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Critical and Popular Culture in ELA Classrooms A Policy Research Brief produced by the James R. Squire Office of the National Council of Teachers of English

Jamila Lyiscott, University of Massachusetts Amherst Nicole Mirra, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey Antero Garcia, Stanford University

Unpacking the Sites of Our Media (and Pedagogy) Moving beyond toward Production, Dissemination, and Invention Recommendations for Policy and Practice

This publication of the James R. Squire Office on Policy Research offers perspectives with implications for policy decisions that affect literacy , teaching, and learning. Ernest Morrell, professor and director of the Notre Dame University Center on Literacy Education, directs the Squire Office on behalf of NCTE and creates research and reports with the involvement of literacy education leaders in the field. All policy briefs from the Squire Office are available at NCTE.org.

For on this publication, contact NCTE at [email protected].

©2021 by the National Council of Teachers of English, 340 N. Neil St. #104, Champaign, IL 61820. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, or included in any information storage and retrieval system without permission from the copyright holder. To request permission to reprint, contact NCTE at [email protected].

A full-text PDF of this document may be downloaded free for personal, noncommercial use through the NCTE website: https://ncte.org/resources/policy-briefs/ (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader). A Policy Research Brief produced by the James R. Squire Office of the National Council of Teachers of English

The daily realities of students critically and substantively teachers throughout the United States engage media and popular culture. are increasingly mediated by the Thus, new perspectives are urgently pervasiveness of popular culture. A needed in ELA to help teachers critically new report found that has engage media and popular culture to had a 42.86% increase in users since avoid continued harm and to center 2017 (Zote, 2020). Of this, the US makes students as critically engaged members up 120.7 million , about of a new digital social reality. a third of the nation. These numbers [C]ritical media represent a new social politics around One crucial how culture is created, disseminated, orientation for literacy must attend and engaged. Mainstream outlets doing this is to the politics of no longer have a foothold on what understanding digital tools and are relevant to the public. that our platforms. digitally Students are often portrayed as mediated reality is neither ideologically mindless consumers of popular culture, nor politically neutral. For this reason, but a spike in engagement critical must attend by Millennials and Generation Z reveals to the politics of digital tools and that K–12 youth are often at the helm of platforms. For example, in May 2020 creating media content and impacting decided to add a fact-checking the trends which constitute popular link to several misleading tweets from culture. Coupled with the realities of Donald Trump, while ’s this shifting landscape, an increasingly faced backlash for diverse student population throughout decidedly not deleting or providing the United States is faced with a static fact-checking information around literary canon within ELA classrooms the same information from Trump that continues to prioritize white, posted on Facebook. In the midst of Eurocentric texts. Much research has the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, delineated the kinds of harm this lack Twitter, Google, and many other major of representation perpetuates for all platforms chose to center support for students, but particularly for racially the movement on their main pages, and linguistically minoritized students an act that may be politically and who continue to be marginalized economically driven. These are a few by curriculum. While efforts to salient examples that make it necessary address our new digitally saturated for ELA classrooms to engage in the social reality have taken the form of future of critical media literacy with integrating digital/media literacy into careful attention to the tools of media as ELA classrooms, the ethos of the canon, a crucial aspect of understanding media or what counts as essential knowledge consumption and production. for schooling, continues to limit how

Critical Media Literacy and Popular Culture in ELA Classrooms A Policy Research Brief 2 A Policy Research Brief produced by the James R. Squire Office of the National Council of Teachers of English

