LLED 401 Feb 27 Reading Response Extra Credit

Release the Dragon: the role of popular culture in children’s stories by Urbach and Eckhoff discusses how pop culture can be used in the classroom as a tool.  Imagination that comes with those that connect to popular culture can show their cognitive ability when it comes to literacy.  If a teacher uses popular culture as a tool it can unlock a child's thinking and have them connect on a deeper level.  Most teachers use pop culture as a motivator rather than a way to enhance the classroom.  "Rather than banning the use of popular culture, perhaps the class could discuss the elements of popular culture that enhance their stories and the elements that make oral stories more confusing."(p.33) Using pop culture in a classroom can interest all children and can have everyone relate to that one story.  If a child is having trouble learning using something they understand will help.  Pop culture is a way to connect to many different children of many different backgrounds by not using it in the classroom the teacher is possibly stopping a child from learning.  I agree that pop culture should be used in the classroom.  With how much technology is used by children it is only best to use what interest them to further their education.

The Plan: Building on Children's Interests by Seitz explains how building on a child's interest makes for the best curriculum.  "In emergent, or negotiated, curriculum, the child's interest becomes the key focus and the various motivations for learning." (p. 36) By listening to what a child is interest are a teacher can use that to their advantage.  Fist a teacher must find that spark in a child once they have found a possible lead of what a child likes they then have to have conversation and come up witha  writing plan.  Once this is done the teacher has to make many possibilities and opportunities available.  An interest can be very broad and by allowing the curriculum go many different ways a teacher can zero in on exactly what about that topic interest them.  When the curriculum and topic is found the teacher can guide the student through the process by asking more questions and helping the student when need be.  By allowing the student to take charge and do something that they like the curriculum will feel more meaningful to them.

A students drawings and interest can lead to literacy learning.  Although a child is not writing they are telling a story through their drawings.  In Rankers, "There's Fire Magic, Electric Magic, Ice Magic" we are able to learn about what drawings and interest can uncover.  Ranker had to become open minded to his students form of text although there was no writing Ranker was able to see that there was literacy involved.  "Learning new genres and narrative form is an ongoing part of learning about the world of narrative and need to not be thought of as a new phenomenon." (p. 32)  Although a narrative might seem like an old literacy element it is constantly changing as is media genre will continue to change.  A teacher must continue to grow and learn from the changes and adapt.  The tough part for a teacher is finding how to evaluate these different genres as once and how do you put a value on them when they are different.  Although I feel this will be hard I agree that children should not be trapped to one type of literacy and by letting them express themselves the teacher will get the best results.

This video shows how an example of an emergent curriculum that builds on children's interest. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNFYFSa0720