"Tooning In" Chapters 1-3

In the first three chapters of this book, authors White and Walker are telling us the importance of Pop Culture. It is in everything we see, hear and breathe. The funny thing with schools these days is how board members, directors, and even some teachers, are trying to keep Pop Culture out of the classroom. It is ironic how pop culture is trying to be taken away from the students, but for those of us lucky enough to have a teacher’s lounge or participate in a happy hour after school, Pop culture is the common norm, what we talk about, and determines who we become friends with. As I re-read these first chapters, many ideas from White and Walker hit close to home.
My first connection with “Tooning In” came from reading about Sesame Street and MTV. I can remember when I was a little girl, my younger brother and I would argue over what we would watch on TV. I mean argue over everything, except for when Sesame Street was on. That was a no brainer, we both enjoyed it, and my mom enjoyed the calm before the next storm. The reasons we enjoyed it, because it was” fun and entertaining”…just like White and Walker stated in their book. My brother and I did not even realize we were learning new things by watching our favorite show, we just enjoyed laughing along with Bert, Ernie, Snuffleupagus, Oscar, and Big Bird.
MTV was a newer concept when I was growing up, and now it paves the way for Pop Culture Norms. Trends have been set and squashed according to what is seen and heard on MTV, and that comes straight into the classrooms. We, as teachers, would be ridiculous not to listen to what our kids had to say about the TV they watched the night before, or over the weekend. We of course, hope the TV watching happens only after ALL homework is done, right?! Like I mentioned before, adults talk about pop culture, and MTV has been in this category for me. I will have to admit, that I have been known to watch the “great” shows like “Daisy of Love,” “Real World/Road Rules Challenge,” and “John and Kate Plus 8,” and let me tell you, my student’s mouths drop when I add in my two cents about the show they had just watched! They look at me as if I’m an alien and can’t believe they watch the same TV shows as their teacher! After the initial shock does wear off, then they are more comfortable about chatting on upcoming episodes.
White and Walker also write about the importance of the mandated curriculum and TEST SCORES. Now I will tell you, teaching at a school that is on AYP, all I can think about is trying to cram in as much test prep as humanly possible every school day, and now that I am thinking about it, I should have started test prep back on September 1st! No, but seriously, it is a very daunting task to make sure we teach the kids what they need to know in order to pass the test, but how do we do it in a fun manner??? If anyone has that answer, would you mind letting me know! I too used to think, a quiet classroom was a “in control classroom,” but I now know that is not the case. My kids do their best learning when they are able to work with partners and chat with friends…I just wish my director would also understand this revelation I have had!
Going along with the “not quiet classroom,” I always play music throughout the school day. I am one of those people who need music to help me concentrate…dead silence makes me go batty! My grandfather could never understand this, because he needs the silence to focus, but I guess that just shows you, everyone learns their best in different ways. Anyway, back to the music…it’s kind of like Pavlov’s Dogs in my classroom, only because certain music means certain things in my classroom. I play Enya or relaxing music from Hawaii during quieter work times, I play the “Cha Cha Slide” or “Cupid Shuffle” during our dance breaks, and I play (the best hip hop group for kids check out their website www.figureheadsinc.org ) FigureHeads during our social time or any small group work. The kids know when they hear a certain type of music, that a certain type of work is expected. If there is a mistake in the type of music played, all bets are off with my students’ behavior…I have must have “trained” them well! Any substitute who has been in my class has thanked me for giving them a heads up on what kind of music to play through out the day….even though I might not be in class, the kids will still know what to do according to what music they are hearing.
The last bit of our reading was very interesting, and I found myself wondering how I can have my students work with the 4 components to effective critical media literacy program. On page 36, White and Walker state 4 pieces crucial to bringing critical media literacy into the classroom. What they had to write sounds amazing with students: “looking for hidden meanings,” picking the right book, “active transformation,” and “seeing the future holds opportunities.” While all of this sounds great, how can I do this with 5th grade students who read below a 1st grade level…yep you read that right, BELOW a 1st grade level. My jaw nearly hit the floor last year, when I tested my 4th grade students and I only had 2 kids at/above grade level! We worked hard all year to bring up reading scores, but then summer hit, and reading went out the window! I feel as if we are back to square one, and while I want my students to read deeper and look for hidden meanings, I also have to take a step back and be happy when they can read a full sentence correctly and with expression…so my question is, where is the balance?!?! I know I want and need Pop Culture in my classroom...it makes learning more meaningful and connects learning to the real world, but how do I get my struggling readers more excited about reading and taking steps towards what White and Walker have to say about Critical Media Literacy???? That will be the million dollar question for me to answer…