NotesFAQContact Us
Collection
Advanced
Search Tips
Peer reviewed Peer reviewed
Direct linkDirect link
ERIC Number: EJ1207369
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018
Pages: 7
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1521-0960
EISSN: N/A
Get in the Game: Promoting Justice through a Digitized Literature Study
Marlatt, Rick
Multicultural Perspectives, v20 n4 p222-228 2018
This article describes a recent implementation of digital literacies in which high school literature students engaged in literary analysis of a novel using the video game Minecraft. Students who had previously expressed reluctance with reading and dissatisfaction with school experiences used their gaming skills to re-create scenes, respond to textual elements, and actualize authentic textual interactions. Inspired by the injustice of certain students being denied experiential learning in academic communities based on underperforming scores on standardized tests, this article challenges scripted, conventional curricula and suggests all students have the right to personalized relationships with literature. One student who had previously experienced feelings of failure in literacy settings expressed a newfound interest in texts when given the opportunity to enact literacy practices in academic spaces that mirrored his meaning-making in social spaces. This article promotes equity by arguing that engaging students with literature should involve an inclusive approach to curriculum and instruction. As educators we must offer high-interest readings while also providing numerous entry points into those readings for students who may not excel in homogenous environments. Social justice means celebrating students' diverse literacy practices and leveraging those skills toward achievement, all the while empowering new voices and facilitating new discoveries.
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: High Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A