In this chapter, we learn about memes.
Memes are contagious patterns of cultural information that get passed
from mind to mind and directly generate and shape the mindsets and
significant forms of behavior and actions of a social group. The chapter states
that psychological and cognitive conceptions of memes tend to pay closer
attention to decision-making processes prior to action. Memes are more
about some that is memorable than what is useful. The three key characteristics
of successful memes are fidelity, fecundity, and longevity. The suggestion
at the end is very encouraging for teachers. It says that studying online
memes that aim at promoting social critique can help educators to
rethink conventional approaches to critical literacy. Any type of media that
can be incorporated into literacy is a bonus because there has been a huge push
lately to surround all teaching around literacy.
I have never heard of memes until I read
this chapter, but I think that it is something that is a great tool for educators.
It is important to keep out students up to date on cultural information. This
can help with retention by passing along this information from mind to mind.
Another advantage to this is that is in involved with social groups and we know
that there are those students who struggle with social interaction and public
speaking. Having students create a meme about a specific topic would help build
confidence because they have covered all the important information. Overall,
while there has been little research shown on the effectiveness of memes in the
classroom, it is important to expose our students to new types of media.
Jordan...I agree, not much utility has been identified; however, who doesn't love a good bit of comic relief or examples of relevant cultural trends?
ReplyDeleteI would also argue that in making something funny it actually shows a kind of comprehension and synthesis that comes through in the meme. When it is thoughtfully made, that is. Sure, there is little research on using memes in classrooms as yet, but I do think they can add humor, spice, and motivation to an activity or presentation. Not everything that is important in school shows up in or as test scores.
ReplyDelete