Hip Hop Pedagogy

as a Cultural Approach
to Student Engagement
Maria Lucretia A. Lasam, LPT
 OBJECTIVES

To define and understand:

1. Hip Hop as a Philosophy

2. Importance of Pedagogy
3. Importance of Student Engagement
4. Discuss Hip Hop Pedagogy
HIPHOP
BRIEF HISTORY
TIMELINE OF STREESTYLE DANCES
IN THE SOUTH BRONX, NYC

Outlaw Rock Dance → Latin Hustle → Hiphop

What the past tells us..

1. Hiphop was a party culture rooted from overcoming

social and political hardships in the South Bronx in the
late ‘70s.
2. Hiphop was born from the restoration of peace that
was already established by the Latin Hustle movement.
What the past tells us..

3. Hiphop was born and bred by the Hispanic and Black

Culture of the South Bronx.
4. Hiphop became a social outlet of the Youth in the South
Bronx.
 SO THEN
HOW DO WE
DEFINE HIPHOP?
POINT TO PONDER….

In what ways has Hiphop helped you as a

person, scholar, guest, student, and/or
teacher of this culture?
HIPHOP MENTALITY

CRITICAL
RADICAL
PROGRESSIVE
POINT TO PONDER….

What are the elements of Hiphop that you

know or are familiar with?
 ELEMENTS OF HIPHOP
-DJ -STREET FASHION
-STREET LANGUAGE
-GRAFFITI -STREET
-EMCEE ENTREPRENEURSHIP
-BREAKING (DANCING) -STREET KNOWLEDGE
POINT TO PONDER….

Does knowledge of any of the Hiphop

elements guarantee one’s understanding
of the philosophy?
The elements are mere tools used to
manifest the Hiphop Philosophy.
 HIPHOP PHILOSOPHY IN EMCEEING

“No Matter How Hard it

Gets , Stick Your Chest
Out, Keep Your Head Up
and Handle It”
- Tupac, “Me Against The World”
 HIPHOP PHILOSOPHY IN EMCEEING

“Keep Integrity at Every

Cost”
- Nas, Bridging the Gap
 HIPHOP PHILOSOPHY IN EMCEEING

“Sky is the Limit and you

know that you can have
what you want, be what you
want”

- Notorious B.I.G, “Sky is the Limit”

POINT TO PONDER….

What particular songs or lyrics can you

identify your personal and social struggles?
 HIPHOP PHILOSOPHY IN DJing

Tools of War Grassroots Hiphop Annual Park Jam

 HIPHOP
HIPHOPPHILOSOPHY
PHILOSOPHYANDIN
ACTIVISM
DANCING

Comptonino (2016) and Ghetto Dreams– SAS Crew, Zulu Pinas

HIPHOP PHILOSOPHY
HIPHOP PHILOSOPHY AND
IN ACTIVISM
DANCING

Reunited Jam (2017)- RUB Crew

HIPHOP
HIPHOPPHILOSOPHY IN DANCING
PHILOSOPHY AND ACTIVISM

Stylen Flava (Bohol)

HIPHOP PHILOSOPHY IN GRAFFITI

One Love- Tenement Court, Mural Art in the Metro

HIPHOP PHILOSOPHY IN GRAFFITI

Kapayapaan Project Murals

PEDAGOGY
 DEFINING PEDAGOGY
“...the interactions between teachers,
students, learning environment, and the
learning tasks.”

Murphy, P. 2008. ‘Defining pedagogy’. In K. Hall, P. Murphy & J. Soler (Eds.), Pedagogy and practice: culture and
identities (pp. 28-39). London: SAGE publications.
DEFINING PEDAGOGY

Teacher-Centered
Student-Centered
DEFINING PEDAGOGY
DEFINING PEDAGOGY
POINT TO PONDER….

What type of pedagogy do you employ when

teaching dance steps, choreography, or
concepts to your students?
 EFFECTIVE PEDAGOGY
“Effective pedagogy can lead to achievement,
social and emotional development, acquisition
of technical skills, and a general ability to
contribute to society.”
Craig, H., Kraft, R., & du Plessis, J. 1998. Teacher development – Making an impact. Washington: USAID.
 EFFECTIVE PEDAGOGY
“In mixed-level classrooms, teachers need to
have a deep understanding of students’
different ability levels in order to alter their
instruction and activities to meet the needs of
each student.”
Westbrook, J., Durrani, N., Brown, R., Orr, D., Pryor, J., Boddy, J., & Salvi, F. 2013. Pedagogy, curriculum, teaching practices and teacher education in developing countries.
Education rigorous literature review. Department for International Development.
POINT TO PONDER….

Have you encountered mix-leveled classes?

If so, what were the challenges?
How did you manage?
 EFFECTIVE PEDAGOGY
“it is generally agreed that in order to teach one
must first establish what students know, how they
know it and how they feel about that aspect of their
experience.”

Murphy, P. 2008. ‘Defining pedagogy’. In K. Hall, P. Murphy & J. Soler (Eds.), Pedagogy and practice: culture and identities (pp.
28-39). London: SAGE publications.
 EFFECTIVE PEDAGOGY

“We cannot therefore advocate a particular

teacher–student relationship that ends abruptly at the
classroom door.”

