novel, or as differentiation for students who are struggling readers. I have not heard of Bahktin's Carnival Theory but am going to look it up when I am done here. I realize after looking at the rest of the blogs that I need to step mine up.
ReplyDeleteI think analyzing texts, especially literature, is so much fun. I love that you're considering how your students can use multimedia text. Using media to help them learn about analysis may be a great idea since media is probably more relevant to their lives, at this age, than more traditional texts/books. So excited to see what you do next! I do not know anything about the authors you mentioned so I look forward to learning about them! Also, regarding your concern, I always think it doesn't hurt to give your students the chance to do what you may deem to hard! Who knows what they can accomplished until they are challenge?!
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of an English class, I don't normally think of music, pop culture, or multimedia studies. I'm guessing the majority of your future students won't either which is why your idea is so brilliant. Using media that students are familiar with (songs, memes, or television shows), but using it in a new way, will open up a whole new form of literacy that will benefit them outside of a classroom. Like some of our other classmates, I'm unfamiliar with most of your resources so I'm looking forward to learning more about this topic.
ReplyDeleteI think a healthy serving of popular culture will benefit all of our students no matter what topic you are working on with students. I'm a huge fan of Bahktin and feel his theories offers much insight into the realms of classroom learning, especially his approach to the carnivalesque (as you mention) but also his notions of double-voicedness. In many ways popular culture texts provide another route, somewhat irreverent, to engage with school content and can be the buy in factor for students who may find it socially risky to "do school" In addition to Bhktin, you may also want to check out the work of Ernest Morrell and Duncan-Andrade, who both focus a lot on the use of popular culture in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteWhile I think Bahktin, Morrel, or Duncan-Andrade may come off as a bit too scholarly and dry for adolescents, I very much look forward to seeing what other texts you select for your text set.
Ummm, A) damn, girl, for wanting to use Bahktin. B) I just want to say yes to this whole post. I was watching this TedTalk yesterday about what a crazy media age we live in--how, for the first time, we, every day citizens, have a real part in shaping the creation of the news by what we click on. Basically, we need to stop clicking on "Does Kim Kardashian Have Butt Implants?" if we don't want the news to create as much of that clickbate junk... #medialiteracyman
ReplyDelete