Tuesday, June 17, 2008


I thought Lankshear and Knobel’s section on fanfiction and scenario build was particularly powerful. Looking at a social studies curriculum I feel it could be use to predict what could happen after a given historical event, how history might be different if a particular event did not occur, or to write historical nonfiction as a well to develop writing skills. But again, many would argue this is not “testable” and it will not be asked of these students on any mandated tests so why use it? Can you argue that in order to complete the assignment students need a working knowledge of history, so it can be used as a review or to track content acquisition? Also, does is matter if student’s have no clue about how fanfiction relates to literacy? Where I sub the middle school is putting on a play that provides 11 different endings to Romeo and Juliet. However, the play was not constructed by students or integrated into their English class only the students in the play have worked with the text of Romeo and Juliet and have discussed how these different endings relate and/or change the original story and if they are justified given their knowledge of the play. Is this still a new literacy practice? Or is my perception as a graduate student seeing a potential new literacy practice where one does not exist?

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