Hip Hop In Today’s Classroom

Research Question

Is Hip-Hop considered to be a subject worth studying in today’s classroom and if so, how? How can Hip-Hop intrigue students to learn about it and apply its fundamentals to help learn other subjects that don’t listen to it? I am interested in this topic because as time goes by, Hip-Hop is no longer just another genre of music, many people are considering it to be a culture worth studying in educational institutes.

I Wonder

I wonder if once i began to research this question will I find that Hip-Hop is used to help students learn other subjects in school. I wonder if I will find that Hip-Hop is being taught in college classrooms. I wonder if the professors who teach courses on Hip-Hop have musical backgrounds. I wonder if Hip-Hop in the Classroom is a subject that students would be interested in taking if it was offered in their educational institution. I wonder if Hip-Hop was taught in the classroom, what form of media technology would be used, if any to support different ideas on the subject.

THESIS 

 Hip Hop is no longer just a genre of music. In today’s classroom, Hip Hop is being used a relatable factor between students and teachers to teach core subjects and skills. Hip Hop is being studied as a culture and a tool of interest to teach students to understand poetry. From the time that Hip Hop was originally introduced to the classroom in the late 90’s, it popularity has grown and schools all over are beginning to see the positive effects of bringing this subject into their schools curriculum.

WHO KNOWS BEST?

Timothy Welbeck is a professor at Temple University who currently teaches a course entitles “Hip Hop and Black Studies” so, I interviewed him and asked his opinion of Hip Hop in the classroom, here are his responses:

Why do you believe Hip Hop should be taught in classrooms?
 
Hip-Hop is the definitive cultural expression of this generation, and has blossomed from relative obscurity into a multi-billion dollar, multi-faceted industry and cultural phenomenon, and peaked in recent years as the highest selling music genre in the world. Moreover, hip-hop is merely a microcosm of a larger cultural, economic, historical, political and spiritual struggle of African-Americans (and that of those people groups impacted by the culture)in their quest for developing an identity in American \society.  Hip-hop music itself then becomes a dual expression of culture in that it allows for the creator of the expression to present its ideas relating to that struggle while doing so with culturally acceptable sounds.

Do you believe that the study of Hip Hop can help students in other courses?
 
Without question the formal study of hip-hop can enhance students’ learning in other courses.   In essence, musical expression offers preconditions of autonomy by allowing various cultures to receive and disseminate information from a vantage point that it may directly relate, and thus allow art to imitate the life of the people.  Studying hip-hop as a cultural expression and its corresponding music (rap music) will contextualize studies in various fields as it covers phenomena and trends over the past three decades (e.g. Antropology, Sociology, Psychology, Philosophy, Religion, Language, etc.). 
 
Furthermore, when examining rap as poetry, one may have a deeper conceptualizations of literature (e.g. African American Literature, Poetry, etc.).  Upon further examination of the tonal qualities of rap music, and its retention of the African culture, one may garner a deeper understanding of the use of language because language and performance as an integral component of self-expression within hip-hop culture and rap music. Moreover, the usage of varying intonation, phrasing, unintelligible noises, sound effects and manipulation of language (e.g. use of vernacular, punning, manipulation of pronunciation, et cetera) is key to how the speaker (in this particular instance the rapper) conveys certain ideas to the listener.  Studying these ideas closely will allow for deeper understanding in other areas of study.

What core course could Hip Hop be related to? (ie. Math, english, science etc.)

As an academic course of study, hip-hop has strong links to African-American Literature, English, Ethnomusicology, Philosophy, Psychology, Sociology, etc.

THE PRO ON HIP HOP IN THE CLASSROOM HIMSELF…..

DR. MARC LAMONT HILL

Dr. Hill is the author of the hit book “Beats, Rhymes, and Classroom Life: Hip-Hop Pedagogy and the Politics of Identity”

