Get in the Game: Promoting Justice Through a Digitized Literature Study

Abstract

Rick Marlatta*a New Mexico State UniversityCorrespondence should be sent to Rick Marlatt, Curriculum and Instruction, New Mexico State University, MSC 3CUR, Las Cruces, NM. E-mail: rmarlatt@nmsu.eduColor versions of one or more of the figures in the article can be found online at www.tandfonline.com/hmcp.Supplemental data for this article can be accessed on the publisher's website.This article describes a recent implementation of digital literacies in which high school literature students engaged in literary analysis of a novel using the video game Minecraft. Students who had previously expressed reluctance with reading and dissatisfaction with school experiences used their gaming skills to re-create scenes, respond to textual elements, and actualize authentic textual interactions. Inspired by the injustice of certain students being denied experiential learning in academic communities based on underperforming scores on standardized tests, this article challenges scripted, conventional curricula and suggests all students have the right to personalized relationships with literature. One student who had previously experienced feelings of failure in literacy settings expressed a newfound interest in texts when given the opportunity to enact literacy practices in academic spaces that mirrored his meaning-making in social spaces. This article promotes equity by arguing that engaging students with literature should involve an inclusive approach to curriculum and instruction. As educators we must offer high-interest readings while also providing numerous entry points into those readings for students who may not excel in homogenous environments. Social justice means celebrating students’ diverse literacy practices and leveraging those skills toward achievement, all the while empowering new voices and facilitating new discoveries.

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