From #blacklivesmatter to #yesallwomen, youth are using digital media to intersect between social media and social change to counter narratives / restorying the world from their experiences and perspective. The authors Thomas and Stornaiuolo (2016) argues how youth are bending in a form of restorying , “a process by which people reshape narratives to represent a diversity of perspectives and experiences that are often missing or silenced in mainstream texts, media, and popular discourse” (p.314). The authors have provided remarkable guidelines for incorporating bending projects into classroom teaching and invited the young readers to take ownership of texts in order to foster equitable classrooms. Hence, as a way to help youth write themselves into mainstream texts which do not capture their identities, experiences, culture and realities, I would like to build upon Thomas and Stornaiuolo’s (2016) argument. I strongly believe that there is less student engagement to school learning because of inequitable literacy texts relating to student’s interests, lives and experiences. Hence, in light of this, I argue that educators should build bridges from a networked world to an offline classroom in order to foster an equitable classroom. Thus, in the below analysis I have presented some ideas on designing an equitable classroom.
Creating Equitable Classroom Community
Firstly, educators must and should work towards creating a classroom community which allows youth to have an open space to discuss their lives, experiences and stories. An educator can engage in classroom discussions with their students which promotes diversity and affirms youth’s identities and differences. Educators could also create an equitable classroom by “asking students to retell stories in other times and places” (Thomas & Stornaiuolo, 2016, p.330) in a classroom assigned online space with an anonymous identity. An anonymous identity in an online space will allow youth to engage in “bending characters, plots, and settings” (Thomas & Stornaiuolo, 2016) without any hesitation. By allowing youth to engage in classroom discussions on literary texts specifically relating to social justice issues will help foster an equitable classroom. Connecting to Student’s Lives
Secondly, in order to foster an equitable classroom educators should also affirm youth’s capacities as writers, readers, and contributors in the online space. They should also be affirmed and given opportunities in a classroom to bend or counter narrate their stories. By affirming youth’s ability to express freely as writers especially those who are marginalized or from non-dominant groups, one is enabling students to become engaged to the literacy practice. As Moje et al. (2009) argues literacy is a medium for self-discovery and self-formation. When students feel affirmed about their cultural and racial diversity they will naturally incline towards engaging in the literacy text. This positive student engagement will result in better grades, high performance, positive identity construction and an equitable classroom.
Link to real-world problems and social justice issues
Thirdly, I build upon Thomas & Stornaiuolo (2016) argument about how educators should “invite readers to take ownership of texts” (Thomas & Stornaiuolo, 2016, p.332). This can only be accomplished when educators take the responsibility in fostering “culturally relevant teaching methods” (Vasudevan et al, 2010) which affirms youth’s identities and lived experiences. Young readers will naturally take ownership of text in a classroom when their identities and lived experiences are acknowledged and discussed in a classroom. As mentioned by Thomas & Stornaiuolo (2016) “texts are always linked to their readers”. In other words, texts are related to our “social and cultural activities and tools” (Thomas & Stornaiuolo, 2016, p.316).
Hence, digital media plays a key role with youth’s identity reformation (Moje & Luke, 2009), sharing, engaging with school content as evidenced in Thomas and Stornaiuolo’s (2016) research. Classrooms can also be equipped with digital tools and diverse literacy text which allows youth to portray their identities without any hesitance. Educators can teach culture, expose students to multiculturalism and present awareness of different identities by introducing digital tools which links to real-world problems. Educators should critically choose text which represents different identities and social justice issues.
Likewise, students should be given opportunities to take different perspectives in a literacy text or by incorporating multimodal methods. This will enable students to become engaged in school learning as witnessed by Vasudevan et al (2010) study on their participant Michael. Thus, youth should be given an opportunity to use multimodal methods in literacy education. Just like Michael from Vasudevan et al (2010) study, youth will bring funds of knowledge, resources, identities, lived experiences, interests, and passions which may not be evident in the current classroom.
Finally, in light of my argument I reemphasize that educators play a crucial role in fostering an ethical classroom. This can be accomplished by allowing a safe online discussion board for youth who can engage in bending/restorying of literacy text and challenge dominant ideologies (Thomas & Stornaiuolo, 2016).
Reference
Moje, E. B., & Luke, A. (2009). Literacy and identity: Examining the metaphors in history and contemporary research. Reading Research Quarterly, 44(4), 415-437
Thomas, E. E., & Stornaiuolo, A. (2016). Restorying the self: Bending toward textual justice.Harvard Educational Review,86(3), 313-338.
Wargo, J.M. (2015). “Every Selfie Tells a Story...” LGBTQ Youth Lifestreams and New Media Narratives as Connective Identity Texts. New Media and Society, 1-19.
Vasudevan, L., Schultz, K., & Bateman, J. (2010). Rethinking composing in a digital age: Authoring literate identities through multimodal storytelling.Written Communication,27(4), 442-468.