2.+Connection+between+affinity+spaces+and+classroom+learning

According to the authors, affinity groups attract "cool" people or at the very least, attract people who are into the perception of being "cool". In teaching teens for some thirteen years, I realize the adolescent need for coolness, and furthermore, I certainly recognize my inability to be perceived as "cool" among my student population. This is just one of the reasons for my excitement in using affinity spaces in the classroom. Learning CAN be cool! I CAN be a cool teacher! The other exciting aspect of including this particular affinity space ([|www.blackamericaweb.com]) in my lesson planning is how it can touch on mulitcultural issues in a way I don't think would be plausible by traditional reading and writing activities. In using this affinity space, my students can be what Lankshear and Knobel term as "plugged in." They can be in the know of what is happening in a particular (and quite popular) microculture.
 * Lankshear and Knobel (p. 233-244) - connections between affinity groups and classroom learning**

In addition, and perhaps more important to scholarly contexts, is the notion that using affinity spaces act as a "powerful intellectual resources that is overflowing with 'metas'" (p.242). It is this meta-knowledge that can be directly linked to social cognition with an emphasis on relationships that propels our students into effective reasoning and problem solving skills.