TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Hip-Hop was all the buzz at FSU this afternoon as students attended a free 'Hip-Hop Symposium'.
Equally famous for his marriage to Kim Kardashian, Kanye West is one of the most influential hip-hop artists to date.
But educators at FSU say hip-hop is more than just music.
Thursday Florida State University hosted a Hip-Hop Symposium for students and faculty.
"We have a variety of educators and artists within the communities who are going to talk about ways that hip-hop is used in the classroom, pedagogical aspects of it," said Lisa Weinberg with FSU's Department of Sociology. "They're also going to talk about policy interactions with education and hip-hop.
It may seem counter-intuitive to use hip-hop as a way to teach students, but in some cases, that's actually what's being brought into the curriculum, and it's helping.
Some of the panelists discussed various lessons they use with teaching students. Some writing raps as mnemonic devices for math, or throwing down bars from Shakespeare all designed to keep students interested.
"What's wonderful about hip-hop is that everyone is really exposed to it. It's highly influential and it's a really big part of American culture," said Weinberg. "Students sort of come in with that already and this just provides a way to connect all the material.
The idea of holding a "Hip-Hop in the Classroom" symposium came about after Dr. Weinberg created a "Sociology of Hip-Hop" class.
