Like Krazy

In Henry Jenkins' "Convergence Culture," he discusses the way students have been inspired to write about the Harry Potter novels as interpreters and creators. I thought about how much writing I have my students do and I am determined to give them more opportunities to write next year. This chapter solidified that for me because I can approach the writing using the Harry Potter method and be confident of success in student engagement.  This method is simply this: begin by having the students write about something they are interested in or about which they have a working knowledge. Jenkins makes several points that support this approach: Because they are already familiar with the topic, they can spend time mastering the writing craft and working on how to communicate their intended message. When they are writing about fictional characters it provides a distance between them and the character, allowing them the freedom to reflect and then express. They will develop a relevan...