Pop culture. It’s everywhere. Apparently, even in the classroom. Kids bring in their experiences and knowledge of popular culture when they walk into the classroom and come across new knowledge. So it makes sense to address it. Otherwise, they could take what they see in movies, television, and comic books as true while dismissing what they are taught in class.
What would I do as a teacher to address this issue? I would survey students at the beginning of a new unit to see what they already know/think/have heard about the topic we are about to study. I would listen and correct stereotypes or misinformation they have as well as reinforce accuracies.
Pop culture can serve as a useful tool in the classroom. I would find video clips or other things that are accurate and show them in the classroom. It will appeal to students because it is coming from pop culture and it’s educational. For example, my mentor teacher showed an episode from the History Channel series, America: The Story of Us. The kids loved it, learned a lot, and (shocker!) stayed awake the whole time.
Pop culture is one of those things that can be a great benefit to learning. However, if a teacher isn’t aware of the role it plays in the classroom, there is a lot of potential for harm because kids are more likely to take what pop culture says as truth rather than the textbook, as we learned from the article. I think any teacher, or adult even, should teach their kids or students to question the sources of information they come across. They can’t believe everything they see or hear on television or in movies. This is a fundamental aspect of being an informed citizen that can contribute to society.
Hall, L. A. (2011). How popular culture texts inform and shape students' discussions of social studies texts. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 55(4), 296-305.
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