ERIC Number: EJ969703
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011-Mar
Pages: 5
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1836-9391
EISSN: N/A
Rethinking Sponge Bob and Ninja Turtles: Popular Culture as Funds of Knowledge for Curriculum Co-Construction
Hedges, Helen
Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, v36 n1 p25-29 Mar 2011
Children's interest in popular culture was clear in my study of interests-based curriculum. Yet, perhaps unsurprisingly, it was a contentious site of curriculum co-construction. This article explores this tension. It argues that interpreting popular culture as "funds of knowledge" might assist teachers to consider a different view of this interest and its potential for curriculum experiences. Examples from four-year-old children and their teachers at a sessional public kindergarten are discussed. Changes in teachers' understandings and practices related to popular culture, that may have transferability to other settings, are described.
Descriptors: Popular Culture, Knowledge Level, Curriculum Development, Student Interests, Young Children, Kindergarten, Elementary School Teachers, Teaching Methods, Participant Observation, Interviews, Social Influences, Cultural Influences
Early Childhood Australia. P.O. Box 7105, Watson, ACT 2602, Australia. Tel: +61-2-6242-1800; Fax: +61-2-6242-1818; e-mail: publishing@earlychildhood.org.au; Web site: http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Kindergarten
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A