Remixing the English Curriculum
Let me name a few novels, I’m sure you’ve heard of them. The Scarlet Letter, The Great Gatsby, To Kill a Mockingbird. I’m sure that not only you’ve read them, but your parents, your grandparents, and possibly even great grandparents have too. These novels, along with a handful of others, have been a staple in English curriculums for decades. Long before computers and the internet became household items, these books were household names. People who have never read Romeo and Juliet can detail with great accuracy the events within the play. This model for English education has been outdated for some time, and it is in desperate need of an overhaul. The way the internet has become a household technology within the 21st century can be compared to the 15th century when printing and reading had gone mainstream thanks to Johannes Gutenberg. Along with this mass spread of information, cultures have also become increasingly mixed as worldwide travel becomes a common occurrence. This has put an emphasis on the need for a more inclusive, intercultural curriculum. The old, Eurocentric model needs to be remixed and replaced with an inclusive and intercultural 21st century model that students can relate to.
Into the 21st Century
Ever since 2018, most students who have been in school were born in the 21st century. We have officially entered the digital age. Most children can’t remember a time without the internet, smart phones, or computers. The speed in which the digital age came to a rise has only been beat by the speed in which our educational culture on Earth has evolved. The days of spending weeks in a library researching individual books by hand is long gone. Digital databases have allowed students to acquire the entire world’s knowledge with the push of a button. Using digital means to do one’s analytical research has taken a much stronger position in the world of education. Physical books have started the long and slow process of becoming completely obsolete. Within time, they may become antiquated volumes only kept by collectors. This change to a digital world has created the need for literature to change as well. It is time to do away with the old Eurocentric model of literature studies, and incorporate new, 20th and 21st century techniques of literary education.
Types of Remixes