Unpacking the Sites of Our concept—foisted upon our public Media (and Pedagogy) consciousness—conveys a billowing mass that hovers nearby, containing The digital is not a place. Studying our information always available and media literacy and critical media ever present. And yet, the cloud is not. literacy does not mean gazing at an Accessing media from the seeming alternate space to the world students digital ether is actually the wizardry inhabit in schools. Rather, of plucking content that users and requires educators and students alike to companies store on servers housed look critically at our present, digitally somewhere else; the cloud, as it were, mediated lives. Such foci for critical is just someone else’s computer and media literacy expand the necessary perhaps, if we read these metaphors aspects of critically, youth perspectives around [C]ritical media critique privacy, surveillance, and convenience literacy must question beyond would be challenged. on what platforms individual media persists, and media and Critically “ the world” (Freire & how such platforms genres. Macedo, 1987) means much more than shape, abet, and Instead, critically exploring the content that is encountered via social media. Rather, suppress particular critical media literacy must these platforms and their affordances— viewpoints and question on Facebook’s filter bubbles (e.g., Pariser, ideologies. what platforms 2011) and Google’s opaque process that media persists, reinforces colonial, racialized power and how such platforms shape, abet, (Noble, 2018)—illustrate new ways that and suppress particular viewpoints critical media literacy must interpret and ideologies. How are participants the tools of power today. As Srincek filtered, moderated, and shaped as (2017), Zuboff (2019), and others have they write on a social media platform explored, the cordoning off of online like Twitter? How are forms of content social interactions to a limited number moderation and video monetization of platforms has meant that modern shaping the consumptive habits across conceptualizations of capitalism are the vast and growing body of media tied to digital surveillance and to the on YouTube? Reading the values of processes of using varied platforms. As these tools requires a vigilant critical the turn of the 21st century approached media literacy that expands classroom and digital were just responsibilities. Alongside these beginning to revolutionize education, new directions, current conventional a collective of literacy scholars sought thought around media viewing and to articulate a vision for how these listening habits points to our data tools could best be critically engaged held in “the cloud.” This popular to support transformative learning.

Critical Media Literacy and Popular Culture in ELA Classrooms A Policy Research Brief 3 A Policy Research Brief produced by the James R. Squire Office of the National Council of Teachers of English

The New London Group (1996) urged dependent upon gatekeepers (e.g., educators and researchers to explore media conglomerates, publishing the then newly emerging contexts companies), which meant that even on which to critically “design social when students had [S]tudent futures” in the burgeoning globalized, the tools to create engagement with participatory era. their own media, popular culture they encountered Moving beyond Media and media in the barriers to sharing ELA classroom Consumption toward Production, that media beyond Dissemination, and Invention is richest when a classroom or it encompasses local community both analysis of As the participatory turn in audience. existing texts and communications studies indicates, Today’s digital composition of student engagement with popular communication new ones. culture and media in the ELA classroom context is is richest when it encompasses no longer as both analysis of existing texts and hierarchical and unidirectional; social composition of new ones. When young media platforms are conducive to people become literacy creators in multidirectional dialogue that allows addition to consumers, they gain a for the amplification of a wider variety deeper grasp of various modes of of voices (Cohen & Kahne, 2012). expression and the necessary skills to contribute to ongoing creative The New London Group (1996) argued conversations (Kellner & Share, 2019). that if digital communication outlets Such creation is crucial not only for simply sought to transmit the same students’ growth as scholars, but also types of texts from the same voices for their development as civic leaders; on a wider scale, they would replicate as theorists remind us, stratified social power dynamics; the abilities to make and communicate instead, they advocated that this meaning are the catalysts for acting in opportunity be used to foreground and community with others to sustain and celebrate a wider array of improve democratic life (Morrell et al., for the purposes of building a more 2013). equitable public life. As they noted, “cultural and linguistic diversity is a In today’s multimodal literacy classroom resource just as powerfully landscape, it is easier than ever before as it is a social resource in the formation to provide students with opportunities of new civic spaces and new notions of to express themselves creatively and citizenship” (p. 69). civically. Before the advent of web Twenty years later, the range of tools 2.0 technologies, the publication and that youth can use to share their unique dissemination of texts was much more perspectives has grown exponentially—

