In my first blog I discussed fan culture. As the course unfolds I am starting to see that fan culture is being used to engage people in social activism and education. Through media, movies, graphic novels, harry potter, zombies etc. people are using their interests to form groups and movements in which parallel issues within the alternate realm of the fiction works to current issues.
What is really interesting is that characters and ideas from popular culture can fit into classroom teaching. Thus the teacher would be using sources from fan cultures to engage students in learning. I recently did a presentation on incorporating the zombie apocalypse theme with classroom learning and curriculum expectations. The idea of zombies has cultivated a global fan culture and we can see that by the volume of media including T.V. show, movies, books, comics, graphic novels, blogs and music that are being and have been produced. Zombies are interesting because the narrative can be used to relate to event that are actually occurring in the world like the idea that we are “zombies” of consumerism, or compare the idea of a viral outbreak to a zombie outbreak. I think picking a theme that is that is buzzing in pop culture that goes along with learning expectations is a great way to engage students. It has the potential to help students see how subjects relate and gives teachers a narrative to sequence the learning in their classroom. October and November might be a good time to incorporate zombie based learning (as mentioned by David Hunter) into the classroom as the theme aligns with Halloween or fall in general. Below is a David Hunter video that I did not get to show during my presentation about how zombies align with a geography curriculum. References I used in my presentation including Math Zombies Blog is also below. Also a PDF version of my presentation is included just below the video.
References
Drysdale, C. (n.d.). Maths With Zombies. Retrieved October 13, 2015, from
https://mathswithzombies.wordpress.com
Fuglei, M. (n.d.). Zombie-based Learning. Retrieved October 13, 2015, from http://
lessonplanspage.com/zombie-based-learning/
Kapp, K. (2012). The gamification of learning and instruction: Game-based methods and
strategies for training and education. San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer.
Khan, A. (2011, May 16). Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse. Retrieved October 13,
2015, from http://blogs.cdc.gov/publichealthmatters/2011/05/
preparedness-101-zombie-apocalypse
Licht, M. (2014). Controlled Chaos: Project-Based Learning. Education Digest, 80(2), 49-51.
Miller, A. (2013, May 13). Zombie-Based Learning -- "Braaaaaaains!" Retrieved
October 17, 2015, from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/zombie-
based-learning-andrew-miller
Spitzer, G. (2013, April 10). How to survive a zombie apocalypse? Learn
geography. Retrieved October 13, 2015, from http://www.kplu.org/
post/how-survive-zombie-apocalypse-learn-geography
Verran, J, Crossley, M, Carolan, K, et al. (2014). Monsters, microbiology and
mathematics: The epidemiology of a zombie apocalypse. Journal of
biological education, 48(2), 98-104.
What is really interesting is that characters and ideas from popular culture can fit into classroom teaching. Thus the teacher would be using sources from fan cultures to engage students in learning. I recently did a presentation on incorporating the zombie apocalypse theme with classroom learning and curriculum expectations. The idea of zombies has cultivated a global fan culture and we can see that by the volume of media including T.V. show, movies, books, comics, graphic novels, blogs and music that are being and have been produced. Zombies are interesting because the narrative can be used to relate to event that are actually occurring in the world like the idea that we are “zombies” of consumerism, or compare the idea of a viral outbreak to a zombie outbreak. I think picking a theme that is that is buzzing in pop culture that goes along with learning expectations is a great way to engage students. It has the potential to help students see how subjects relate and gives teachers a narrative to sequence the learning in their classroom. October and November might be a good time to incorporate zombie based learning (as mentioned by David Hunter) into the classroom as the theme aligns with Halloween or fall in general. Below is a David Hunter video that I did not get to show during my presentation about how zombies align with a geography curriculum. References I used in my presentation including Math Zombies Blog is also below. Also a PDF version of my presentation is included just below the video.
References
Drysdale, C. (n.d.). Maths With Zombies. Retrieved October 13, 2015, from
https://mathswithzombies.wordpress.com
Fuglei, M. (n.d.). Zombie-based Learning. Retrieved October 13, 2015, from http://
lessonplanspage.com/zombie-based-learning/
Kapp, K. (2012). The gamification of learning and instruction: Game-based methods and
strategies for training and education. San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer.
Khan, A. (2011, May 16). Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse. Retrieved October 13,
2015, from http://blogs.cdc.gov/publichealthmatters/2011/05/
preparedness-101-zombie-apocalypse
Licht, M. (2014). Controlled Chaos: Project-Based Learning. Education Digest, 80(2), 49-51.
Miller, A. (2013, May 13). Zombie-Based Learning -- "Braaaaaaains!" Retrieved
October 17, 2015, from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/zombie-
based-learning-andrew-miller
Spitzer, G. (2013, April 10). How to survive a zombie apocalypse? Learn
geography. Retrieved October 13, 2015, from http://www.kplu.org/
post/how-survive-zombie-apocalypse-learn-geography
Verran, J, Crossley, M, Carolan, K, et al. (2014). Monsters, microbiology and
mathematics: The epidemiology of a zombie apocalypse. Journal of
biological education, 48(2), 98-104.
zombies.pdf |