Teaching Harry Potter
Subtitle: the power of imagination in multicultural classrooms
By: Catherine L. Belcher, Becky Herr Stephenson
Contributors: Herr-Stephenson, Becky
Series: Secondary education in a changing world
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Published: 2011
Place of publication: New York, NY
Language: eng
Number of pages: 201
ISBN-13: 9780230110281
Subjects: Critical pedagogy; Popular literature; EDUCATION / Multicultural Education; Education and state; EDUCATION / Teaching Methods & Materials / General; Study and teaching; Creative teaching; EDUCATION / Philosophy & Social Aspects; Multicultural education; Case studies
Description: "Given the current educational climate of high stakes testing, standardized curriculum, and "approved" reading lists, incorporating unauthorized, often controversial, popular literature into the classroom becomes a political choice. The authors examine why teachers choose to read Harry Potter, how they use the books and incorporate new media, and the resulting teacher-student interactions. The book encourages a critical discussion regarding the state of our educational system and the increasing lack of space allowed for imagination and complexity. Its unique research methodology is part ethnographic, part practitioner research, and serves as an analytical commentary on current school culture and policy"--

"Teaching Harry Potter illuminates the experiences of three diverse teachers as they read the Potter novels in multicultural classrooms, pushing back against shrinking opportunities for literacy and imagination in urban schools. Utilizing a combination of ethnography, practitioner research, and critical analysis, the book provides an analytical commentary on school culture and policy, focusing on a sector that has been largely ignored in current debates about schooling--the role of teachers. Richly textured classroom narratives are complimented by analysis of the current state of the teaching profession and the potential of popular media and technology to support imagination and innovation in education"--
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. [181]-187) and index.
Table of contents: title: Machine generated contents note:; title: Introduction: Why Harry? * PART I * On Harry and Education: Waking the Dragon * Moving beyond the "Muggle Mindset:" Possibilities for Learning in the New Millennium * Defending the (not really) Dark Arts: Teaching to Break the DADA Curse * PART II * Teacher A: Andrew * Teacher B: Sandra * Teacher C: Allegra * Imagining More: Reflections on Education in the Mirror of Erised (Desire) * Appendix A: Additional Teacher Stories on Teaching Harry.