Digital Deciphering: Teaching English Students to Analyze Memes, Counterfeit Content and Sales Sites

KENNESAW, Ga. (Apr 21, 2021) — How can English class be a place to help students analyze websites that target sales specifically to teenagers? How can English teachers help students to think critically about memes in a world were content is purposefully designed to trigger our biases and inflame social divisions? On this month's episode of the  Thought Provoking podcast, Communications Manager Shelly Kiser is joined by Darren Crovitz, Ph.D., Director of English Education and Professor of English and English Education.

Topics discussed include:

• Why there is a need to change what is taught in English classes
• How to teach young people to analyze graphics, colors, video and other aspects of digital media
• Where the term meme came from, and what is included in the definition of a meme
• Why it is vital that English teachers discuss memes with their students
• How the ease with which everyone can create content and self-publish has had an impact on what we teach
• How Russia used troll farms, sock-puppet accounts and online content to interfere with the 2016 election
• A four-step approach English teachers can use to teach their students about inflammatory memes

Listen to the episode now on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. To read more about Dr. Crovitz's research, click here.