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Popular Culture And Social Media Essay

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Popular culture was, and perhaps still is, seen as a touchy and risky topic that should not be experimented in by many educational institutions. Callahan and Low (2004) point out that popular culture is looked upon unfavorably due to its fluid nature and habit of putting teachers in zones outside their expertise and familiarity (p.52). Additionally, as described by Gutiérrez (2011) popular culture and the fandoms that inevitably followed were believed to create a single path by which the individual merely payed tribute to a source material without having ever gained or learned anything in return (p.227). Furthermore, Hull and Stornaiuolo (2010) assert that formal, or standardized, schooling is skeptical of the potential educational value while magnifying the potential risks of popular culture and social media (p 85), perhaps prompting instructors to stick to traditional techniques in lieu of potential dangers, to both students and their own job security. Why then, despite the potentially debilitating aspects of popular culture in the classroom, do some teachers still choose to incorporate them? Admittedly, I observed very few instances of pop culture implementation during my first field experience, however those that did incorporate popular culture did so naturally, enthusiastically, and so masterfully that it was without a doubt beneficial when compared to classes that were kept material “dry” and by the books. Therefore, the real question becomes: How do teachers

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