Chapter 5 - Popular Culture as a Literacy Tool

"The toxic media environment today provides cultural props that children can use to improvise their way into literacy" (Newkirk, 92).  This quote really struck me because we want our students to make connections to the outside world, yet we condone all the violence, especially with gun control in the media of recently.  Yet, how will our students expand their ability to write when we restrict our students to certain limitations?

When students are allowed to use their creativity of making connections through writing from fictional characters in movies and video games, it brings their writing more to life.  Being able to write fiction stories in class allows students the freedom to use their imagination and improvise.

The reality of writing is that when there is censorship in writing, it causes boys to fall drastically far behind in reading and writing by the 3rd grade.  As educators, I believe that we can look at this censorship in writing from two perspectives:
       - We can view media as the enemy and the negative effects in which it will take away from writing
                                                                 or
       - We can look at this as a way for students to connect to characters, special effects, and weapons as a

          way to connect through writing