To understand the perceptions of parent's and student teacher's of using popular culture in the classroom, I conducted a survey in which I asked both a student teacher and a parent what they saw as the possible benefits and limitations of using popular culture in schools. Their replies were similar to what I would have expected, which I will discuss in this blog entry.
Both the student and the parent expressed
that they believe popular culture can be very beneficial as it can be used to
motivate and engage children, as supported by Marsh and Millard (2006). The
parent stated that by using things that interest the children, they will be
more willing to learn and will therefore learn more, as opposed to when learning
about things that they may find dull and uninspiring. During the seminar we
discussed ways in which we have seen popular culture effectively incorporated
into teaching, for instance through the use of popular characters like ‘Moshi
Monsters’ to support phonics teaching, or by using comic strips to engage
children in Religious Studies.
Although both the
student teacher and the parent agreed that a variety of resources and mediums
should be used to support learning, they argued that the use of popular culture
should only be used in moderation. Higgins, Xiao and Katsipataki (2012, pp.5)
explain this point, stating that ‘the use of digital technology is usually more
successful as a supplement rather than as a replacement for usual teaching’ and
that teachers should think about ‘how the technology activities will be
additional to what learners would normally experience’. This suggests that
popular culture should be incorporated carefully into lessons to support
teaching and learning, and therefore avoiding criticisms such as the notion
that popular culture may lead to the disappearance of traditional literacy
teaching (Merchant, 2007).
Having carried out the
survey it has made clear to me some implications for my future practise. For
example the student teacher said that because society is becoming more
‘technological’ it is necessary to incorporate popular culture and new
technologies into classroom practise to help prepare children for later life.
Marsh, Brooks, Hughes, Ritchie, Roberts and Wright (2005, pp. 13) agree with
this point stating that ‘young children’s use of popular culture, media and new
technologies is of central importance in the provision of educational, social
and cultural experiences that are appropriate to children in contemporary
societies.’ It has also highlighted to me the importance of ensuring that the
correct balance of popular culture is used in classrooms, as Marsh et al (2005
pp. 5) believe that it is possible for children to live well balanced lives
with ‘popular culture, media and new technologies playing an important, but not
overwhelming role’, however if popular culture was to be used too often within
teaching then there would no longer be an appropriate balance.
I agree with the comments made about the impact of popular culture on motivation and engagement within the classroom. My parent survey response as well as my own, reflect this viewpoint. Your argument leads to the conclusion that there needs to be a balance with regards to appropriate popular culture and the amount of times it is used, I do agree that it should be appropriate for the classroom; I disagree with the extent to which you use it. For instance, I feel that it could be extended in many ways; if a class of children are highly engaged in the stories of the Gruffalo, why not make the most of that knowledge by using the popular character in all core subjects?
ReplyDeleteFurthermore many parent responses in my survey expressed the same fear that you’ve mentioned, particularly the fear of traditional teaching methods disappearing. I hope that during this module, we have a chance to delve further into why this seems to be the general consensus amongst parents.