Critical Media Literacy and Popular Culture in ELA Classrooms A Policy Research Brief 4 A Policy Research Brief produced by the James R. Squire Office of the National Council of Teachers of English

from Twitter to TikTok and beyond— through their Our Future and literacy educators can be leaders projects; the American Creed initiative in supporting youth as they craft and encouraged classroom communities to curate their voices if they are ready share stories about what the concept to think beyond the classroom walls of American means to them, while the and engage with the wider public Letters to the Next President initiative (Jocson, 2013). Leveraging media and facilitated the creation of a public popular culture in the ELA classroom database of over 11,000 youth letters should no longer focus only on helping about the civic issues that matter to young people consume and analyze them (Garcia et al., 2020). the texts that surround them; it must support them to compose new texts, Despite the growth of such platforms, disseminate them to the world, and wariness about the privacy of invent new expressive forms for the student data and the risks involved purpose of building expansive and just in connecting with a broader public social futures (Mirra et al., 2018). beyond the school perimeter remain, which can stifle broader efforts to This mission in some ways cultivate and share youth media. Many complements existing educational of the most intensive and engaged innovations that advocate for opportunities for youth composition collaborative and and dissemination are facilitated [L]iteracy educators action-oriented through community organizations can be leaders in pedagogies, (Baldridge, 2019). YR Media, a national supporting youth including project- network of youth journalists based in as they craft and based learning Oakland, California, produces online curate their voices frameworks content and develops apps by and for if they are ready to (Caraballo & young people, as does the Black Youth think beyond the Lyiscott, 2018). Project in Chicago, Illinois. New York classroom walls and Educational City’s Global Action Project supports engage with the platforms that youth with making media to amplify wider public. encourage and engage in movements for social young people to share their justice. Such organizations offer models multimodal compositions (e.g., blogs, that literacy educators can take up in videos, performances, community their classroom contexts to foster youth presentations) with audiences beyond creation in ways that support them their classrooms are offering a conduit to not only master the media tools of for youth voices. The National Writing today, but also to invent the new tools Project (NWP), a valued partner of and forms of expression of tomorrow. NCTE, has been a leader in supporting civically engaged youth writing

Critical Media Literacy and Popular Culture in ELA Classrooms A Policy Research Brief 5 A Policy Research Brief produced by the James R. Squire Office of the National Council of Teachers of English

Recommendations for audio, and multimedia material, as Policy and Practice well as community-based learning experiences. For District & School Leaders Support 2. Support teachers teachers to 1. The 2020 coronavirus pandemic to engage students engage students illuminated alarming disparities in in critical media in critical media access to across lines of race literacy and analysis literacy and and class. Thus, it is crucial to ensure of popular culture. analysis of that all students have equitable and This includes popular culture. expansive access to sources of media and popular culture for learning. a. District/school policies: Teachers This includes and families need access to clear and committed policy documents that a. Digital devices: Considering the fact demonstrate strong support from that media and popular culture are leadership for the critical thinking and now largely produced and distributed dialogue necessary to analyze media through digital platforms, it is and popular culture. NCTE offers imperative that students enjoy access several resolutions to assist leaders in to devices through which they can both crafting this policy language, including access this content for learning and Resolution on English Education for create their own multimodal texts. Critical Literacy in Politics and Media; A Call to Action: What We Know about b. access: Since devices cannot Instruction; and be conduits for digital learning without of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media internet capabilities, students must Literacy Education. also be provided with high-speed internet access in both school and b. Sustained opportunities for professional home learning contexts. In addition, learning: Considering that the this access should be as expansive development of media and popular as possible since firewalls and other culture is outpacing many teacher restrictions choke off opportunities for preparation programs, teachers need critical thinking and analysis of digital intensive, sustained, and meaningful content. opportunities to learn about the affordances and new content and c. Multimodal/multisited instructional integrate it into their instruction. resources: When allocating funding for Considering the controversial issues instructional resources, leaders should often addressed in the media, special think beyond traditional print texts and attention needs to be paid to facilitating ensure that teachers and students can these discussions in ways that prioritize benefit from a wide variety of visual, student safety and values of and antiracism.

Critical Media Literacy and Popular Culture in ELA Classrooms A Policy Research Brief 6 A Policy Research Brief produced by the James R. Squire Office of the National Council of Teachers of English

c. Organized opportunities for student Twenty years into the 21st century, it media production/dissemination: As is essential that teachers explore this teachers and students develop range of texts and integrate them in a innovative projects to support student robust manner into their instruction. media production and dissemination, They are supported in these efforts leaders can amplify these efforts by by skills-based standards, including dedicating resources to school, district, the Common Core. NCTE journals and community events to support and highlight the innovative work of ELA disseminate student voice. teachers in this area, as do lesson plans featured by NCTE’s ReadWriteThink For Educators website.

