Hip Hop in the Classroom

Last night on my way to Milwaukee, my husband and I were listening to Wisconsin Public Radio and heard a story about a Math teacher in San Diego, Alex Kajitani, who used rap to teach Math concepts to his students. While using rap in the classroom is not new, the story talked about the deeper issue of why such tactics are so successful in reaching students. Part of the reason they are so successful is they are engaging the student in a culturally relevant way.

The use of technology in the classroom accomplishes much the same thing. Students today are "digital natives", mobile technology and the internet are a way of life for them. Using chalkboards and overhead projectors while not necessarily wrong, it does show the students that their teacher is not fluent in their cultural currency.

What ways have you attempted to connect with your students using something similar to this? What was the result?

Photo via The Rappin' Mathematician