Today's In-Class Work

I’m having trouble beginning to write this paper, so I decided to make a detailed outline and follow it closely. The outline will also serve as a helpful tool for me to determine how to split up sections of my bibliography.

1) Introduction of zines:
a) Definition of zine: zines (pronounced ‘zeens’) are self-published alternatives to popular culture magazines (Guzzetti & Gamboa 408).
b) History of zines and examples of zines:
i) Hard copy
ii) E-zines
2) Why studying zines and adolescent students is important:
a) Why it is important to study why and how adolescents produce and consume zines as a literary practice- 2 reasons- (Guzzetti & Gamboa 411)
3) What zines teach adolescent students:
a) Academic writing skills
i) “Anyone interested in the nature, role, and significance of literary practices under contemporary conditions has much to value to learn from zines” (Knobel 1).
ii) Zines should not be made into organic everyday literary practices, but teachers could use them to learn (Knobel 1).
iii) Christie Bott mentions zines as being graded for mechanics and content (p31)
b) Social consciousness/justice
i) General Info:
(1) Literacy as a social practice focuses on girls as members of an affinity group, or community of practice, that shares a common language and literate practices centered on similar interests (Guzzetti 2).
(2) Zines can help young people to negotiate jungle-like social conditions (Knobel 1).
(3) Zines allow students to portray their textual practices- language, ethics, dress as text, their music, and social worlds (Guzzetti 4).
(4) Have to learn new language to comprehend content of different publications (Thrasher for skateboarders, Bitch, etc.)
(5) Glossary of youth culture language used by ziners (Guzzetti 5), showcases language and discourses.
ii) Gender, Sexuality, Class, and Race
(1) Feminist activist research engenders new possibilities for research and action (Guzzetti 13)
(2) Burnt Beauty- written from feminist perspective and addresses social justice. Also addresses racism, sexism, homophobia, and classism.
4) How zines should be used in the classroom –practical application
a) Christie Bott- “The Ultimate Creative Writing Project” for sophomore students
i) Zines for every grade level because of individuality (27)
ii) “Zines Assignment” Outline (28)
iii) How to catch readers’ attention, organization (table of contents), issue of language, creative pseudonyms, types of writing to be included (poetry, prose, etc) zine titles
iv) Christie’s Rubric (what elements of academic writing did she grade) (p31)
b) When students write out of school, the educational researcher must rely on participants to allow him/her into their worlds (Guzzetti 11). Zines can integrate the classroom and the social world if teachers are willing to foster this type of environment.