Building Literacy Through Pop Culture in the ELA Classroom

Designed to support English-teaching faculty across high schools and universities, this practical guide presents novel ideas for integrating pop culture into ELA classroom instruction.

By establishing a theoretical framework rooted in critical and digital literacies, this book provides a solid foundation for preservice and college teachers to tap into the pop culture that inspires and engages students and teachers alike. Enacting as an essential text for courses in literature instruction and ELA methods, McConnel offers strategies and research-based tools to blend film, fanfiction, and other popular multimodal texts in ways that will reenergize the curriculum, meet standards-based goals, and motivate students.

Building Literacy Through Pop Culture in the ELA Classroom is an innovative textbook that belongs on the shelves of current and aspiring English instructors.

Jen McConnel?s work offers an accessible and fascinating framework for evaluating pop-culture texts and integrating them into the classroom. It?s a wealth of pragmatic and exciting teaching tools, as well as an incredibly timely resource? a must-read for teachers working to engage their students with pop-culture at the high school and college level!

Meghann Meeusen, Master Faculty Specialist, Western Michigan University, USA

Dr. Jen McConnel's Building Literacy Through Pop Culture in the ELA Classroom: Strategies for English in High School and College is exactly what it aims to be-- a straight-forward, honest look at how we can engage our students in dynamic discussion and analysis by adding pop culture to our syllabus. Teaching popular texts and media does not mean diluting the traditional canon or dismissing what has been considered sacred. On the contrary, the inclusivity and relative allusions of pop culture can spark memorable connections. Dr. McConnel offers appropriate, meaningful suggestions and framework to make that happen.

Melissa Ann Poff, High School English Teacher and Literacy Specialist

Building Literacy Through Pop Culture in the ELA Classroom by Jen McConnel is an indispensable resource for educators aiming to engage students with relevant and dynamic content. McConnel masterfully intertwines theoretical frameworks with practical strategies, providing a roadmap for integrating multimodal popular culture texts into high school and college instruction. This book is a must-read for teachers looking to enhance their literacy classrooms with culturally relevant and student-centered practices. 

Kirsti Cole, Professor of English, North Carolina State University, USA