The Teaching Lessons from Professors Fallon, Colbert, and Corden

As teachers, we are constantly learning...

The question is are you learning from pop culture?  

The world that your students are ingrained in is outside of your classroom.  Shocker I know.

But think about the learning that you could implement through inspiration of some of pop culture's most consistent icons. 

In the most recent bit of "Hashtags" by Jimmy Fallon, he simply challenges social media to add one word to a title to change it.  Couldn't this be brought into any curriculum challenging students to experience higher order thinking?  Add a word to a book title, add an element to an equation.  What could happen if they were able to do it and add humor to the learning.  Making it stick more? 

James Corden's carpool Karaoke is legendary.  What if there was a way to have students replicate this with curriculum, presenting their ideas about what could be done.  Even more, the relationship and connection of a team building/creating. 

John Spencer just released an awesome video about the importance of critical consumption to fuel creativity.  What could you do that would provide your students with the specific consumption that can fuel the creativity? 

Stephen Colbert provides the best example of this.  He comes into his shows prepared with the knowledge to back up the jokes he is adding.  Many times he is providing a lighter, funnier thought process for some of the political decisions that are being made.

The point is, find inspiration all around you!  There are professors all over the place!