I love the idea of making the classic texts meaningful for the students. The authors of this article list several methods towards the goal of complimenting canonical literature with elements of pop culture, all of which I plan to utilize at some point in my teaching career. We can justify the importance of classic literature by linking them to timeless concepts present in modern devices (music, film, etc.). Educators cannot ignore pop culture, so why not use it? Capitalize on it! For example, when I studied Beowulf and Harry Potter at EWU, we addressed gender roles and possible sexism issues present in the text. An effective teacher will be able to help the students draw upon their personal experiences with gender roles (maybe by tapping into social media) to make meaningful connections with ancient and modern texts. This would also require teachers who value what students can bring to the academic table, building upon the concepts from last week’s article: chapter two of Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Freire is expanding upon John Dewey’s theories about the backwards educational structure, advocating “that the school curriculum draws from the lived experiences of the child to expand into broader horizons”.
It is important for students to learn about people who are different from themselves, and realize those people lead lives that are equally as meaningful as their own. This concept from the article reminds me In the Name of God by Paula Jolin that I am reading for class. Halfway through the book I am convinced that every American teenager needs to be exposed to this perspective.
I agree with the authors of this article that when we expose students to harsh realities of injustice, we need to support them with opportunities and tools to change and rise above those circumstances. Students will only feel more helpless and demoralized if they are made aware of oppression without the power to change it. That power begins with critical pedagogy.
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