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Memes in the 21st Century Classroom

Memes are a great way to engage 21st-century students in the modern classroom. Teachers can integrate memes and GIFs into their lessons to introduce rules and guidelines or reinforce vocabulary attainment. Teachers can also allow their students to create memes for assignments and projects as well. Teachers can integrate technologies like virtual reality, augmented reality, and circuitry to assist students in creating memes of GIFs. While memes are fun and important in today's classroom setting, it's important to use and teach digital citizenship when using resources from the internet. According to ISTE's Edtech for the K-12 Classroom, "It's important to preview any meme program before assigning it to the students to avoid fees or inappropriate content" (117). Teachers and students can have fun creating memes and GIFs and still practice safe and productive digital citizenship.



1) Waiting, Waiting, and Waiting More... | I have chosen to create this meme to introduce a classroom rule. While it is comical for the students, students can understand the frustration teachers may encounter when their students just won't stop talking and listen for directions.

I would introduce this meme on the first day of school as the comic relief of the first-day awkwardness, but also as a reminder for the students to listen and not talk while their teacher or their peers are speaking. I would post this meme in the classroom where it is easily seen as a reminder for students to listen and speak respectfully to one another and their teacher.


2) CITE CITE CITE! | In the ELA classroom, it is especially important for students to cite their sources when their writing a paper or completing any type of writing assignment. This meme is comical as it shows the reality of sometimes forgetting to cite sources (just as someone might forget to exit from the freeway). While I DO NOT endorse dangerous or reckless driving, I think this meme will engage the students as they are learning to craft an essay in MLA format.

I would introduce this meme to the students during the research and writing unit of the course. I would probably only use this meme with upper-level high schoolers, as middle schoolers do not typically write in MLA format.




3) Whom, not who! | This is a fun and creative way to teach correct grammar to students. This meme may also appeal to Marvel and DC comic fans as well. This meme could also feature other commonly confused words, such as to, too, & two, their, there, & they're, and accept & except.

I would introduce this meme to students during a grammar unit. I would use this meme in middle and high school as a way to teach the importance of proper grammar when speaking and writing.





As you may notice, all my images feature a watermark in the bottom left-hand corner, signifying the website I used to generate each meme. According to ISTE, "Aside from being a fun and novel way to get students engaged in content, these assignments can address the Creative Communicator standard, part of the ISTE standards for students..." (120).

Edtech for the K-12 Classroom. International Society for Technology in Education. 2018. Print.

Comments

  1. Hi Jacob! I think your memes are very comical and useful. I particularly enjoy your MLA meme, because I can use it in my Dual Enrollment classroom. I like that you connected meme use to the ISTE standards for students, because it is important to have a specific answer if an administrator questions your choices. I had not thought of grammar memes when creating my own. I focused more on literature. Now that I see what you have done, I will consider including a few memes about grammar in my classroom as well. Thank you for creating a great post!

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  2. Hi Jacob! I opened your blog and legitimately laughed out loud at your first meme! I feel like that would have been the perfect meme to have while I was at THS. I believe in using humor to express what I am thinking to students, and I feel like that is the perfect meme to just pull up and wait for the students to be quiet rather than raise your voice for their attention. I enjoyed all three of your memes, and I imagine this was the assignment you had been waiting for all semester! Keep up the good work! You'll make a great teacher!

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