Murphy, P. 2008. ‘Defining pedagogy’. In K. Hall, P. Murphy & J. Soler (Eds.), Pedagogy and practice: culture and identities (pp.
28-39). London: SAGE publications.
POINT TO PONDER….

Do you provide feedback to your students?

Do you track their progress even after
classes?
 EFFECTIVE PEDAGOGY
“Students need to feel a sense of community, a sense
of a safe place — place not just in physical terms but
in ideological terms as well.”
Murphy, P. 2008. ‘Defining pedagogy’. In K. Hall, P. Murphy & J. Soler (Eds.), Pedagogy and practice: culture and identities (pp.
28-39). London: SAGE publications.
POINT TO PONDER….

For those teaching hiphop or foundational

dances, do you educate your students about
the history, philosophy, and their
active role in the culture?
 STUDENT
ENGAGEMENT
POINT TO PONDER….

What do you think is the importance of

student’s engagement in learning to
desired learning outcomes?
 HIPHOP
Ladson AS 1994:
and Billings, PEDAGOGY

“In the classrooms of cultural relevant

teachers, students are expected to engage the
world and others critically.”
 DIMENSIONS OF STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
• Behavioral engagement
- social aspect
• Emotional engagement
-positive and negative influence of direct circle
• Cognitive engagement
- level of investment on the content
Jennifer A. Fredricks, Phyllis C. Blumenfeld, and Alison H. Paris, “School Engagement: Potential of the Concept, State of the
Evidence,” Review of Educational Research 74, no. 1 (2004): 59;
 HIPHOP
PEDAGOGY
 EDUCATION AND HIPHOP

HIPHOP EDUCATION

SUBJECT PEDAGODY
MATTER (METHOD)
 HIPHOP PEDAGOGY
“way of authentically and practically incorporating the
creative elements of hip-hop into teaching, and inviting
students to have a connection with the content while
meeting them on their cultural turf by teaching to, and
through, their realities and experiences.”
 LEARNING PHILOSOPHY:
PROGRESSIVISM
● lesson is focused on the learner
● learners test ideas by active experimentation
● learner experience active learning by doing
● learner construct meaning through individual
experience (physical and cultural context)
EDUCATION AND HIPHOP

●Progressivism
●Social Reconstructionism
●Pragmatism
POINT TO PONDER….

Have you ever dealt with a student where

you had to change particular circumstances
in your class to cater to his or her needs?
 LEARNING PHILOSOPHY:
SOCIAL RECONSTRUCTIONISM
● Address social questions to create a better society
● Centered on social reform as the aim of education
● Requires dialogue and critical consciousness, to develop
of awareness in current issues
● Community-based learning and bringing the world into
the class
POINT TO PONDER….

Have you used current events (social,

economic, political issues) as theme or
motivation for your dance class or
performances?
 LEARNING PHILOSOPHY:
PRAGMATISM
● students of different culture and race learn to work
cooperatively
● learning is best through applying our experiences
and thoughts to problems, as they arise
● learning should be about life and growth
POINT TO PONDER….

As a student and/or teacher, which of these

philosophies adheres with your beliefs in
learning?
 WHY UTILIZE HIPHOP AS PEDAGOGY?

→ Increase Student Engagement in Learning

“The Youth is the Hiphop Generation.”

 WHY UTILIZE HIPHOP AS PEDAGOGY?

“Most urban students’ experiences outside of learning

institutions are rooted in Hip-Hop culture. The ways
urban students dress, the ways they talk, the ways they
dance and other non-verbal forms of communication
are all rooted in Hip-Hop culture.”

Emdin, C. (2010). Science education for the hip-hop generation. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers
POINT TO PONDER….

What are the recent slangs/trends/fashion

of the Youth today that you can identify
with the Hiphop culture?
 HOW CAN HIPHOP PEDAGOGY
INCREASE STUDENT ENGAGEMENT?

1. The use of Hiphop elements can cater to different

learning styles and teaching approaches.
POINT TO PONDER….

Have you encountered a class where

students have different learning styles?
 HOW CAN HIPHOP PEDAGOGY
INCREASE STUDENT ENGAGEMENT?

2. Hiphop pedagogy promotes Active Learning and

therefore promotes the development of Higher Order
Thinking Skills
POINT TO PONDER….

Provide an example of applying Bloom’s

Taxonomy in constructing your class flow?
 HOW CAN HIPHOP PEDAGOGY
INCREASE STUDENT ENGAGEMENT?

3. Hiphop pedagogy provides authentic and meaningful

learning by applying in real-life situations.
 WHAT ARE WAYS
TO IMPLEMENT
HIPHOP PEDAGOGY
IN DANCE CLASSES?
1. Allow students to create their own music (sampling).
teaches creativity and respect for property rights.
2. Use songs with lyrics that contain societal issues when
teaching your choreography for a more meaningful
experience.
3. Allow discussions after class to provide
teacher-student feedback and peer-feedback to
promote social learning.
4. Be inclusive in your classes and allow multi-level
and multi-grade students.
5. Be a source of positive reinforcement to students
and allow mistakes.
6. Ask students for their input to maximize learning.
You can ask them to rap or create lyrics.
POINT TO PONDER….

What ways can you use hiphop pedagogy as

your teaching approach?