Managing an Integration of Popular Culture Texts

Chapter 7

Trading Cards to Comic Strips
Xu, Perkins, & Zunich

My experience in managing the integration of popular culture texts is with the PBWiki Site.

Many thoughts arose as I planned the PBWiki page for the classroom teacher to make available interesting Web Sites. Some ideas were how to introduce the system to the principal and the others teachers that I work with. PBWiki was very helpful and explained how links could be set up and how these people could be added to the site so they could edit it, too. These links were set up before spring break so I have not received feedback from these individuals yet. I feel that I need this information before it is officially presented to the children.

I have tested the waters by sending home a couple of Web Sites for four parents to view with their children. One mother was very happy at the ruler site. Another mother questioned the publishing site but was perfectly happy with a book site.

The teacher and I need to decide how to introduce the site to the children and the parents. I liked the Xu’s idea of sending home a letter to the parents. He feels that the ideal time would be at the beginning of the school year instead of what I am doing which is two months before school is out.

PBWiki continues with their training updates and suggestions so that I can continue to make improvements to the site. One they suggested was a tutorial on the first page of PBWiki to help the students learn how to use the site.

This chapter was helpful at this particular time because it answered some questions that I had.