According to escholarship.org. “Beats, Rhymes, and Classroom Life describes an intervention using Hip-Hop -Based Education (HHBE) in a class of Twilight High School students in Philadelphia. The intervention was designed to help students develop mainstream textual analysis skills, but also to engage in important identity examination about themselves as students and how pop culture texts influence that perception. Over the course of the school year, Hill takes the students increasingly deeper into the texts to the point where not only students made themselves vulnerable about their identity struggles, but Hill himself became transparent to the group in order for his pedagogy to remain credible. Hill opens the book by laying out the theoretical and methodological arguments for creating his text. In addition he argues for the urgent necessity to not only form grounded theory around HHBE, but also the need to develop praxis; hence the title of Chapter 1, “Stakes is High.” Theoretically he specifies the Hip Hop lens he is using to approach this work. He acknowledges the work done using Hip Hop in the social sciences and humanities yet argues that the analyses rendered could be enhanced by adding perspectives from the fields of critical pedagogy, culturally relevant curriculum, and racial identity examination. Hill argues that utilizing the ethnographic tradition allows a researcher to observe and explain in rich detail the ways that students not only engage Hip Hop texts, but also form multilayered analyses that have varied effects on their identity formation very similar to the way that Morrell and Duncan-Andrade’s (2008) work has led to a broader understanding of critical literacy.”

This book is A MUST READ to better understand why Hip Hop should be incorporated more in Today’s Classroom.

 Flocabulary creates hip-hop music and curricular materials to teach academic content in grades K12. The programs are proven to raise the test scores on state reading test and are being used in over 15,000 schools nationwide. –Flocabulary.com

 

Flocabulary is used in today’s classroom to teach students the five elements of a story, which relates back to my statement that HIp Hop in the classroom can assist with many different core subjects.

CHECK THIS LINK OUT:

http://flocabulary.com/fivethings/

A TRIP TO PALEY LIBRARY:

I took a trip to Temple’s Library to explore my topic of “Hip Hop In Today’s Classroom” a little more in depth, I was able to find 4 different sources to assist in my research:

Book.

Full Citation: Sitomer, Alan (2004) Hip-Hop Poetry and the Classics for the Classroom. (1st ed) Beverly Hills, CA: Milky Mug Pub.

Call Number: PN 1101.S586x2004

Brief Summary: This book is used in High School and Middle School classes to show Hip-Hop Poetry and to teach the basics of poetry and help students gain a new appreciation for poetry using the elements of Hip-Hop.

Video.

Full Citation: Words, Beats, and Life (2011) Read A Book: Hip-Hop in the Classroom. Available from http://vimeo.com/278783

Keyords: Hip Hop in the Classroom

Brief Summary: This video shows how HIp-HOp educators have tried to engage students in learning by using culturally relevant interest to their education. THis video was brought up after Bush introduced his No CHild Left Behind Plan and Obama’s Race to the Top Plan, which were both ways to try to improve test scores.

Journal Article.

Full Citation: Abe, Daudi (2009) Hip Hop and the Academic Canon. Education, Citizenship, and Social Justice, Volume number 4(3)263.

Brief Summary: On college campuses, Hip-Hop is extending outside the classroom. As time passes Hip-Hop’s influences on campuses has become recognizable in the instructors who are also recording albums. Hip-Hop is no longer just a genre of music, it is being studied as a culture.

Website.

Full URL: www.hiphopintheclass.com

Full Citation: Sitmorl, A. ;Cirelli, M; Silverstein,T (2007) Hip-Hop Poetry and the Classics for the Classroom. Retrieved 10.13.2011 from www.hiphopintheclass.com

Summary: This website is based on the book “Hip Hop in the Classroom”. This book is used in High School and Middle School classes to show Hip-Hop Poetry and to teach the basics of poetry and help students gain a new appreciation for poetry using the elements of Hip-Hop.

CONCLUSION:

Through my research I’ve come to find that many institutions are opening up the doors to teaching Hip Hop in today’s classroom, whether it is being used as a tool or just a gateway subject to gain the interest of today’s youth. Once people are able to get past Hip Hop as a genre, they realize the true beauty in the culture and they begin to see all the positive learning that can come from Hip Hop as a subject matter.

SOURCES:

http://flocabulary.com/fivethings/

http://escholarship.org/uc/item/355508n9#

http://compositionforum.com/issue/21/beats-rhymes-review.php

www.campusprogress.com

www.bronwenlow.com

 

Hip Hop in Today’s Classroom

hip hop

jay-z jaleesa, ashley, lorraine

Jay-z is a Hip-HOP mogul. He is the true example of “making something out of nothing.” As a child, his father abandoned him, so Jay was left to grow up in a single parent home with his mother. He barely graduated high school due to his changing schools four times from 9th-12th grade. NOw in 2011 his net worth is over $500 million. He’s a songwriter, performer, part-owner of the New Jersey Nets, and the president of Def Jam Records.

