Moby-Dick Remixed

I chose Reading In a Participatory Culture: Remixing Moby-Dick In the English Classroom because I’m a lover of American literature. Otherwise, I had no idea what to expect. I didn’t comprehend the comparisons between the classrooms because I don’t have a passion to be in the classroom as a teacher.

Many people think that literacy is just reading and writing. Only so much success can be achieved reading and literary responses, which can bore many students. Jenkins and his team of researchers create a revamped classroom to introduce a new way of reading to entertain and have students actually learn their material.

Jenkins summarizes through many case studies that students can relate to novels if they remix the novel to where they can relate their own culture and experiences to said novels. In Jenkins’ case, remixes included the nineteenth century culture, whaling culture, and adaptations of the novel.

Students in this generation are used to digital literacies and programs, such as texting, Youtube, Google Docs, and so forth. Jenkins shows many examples on how students can easily relate to Moby-Dick and the remixes that are still prevalent to this day. By streamlining remixes and the idea how student’s can relate, a boring subject can be praised and students can enjoy themselves while learning in the classroom.

In my section (the ending), Jenkins relates the ideas to other forms of educational cultures – cosmetology and alternative high schools. Just from the case studies revealed the type of backgrounds these students came from and the literacy history (or lack there of) these students grew up with. By relating to their personal experiences, comparing other experiences, and remixing their own literacy studies (books given to remix), they were able to negotiate the cultural identities they hold within themselves – a practice that is shown with Moby-Dick in Participatory Culture.

I admit, I had a harder time getting through this book because it was relating to the classroom, a place I know that’s not for me. However, I found it very interesting the work scholars and educators tirelessly research is to benefit the classroom. What I know from when I was in high school is changing and completely different. Many people separate the ideals of technology and newly developed tools, and literature, as archaic pieces of education used separately in the classroom. It’s not until now that educators are combining the new fads to pieces of history that are considered boring. Thanks to remixes and these new tools, history will be the new fad once again.