Truth Can't Be Ignored: Popular Culture, Media, and Public School's Role in Mediating Stereotypical Imagery

• In Event: Millennium Hotel Roundtable Session 1
  In Roundtable Session: Technology and Life-Wide Learning Across Settings

Abstract

21st century educators are challenged with not only being aware of pop culture ideologies, but also with helping students learn to negotiate and mediate this imagery and discourse. In order to stay relevant, schools and teachers are now tasked with becoming fluent in this new form of digital currency. Through pedagogical practices such as teaching critical media literacy and explicit critical thinking instruction, public schools can position themselves as conduits towards social change.
This paper seeks to address the ways in which middle school students interpret and internalize stereotypical imagery found in popular culture, specifically reality TV, and examines the role of the teacher and greater school community in helping students to identify and mediate stereotypical images.

Authors

• Danielle T Ligocki, Oakland University

• Martha Wilkins, Lewis University