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Taking something we are familiar with and juxtaposing it against something unfamiliar or new is a tale as old as time. Stories can be considered “popular culture artifacts” (PCA) –a variety of written and visual media that emerge from the social contexts of our lives (Callahan, Whitener, & Sandlin, 2007). In grade school I remember these 6 minute animations about Fractured Fairytales - they took something beloved and treasured and turned them upside-down making you think about the original story and the world around you. The classic tale of Snow White consists of a young girl with white porcelain skin and bright red lips. Tormented by the jealous, Evil Queen she escapes to live as the fairest in the land in the forest with the 7 dwarves. In the Fracture Fairytale from 1959, the Evil Queen is taken advantage of by 7 enterprising dwarves. They capitalize on her narcissism and the cost is her crown, jewels and castle. Snow White appears at the end of the short story and is not what we might expect her to look like. The dwarves also capitalize on her narcissism. Having students rewrite classic tales in new ways provides an opportunity for critical comparison and commentary on important issues. ABC has come out with their own take on fairytales in Once Upon a Time. Filled with as many different fairytale and Disney characters as they could muster up. In this iteration of fairy tales, Storybrooke is home to a cast of characters. In Storybrooke, the Evil Queen has taken the memories from everyone and trapped them in the town. The saviour, Emma Swan, and her daughter, Snow White, are tasked with saving the memories of the town in Season 1. Each episode focuses on a character backstory making you rethink what you once knew about these characters. Often times the storylines are blended together in a fractured, rebuilt and fractured again tale.
Jenkins and Kelley (2013) note that when we allow writers the opportunity to get in there and rework our old stories we create a participatory culture that reduces barriers. In their book Reading in a Participatory Culture they interview playwright Ricardo Pitts-Whiley about creation of the play Moby Dick: Then and Now. The remixed story features a female lead and a drug addiction that killed her brother. She seeks vengeance for her brother against the "WhiteThing" cocaine cartel. The story of Moby Dick provides a jumping off point and brings the themes of that story into context with modern characters and situations. It allows the reader/writer to participate in a way they can't from simply reading the text. Fans participate with their beloved storyline and characters in a way that goes above and beyond in some ways. They dress up, act and talk like the characters they look up to. From Trekkies to Whovians to manga characters, fans immerse themselves with head, heart and soul. In stories like Glass Slippers are Illogical and Sleeping Spock: A Star Trek fairy tale, fans are able to participate with the characters, create their own storylines and bring two common elements together in a new piece of fiction. Jenkins and Kelley (2013) urge schools, libraries and other public institutions to promote and create equitable opportunities for individuals to participation. They urge literature teachers to help students make sense of mixed media, develop as consumers of literature and take ownership of new media literacy skills. In this way our students create new pieces of work that tap into their personal interests and strengths. Resources: Callahan, J. L., Whitener, J. K., & Sandlin, J. A. (2007). The art of creating leaders: Popular culture artifacts as pathways for development. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 9(2), 146-165. Jenkins, H., & Kelley, W. (2013). Reading in a Participatory Culture: Remixing Moby-Dick in the English Classroom; Ed. By Henry Jenkins. New York, Teachers College Press.
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AuthorI am a teacher in Halton and have spent 12 years dedicated to learning about and working with students who have special learning needs. I have been teaching since 2005. I have 4 kids (2 + 2 step), I play bagpipes, ride a motorcycle and love being outdoors. Archives
August 2017
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