"Whether it be children on a playground acting out and deciphering the complex universe of Pokemón, or Orville Wright pretending to be a buzzard gliding over sand dunes, or Einstein imagining himself to be a photon speeding over the earth, role playing enables us to envision and collaboratively theorize about manipulating entirely new worlds" (Jenkins 30). While this point has been echoed in previous classes (i.e. "Play Fighting" duet in Rodgerson's class) the opportunity for students to try on another identity is paramount in my conception of the importance of the Language Arts classroom.

Adolescence is a period for exploration and gross confusion of identity. I remember deciding to grow my hair out long in the last days of 6th grade and forgoing gel for the first time in over two years (my infatuation with Courtney Smith had required that I pay particular attention to the angle and rigidness of my bang curl). When I returned to 7th grade, I had triumphantly buzzed the sides of my head but kept the top long in a "punk" style because I was now a skater. Never mind that I lived on a dirt road and couldn't ollie to save my life. A year later, my board was gathering dust in the rafters of my garage and I was wearing only plain, mono-colored shirts and black jeans because any logo whatsoever was too "trendy". I relished in the fact that Courtney wouldn't even glance in my direction. I was trying on and collecting identities like half price Dockers gear at a pre-student teaching sale at Kohl's, eventually settling on the "anti-identity". Each stage was an important stepping stone towards to the cohesive, grounded coolness I presently exude. Imagine all of the time and energy I could have saved if I only had an avitar . . .3rd life anyone?

I also was taken with the concept of appropriation and how students, "learn how to capture the voice of a character by trying to mix borrowed dialog with their own words. Mapping their emotional issues onto pre-existing characters allows young writers to reflect on their own lives from a certain critical distance" (32). This concept resonates with multi-genre writing by allowing for student choice and by providing a built-in scaffold around which students can build their messages. Something as outwardly simple as the "Found Poem" can completely transcend its original meaning through a student reinvention. As a teacher, I will have to take care to explain to students that re-organizing a Spark Notes essay on Gatsby doesn't cut it, but analyzing the themes of the text through hip-hop certainly would. Appropriation and Collective Intelligence reminds us that it is not necessary to constantly re-invent the wheel, rather our energy would be better spent encouraging our students to know how to access and process information as a jumping-off point for their own explorations.


From the Revolution website:
John Lamb has lived all his life in Williamsburg. His father was a carpenter, and John followed in his footsteps. John, however, had more interests beyond mere carpentry, and quickly gained a knack for other manners of woodworking, such as cabinet-making, barrel-making, basket-making, and wheel-making. He has therefore gained a reputation as a sort of jack-of-all-trades in woodwork. His mother recently passed away of smallpox, a long and arduous experience that left he and his father in a dismal depression. John’s father took up drinking, and spends most of his time at the local tavern. John on the other hand threw himself into his work and is now feeling better by keeping busy. He has also spent much of his time attending rebel meetings, as he tends to side with the politics of colonial patriots. This is something his loyalist father does not approve of, causing tension between them.

Hmmm. . .John's father an alcoholic loyalist and John a hardworking patriot-lets get our game on!!