1. Integrate a wide range of media and c. Commitment to critical analysis and popular culture into standards-based : Robust and meaningful literacy instruction. This includes engagement with media and popular culture will inevitably surface a wide a. Assessment of background knowledge range of controversial social issues. students hold around media and popular Instead of avoiding discussions about culture: Since these issues, teachers should lean [T]eachers need to students are into them with students to hone their invest significant immersed in a critical media literacy skills. Before effort into digitally saturated doing so, however, teachers need to examining their reality, any effort invest significant effort into examining own knowledge and to integrate their own knowledge and biases and biases and ensuring media and ensuring that they develop norms, that they develop popular culture protocols, and strategies that prepare norms, protocols, into instruction students to have inclusive, antiracist and strategies that must consider dialogues. prepare students how they already to have inclusive, make meaning of 2. Build capacity to engage in antiracist dialogues. these, and their pedagogies that support youth voice relationship to the and creativity. This includes literacies of media and popular culture as crucial entry points for instruction. a. Formative and summative assessments that go beyond the five-paragraph essay: b. Development of multimodal text sets A commitment to engaging students and unit plans: Media and popular in consumption of media and popular culture abound with texts that engage culture in the classroom must also with complex themes and language include a commitment to supporting on par with (and often beyond) any students to express their learning novel in the traditional ELA canon. through a variety of multimodal forms.

Critical Media Literacy and Popular Culture in ELA Classrooms A Policy Research Brief 7 A Policy Research Brief produced by the James R. Squire Office of the National Council of Teachers of English

Essays are just one way for students traditional gatekeepers when it comes to express what they know and think; to sharing student voice, and as a teachers should encourage and make result, there is no longer any reason for possible a variety of modes through student learning to remain within the which students can demonstrate classroom walls. Teachers should seek learning creatively. authentic and meaningful outlets for students to raise their voices and share b. Authentic venues for youth media their media production in community production and dissemination: Digital and digital spaces. media platforms have dismantled

References

Baldridge, B. (2019). Reclaiming community: Race and the uncertain future of youth work. Stanford University Press.

Caraballo, L., & Lyiscott, J. (2018). Collaborative inquiry: Youth, social action, and critical qualitative research. Action Research, 18(2), 1–18.

Cohen, C., & Kahne, J. (2012). Participatory politics: and youth political action. Youth and Participatory Politics Research Network.

Freire, P., & Macedo, D. (1987). Literacy: Reading the word and the world. Bergin & Garvey.

Garcia, A., Levinson, A., & Gargroetzi, E. (2020). “Dear future president of the United States”: Analyzing youth civic writing within the 2016 Letters to the Next President Project. American Educational Research Journal, 57(3), 1159–1202.

Jocson, K. (Ed.). (2013). Cultural transformations: Youth and the pedagogies of possibility. Harvard University Press.

Kellner, D., & Share, J. (2019). The critical media literacy guide: Engaging media and transforming education. Brill.

Critical Media Literacy and Popular Culture in ELA Classrooms A Policy Research Brief 8 A Policy Research Brief produced by the James R. Squire Office of the National Council of Teachers of English

Mirra, N., Morrell, E., & Filipiak, D. (2018). From digital consumption to digital invention: Toward a new of . Theory into Practice, 57(1), 12–19.

Morrell, E., Dueñas, R., Garcia, V., & López, J. (2013). Critical media pedagogy: Teaching for achievement in city schools. Teachers College Press.

New London Group. (1996). A pedagogy of multiliteracies: Designing social futures. Harvard Educational Review, 66(1), 60–92.

Noble, S. (2018). Algorithms of oppression: How search engines reinforce racism. NYU Press.

Pariser, E. (2011). The :What the Internet is hiding from you. Penguin.

Srnicek, N. (2017). Platform capitalism. Polity Press.

Zote, J. (2020, January 07). 55 critical social media statistics to fuel your 2020 strategy. Sprout Social. https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-statistics/

Zuboff, S. (2019). The age of surveillance capitalism: The fight for a human future at the new frontier of power. PublicAffairs.

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