Critical-In different rap battles, rap artist will call Jay Z a camel.  Jay Z calls himself the “King of New York.”  Other artists were offended by him saying this so in rebuttal with rap lyrics, they would poke at his appearance.  They think his head shape along with his big nose and big lips resemble characters of “Joe The Camel.” Cam’ron, a well-known rapper says in his rap, “the king of New York ain’t no Joe Camel that rocks jeans with open toe sandals.”  There are many photos of Joe the Camel with sunglasses on mimicking Jay Z’s

Typical-In the typical picture of Jay-Z, he is not smiling very hard. Instead he has a smirk on his face. Since he is not smiling so hard it could represent him not wanting to be where he is at that moment. His typical photo is of him wearing expensive sunglasses that hide his eyes. Jay-z has been deemed a very private person and he doesn’t talk about his personal life to much except for in his lyrics. He may be trying to hide emotion.  In this photo we know its Jay-Z because of his lips and nose, which are features he can’t hide.

Weekly Response #5 Library Blog

Hip-Hop In the Classroom

Book.

Full Citation: Sitomer, Alan (2004) Hip-Hop Poetry and the Classics for the Classroom. (1st ed) Beverly Hills, CA: Milky Mug Pub.

Call Number: PN 1101.S586x2004

Brief Summary: This book is used in High School and Middle School classes to show Hip-Hop Poetry and to teach the basics of poetry and help students gain a new appreciation for poetry using the elements of Hip-Hop.

Video.

Full Citation: Words, Beats, and Life (2011) Read A Book: Hip-Hop in the Classroom. Available from http://vimeo.com/278783

Keyords: Hip Hop in the Classroom

Brief Summary: This video shows how HIp-HOp educators have tried to engage students inlearning by using culturally relevant interest to their education. THis video was brought up after Bush introduced his No CHild Left Behind Plan and Obama’s Race to the Top Plan, which were both ways to try and improve test scores.

Jounal Article.

Full Citation: Abe, Daudi (2009) Hip Hop and the Academic Canon. Education, Citizenship, and Social Justice, Volume number 4(3)263.

Brief Summary: On college campuses, Hip-Hop is extending outside the classroom. As time passes Hip-Hop’s influences on campuses has become recognizable in the instructors who are also recording albums. Hip-Hop is no longer just a genre of music, it is being studied as a culture.

Website.

Full URL: www.hiphopintheclass.com

Full Citation: Sitmorl, A. ;Cirelli, M; Silverstein,T (2007) Hip-Hop Poetry and the Classics for the Classroom. Retrieved 10.13.2011 from www.hiphopintheclass.com

Summary: This website is based on the book “Hip Hop in the Classroom”. This book is used in High School and Middle School classes to show Hip-Hop Poetry and to teach the basics of poetry and help students gain a new appreciation for poetry using the elements of Hip-Hop.

weekly response #4

In the PBS video, “Digital Media – New Learners of the 21^st Century” (http://video.pbs.org/video/1797357384/), one of the teachers quoted the words of John Duey, “If we teach today’s students the way we taught them yesterday then we are robbing them of tomorrow”. The Quest to Learn program in New York was by far my favorite program featured in the video. I thought it was so unique the way the school renamed many regular courses like Math and called it Code world and Science is called The Way Things Work. I believe the students at this school have a technological advantage over many other students because ultimately they are choosing the way they want to be taught and then applying their teachings to create game designs. As stated in the reading, “The school’s curriculum design team initially established core principles of learning for game design and play and then set out to integrate these principles into the development of supportive learning spaces.” https://blackboard.temple.edu/bbcswebdav/courses/829201185712/robison-a-j-new-media-literacies-by-design.pdf) This school also instills in their students to stop being driven by fear, which is a motto that can carry them past the school and into their adult lives.

