I get to make a cool announcement today, and that is to introduce you to the first of a series of new websites being developed by myself and a gifted friend. So, I’ll keep it real short and leave a link in hopes that you’ll check it out and let me know what you think.
You know I’m not afraid of criticism either, so thoughtful suggestions are also appreciated.
The concept of Pop Teacher is to pull together ideas of creative folks who know how to use elements from our culture (entertainment, sports, books, etc…) to effectively communicate with students at all levels. You don’t have to be a working teacher to have great ideas though.
Have you ever watched a movie or TV show or heard a song and thought of some great point to make from the content? That’s the idea.
In addition to developing the new version of eduClaytion, we’re soon moving onto the next big site which I’m really excited about. We are going to be looking for writers, storytellers really. I can’t wait!
So check out the new site and tell me what ya think. By the way, you’ll also see a Forum where you can register to become a member if you’d like to be a part of that kind of community. Anyone who joins will also be entered to win a Starbucks gift card, so there’s that too.
You can link to PopTeacher.Com here.
So what d’ya think? We’re looking for contributors and will promote the snot out of you! Especially as the rest of our network gets going.
Are you a teacher?
Do you know any teachers?
Do you have any ideas?
We’re also looking for people who will share great experiences they had in a learning setting where someone used something from pop culture to teach.
Help us spread the word 
Connect with us on Twitter @PopTeacher1
Give Pop Teacher a “LIKE” on Facebook!
No kinks yet, went to the link. Good luck I’ll be following…
Thanks Arty!
Waiting for my confirmation email… I will be submitting, for sure!
That’s great! Can’t wait to see what you’ve got.
Congrats, Clay!
Wendy
Just popped over to the site: “Mailing List” is mispelled in the “Join” box…
Probably not a good idea to have words spelled incorrectly on a teachers’ site…
Crap…I misspelled “misspelled.” DUH!
Wendy
Funny word to misspell! Thanks for the heads up. I haven’t found the area yet but will fix it when I do.
Sounds like my cup of tea…or pink powerade…whichever you have available!
I love to write (hence the Master’s in English) but hate to write in normal blah blah academic speak, so I always feel the need to throw some colloquialisms in there. Actually, I was thinking of starting something like this recently, so I’m more than willing to jump on board.
That’s great! We’ll take any ideas whether in the form of a full article or a short & sweet post. Can’t wait for you to bring it!
I’m no teacher and I don’t know much about Pop Culture, but this is a great idea!
I look forward to checking in on the site and seeing how things develop.
Keep up the great work!
Thank you muchly my friend!
Oooh, sounds interesting. I’ve definitely used tv shows and movies to help understand literary criticism, so I’ll see what I can cook up to contribute. Oh, and we’re going to read Persepolis this semester, which I suppose is technically a graphic novel, no? Pushing the edges of what is considered “literature.”
Edge pushing is good. It’s all on the table for us. We can go after anything we like. Can’t wait to see what you cook up!
Hi Clay. Both of my parents were teachers, and I taught bellydancing for 18 years or so. I used pop culture references in my teaching to help illustrate dance moves, referring to everything from Chubby Checker to Bob Marley. I noticed I had to change my references over the years because my students kept getting younger. That’s ok. It made me stay awake to the world. Sounds like a great project. Let me know how I can best support you because I think you’re all kinds of awesome. All the best.
You sure know how to make a guy feel special!
You make a great point, one of the reasons PopTeacher exists actually. Most of us tend to slip into the same old references and teaching examples. They do lose relevance over time. That’s why a community of many people constantly offering new ideas is so valuable.
Great concept, Clay. I know a couple of teachers – will definitely send them the link!
Thanks Larry! I really appreciate that.
Wow. You-been-busy!
A great idea. I think this is a fascinating topic. I’m going to see if I can track down a former teacher at my school who left to do a MA in History (in Pop Culture).
You’re making me think of how I use pop culture in the classroom. My answer: probably not enough. Still, I use a clip from Friends (a show I don’t really like…) to teach thesaurus-itis. I am also a major fan of analogy as a teaching method (e.g. likening using transitions in writing to shifting properly with a clutch). Don’t think that’s pop culture, though.
Off to sign up!
I knew you’d have some good examples. There are so many creative folks out there. I’m sure we can tap into thousands of great ideas over time. The Friends example is just the type of thing that works, especially if we can point people to the clip online while explaining its use.
I LOVE your site. I wish something like this had been out there when I was still in college. I took a women and pop culture class that used all kinds of media: film, song lyrics, tv shows, news articles, in addition to our own media projects. I also spent 3 years involved with a diversity education organization that used elements of pop culture to bring awareness to diversity issues for grades 5 up to college students and faculty. I’d be really interested in participating in forums or contributing. What specifics are you looking for?
Again, thanks for making this site. I will pass it along to the campus climate faculty at my university.
That is so great to hear. Thanks for the support! I have been delayed with a busy day but would love to work with you. We are really open to ideas. The point is to discover new ways of doing things, so sky’s the limit, anything from short posts to longer essays can work. Thanks for spreading the word.
What a cool idea
Thanks Ellie!
Just wanted to say that this is the greatest idea since PF Changs. Good luck!
That’s pretty high praise my friend because I happen to think PF Changs is one super idea, a magical land where chicken is dipped in mysterious brilliance and placed in lettuce.
Fantastic idea, Clay! Looking forward to hearing more about it.
Thanks AH.
Congrats on launching your site!
Well, thank ya kindly WoPro.
Cool idea, Clay. You’re always moving ahead. I look forward to checking out the site.
Thanks Chase!
Clay! — Hey, let’s get this on The Next Page for March 13 — but I need to have it by Monday — or early Tuesday. Call me ASAP THANKS john a
Love this. So psyched to see this project grow.
Hey Clay – I just hopped over from Twitter to check out your site. I LOVE this idea. I’m all about creativity and culture in the classroom, and your site’s mission sounds like it correlates to my teaching philosphy. Good luck with this; feel free to pick my brain.
I would love to get some ideas from you. Why don’t you contribute a post? That would be great!