This weeks presentation really opened my eyes to the way that curriculum could be reinvented to something that is relevant to students experiences and values. Given the large and growing multicultural student bodies in many schools where hip hop has become a popular genre to them, adding more hip hop centered texts to our curriculum to reflect this contemporary youth culture seems like it would be a progressive movement.
For many it may be time to reinvent the wheel. Maybe it is time to allow this cultural phenomenon to have a place within the classroom.
When we consider the influence of hip-hop culture, for better or worse, on the young people in our classrooms, we are presented with an opportunity to engage urban youth in a way that speaks to their cultural identities while, at the same time, building critical literacy skills that are transferable to every other discipline.
As our classrooms become more and more diverse, I believe we have a responsibility to address social inequities affecting our youth. I think we need to teach them what is relevant to them so that they can engage in their learning.
This Hip hop curriculum gives a platform for transformative education and re-education, and really activates and engage the minds and hearts of youth learners giving them something that is culturally relevant to their lives.
Here is a link for a video that speaks more on this topic called Hip Hop Genius.
For many it may be time to reinvent the wheel. Maybe it is time to allow this cultural phenomenon to have a place within the classroom.
When we consider the influence of hip-hop culture, for better or worse, on the young people in our classrooms, we are presented with an opportunity to engage urban youth in a way that speaks to their cultural identities while, at the same time, building critical literacy skills that are transferable to every other discipline.
As our classrooms become more and more diverse, I believe we have a responsibility to address social inequities affecting our youth. I think we need to teach them what is relevant to them so that they can engage in their learning.
This Hip hop curriculum gives a platform for transformative education and re-education, and really activates and engage the minds and hearts of youth learners giving them something that is culturally relevant to their lives.
Here is a link for a video that speaks more on this topic called Hip Hop Genius.