Book Description

In what ways can teachers build on youth culture to improve learning opportunities in the classroom? In this fascinating and highly readable collection, Korina M. Jocson brings together more than two dozen scholars, artists, educators, and youth workers to illustrate various ways of engaging nondominant youth through artistic and educational projects. These projects range not only in type (media, digital art, playwriting, and hip-hop) but also location (California, Wisconsin, New Mexico, Cuba, and Australia, among other areas) to reflect the wide range of possibilities for tapping into contemporary youth culture. The projects described are part of an emerging field that examines the benefits of youth participation in literary, digital media, and civics-related projects within schools and a variety of informal environments. "In Cultural Transformations, Jocson and her colleagues have created a truly invaluable resource. In these chapters, readers will learn that there is a broad array of cultural resources, typically located outside of school, that can be drawn upon to tap into the interests and passions of their students. With contributions from a broad array of artists, scholars, and practitioners who work within and outside of education, this book demonstrates that culture can serve as a powerful medium for reaching students who would otherwise be alienated and marginalized. The book is insightful and illuminating, and educators will find a treasure trove of ideas that help them make education relevant and meaningful to the students they serve. -- Pedro A. Noguera, Peter L. Agnew Professor of Education, New York University "In an ever more demographically diverse nation, looking anew at the ways our youth are taught is one of the greatest and most important challenges facing educators today. In addressing this challenge, these essays take the vibrancy of modern youth culture and show how it points to a new direction in pedagogical theory." -- C. Matthew Snipp, Burnet C. and Mildred Finley Wohlford Professor of Humanities and Sciences, Stanford University Korina M. Jocson is an assistant professor of education at Washington University in St. Louis. Shirley Brice Heath is the Margery Bailey Professor of English and Dramatic Literature and professor of linguistics and anthropology, emerita, at Stanford University.