There are a few key points I took away from this video but they all sum up to mean the same thing, which is that learning and teaching methods will continue to change with time and it’s important that educators adapt to the new technological changes that are coming about. Quest to Learn’s ultimate goal is to, “Reinvent what education looks like in the future”

I believe this new way of teaching is very realistic and by far one of the best approaches I have heard yet in teaching. Many people would beg to differ, especially professors and teachers who didn’t grow up using a lot of technology. I believe Henry Jenkins replied to those who feel that way the best saying, ” it’s not about replacing school with technology, technology is just a resource and now kids are being taught to take ownership of learning. (http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ1y5P8_biLnsaxmY33frrzd-nb4Nn3Xv59KiJQ7otb29dmKkNsxA)

　

　

Weekly Response #3

 

http://youtu.be/9-WN7Vhi1z4

In the words of Fergie, ” make a crucial catch and get screened.” The YouTube video that I chose to analyze was the NFL’s breast cancer awareness video featuring the pop singer Fergie. The producer of this commercial is  Sarah Radelfinger. There are a few attention grabbers throughout the video, many which would appeal to both men and women. The producer of this commercial was very intelligent in the way that she incorporated football with breast cancer awareness and women needing to get a yearly screening and how important it is. With Fergie’s hectic schedule, she finds it hard to spend time with her family and do the things that most people take for granted, not to mention making time to watch a little football game here and there. In this video she presents a very busy lifestyle, one in which many people can relate to but she stresses the fact that although she lives such a crazy life and her time is limited, she always makes time to do her annual breast cancer screening. In analyzing this video, I don’t see how anyone could misinterpret the main message of this commercial, its pretty straight forward. After watching it I thought to myself, if Fergie can make time to get an annual screening, there’s no reason any other woman couldn’t go out and do the same. The technique of intertwining football in this video will grab men’s attention and make them more aware of the severity of breast cancer screening and it may influence them to persuade the women in their lives to go out and get screened. I don’t think anything was omitted in this video, the message is clear and very persuasive.

Weekly Response #2

Quote 1: “No deep learning takes place unless learners make an extended commitment of self” (Gee, pg. 34)

Author’s Idea: So many teachers try to teach students how to learn, so basically they are learning, learning. So many educators fail to realize that the best teacher is the student themselves, in the sense that no one person learns and takes in information the same as the next person. Each student knows what appeals to them that increases their learning ability. Once the student or any person commits to trying to learn something new and they take all of the extra steps needed to do so, they then learn the best and remember what they took in.

Quote 2: “Players are producers, not just consumers; they are “writers,” not just “readers.” (Gee, pg. 35)

Author’s Idea: This quote was in reference to playing video games, but the quote can be used in many different aspects of life. While playing a video game, although many of us are players at the time, we are also producers, meaning we inspire the makers. Video Game designers design what the players like, without the actual “players” insight on how different games should be, many games would not be produced.

Quote 3: “Customized curricula in school should not just be about self-pacing, but about real intersections between the curriculum and the learners interests, desires, and styles.” (Gee, pg. 35)

Author’s Idea: Customized curricula shouldn’t be so customized to the student body as a whole but should cater more to the individuals within the student body. Once curricula is designed to capture the learners interest and style, the real learning begins to take place. Self-pacing is important indeed but curriculum should not be based on that alone.

Quote 4: “Finally, discourses are intimately related to the distribution of social power and hierarchical structure in society” (Gee, pg.2)

Author’s Idea: Discourse defines the boundary of a group and it then creates social power. In society so many discourses are among us we begin to place ourselves in a hierarchical structure, placing many people below and above others. This hierarchy has to do with money and power.

Quote 5: “Acquisition is a process of acquiring something subconsciously by exposure to models anda process of trial and error, without a process of formal teaching.

Author’s Idea: Acquisition is basically experience through performance. Acquisition happens through trial and error, you basically learn things as you go. It’s safe to say that the more experiences you have and the more models of life you are exposed to, the more knowledgable you then become. Most acquisition happens in everyday life in familiar places. Many may believe that formal teaching is boring, after taking in so many things you may forget what you were taught, but if you are hands on with something you become more likely to remember what you learned.

 Work Cited Reading: “Situated Language and Learning: A Critique of Traditional Schooling” by James Paul Gee

Summary: I was able to find a 28 page preview of this book online in Google E-books, after googling the title. I chose this book becuase after our class discussion on traditional schooling and how schooling should change with the times, I felt like this would be an interesting book to read. From the few pages I skimmed through, I enjoyed Gee’s outlook on teaching. Gee believes in using different techniques in engaging each student to learn and making them interested int topics they never had interest in. He also took time to break down how people learn, educators could use this book as a handbook to educate others.

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