What were the article’s key ideas? What did the authors say about students’ literacies and the integration of popular culture?
The article focuses on the idea of mass media as something bigger than literacy. It points out that teaching concepts about mass media can create dominance in the society. The role and power of mass media is best understood by teaching the ideology that lies behind it. The author argues that media shapes culture because it the most penetrative influence in the world today. Furthermore, it goes beyond the influence of family, friends and even colleagues ( Morell & Duncan-Andrade, 2005). Media touches everyone more effectively than any other means of communication. The integration of popular culture also plays a major role in the societal formation of norms and practices.
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How comfortable do you feel with integrating students’ multiple literacies and student culture in your teaching? What learning needs to take place on your end?
Teaching by integrating multiple literacies and cultures is not a matter of comfort. It is a matter of necessity. It is not comfortable integrating cultural trends that one does not agree with or acknowledge as right. However, Morell and Duncan-Andrade (2005) point out that it is necessary to accept them as part of your students’ history. Resistance will lead to a class in the teaching practices and limit the influence of the teacher. Morell and Duncan-Andrade (2005) further add that integrating literature into the teaching practices opens up ones ideologies to the type of diversity present in society. Learning from the teachers’ end simply means interacting with the students with an open and honest attitude.
How will you integrate multiple literacies and student culture in your curriculum and teaching practices?
The student culture can be integrated into the curriculum and teaching practices by including the aspects of curricula that are relevant to the less dominant members of society such as the Spanish community that I intend to teach in future. For instance, this can be done by changing some of the assignments. Other teachers have successfully done this by giving students the autonomy to choose the media sources that influence them the most ( Morell & Duncan-Andrade, 2005). The projects can be done with focus on some ideology that guides mass media. An example is the application of hip-hop as a mode of communication. The students can be allowed to pick on any two musicians whose lyrics and culture influence their way of thinking.
References
Morell and Duncan-Andrade (2005) “Popular Culture and Critical Media Pedagogy in Secondary Literacy Classrooms”.
