In this piece written by Black, the focus on fan fiction and how members from different cultures can come together under a common topic and share their stories was really interesting to me. I think fan fiction is a great way for ELL learners to break through and become confident in their social interactions. Many ELL learners are not confident when coming into schools and my feel on the outside because of the language barrier. However, fan fiction sites give them the ability to socialize and share their ideas with others. I also thought bringing in Gees viewpoints and ideas was a great way to emphasize the importance of fan fiction and the community developed through these sites. When Gee speaks of affinity spaces and how they provide opportunities for individuals who may not have a typical bond with others in their community I thought he made a great point. Having these online communities gives ELL learners the ability to interact and share opinions with others that they may not be able to do in person. The common ground aspect of these spaces does not make anyone feel intimidated or unwanted and gives all people involved an equal opportunity to share their opinions. I also found it important to point out the identity aspect of these sites. Not having social roles and hierarchies on these types of sites gives everyone a social role and a fair playing ground. I thought it was important to know that members can have many different identities and it is okay because it gives more in terms of the participation. I think ELL learners having the opportunity to express themselves on these sites will give them the self-esteem to use these skills in face to face social opportunities as well continue their strength as a writer and reader.
I think fan fiction sites would be a fun experiment
in the upper elementary grades. If students could create their own blogs or a
group create one blog and write about something they enjoy they would increase
their writing skills and be able to become better writers. Students could read
a sci-fi book or historical fiction that interests them and then create a site
to share their ideas and story lines with others in the class .... the other
students could follow along, make comments, or help continue the story as well.
Through these types of sites I think it would be a good way to teach point of
views and respecting others' opinions when writing ... which is a skill that
should be learned early in school. Letting students have this freedom of choice
may also give them more incentive to produce better writer and not be afraid to
share their opinions since they are using a secret identity. With the right
resources in the classroom, a teacher could use this to
their advantage in the upper elementary grades. Black and Gee do a
great job at bringing to light the importance of these sites and how they give
students the opportunity to express themselves without much judgement.
Hey, I agreed with a lot of your comments. I think that a common interest like the fanfiction.com website, allows all children to feel more comfortable sharing their thoughts and opinions. Finding that same atomoshere in the classroom would be ideal.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! :)
ReplyDeleteAs we speak about allowing students freedom in expressing themselves, I often think of my upper-elementary school students who are so turned off by writing and just don't want to do it. By the time they reach 5th grade, they have been trained that they do not know much and that they must write a certain way and focus on a bunch of daily worksheets. Unfortunately (or fortunately), my students posses a different set of discourses and story-telling techniques. I hope that with the popularity of multiliteracies expanding, ELLs will be able to express themselves without being judged or humiliated, as it often happens in a standard classroom environment.
I like your idea of using a class story site with lower grades, with all students having an equal stake in plot and character development. It would definitely be a beneficial way to teach them how to make constructive responses!
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