Participatory culture stresses the role of students as creators, circulators, connectors, and collaborators, rather than simply consumers, of media. Students participate in the creation and circulation of media content within social networks that extend from their circle of face-to-face friends to a larger virtual community. Students need to both make and reflect upon media and in the process, acquire important skills in teamwork, leadership, problem solving, collaboration, brainstorming, communications, and creating projects. The project identifies some of the core social skills and cultural competencies that students need to acquire if they are going to be full participants in this new media environment. According to Jenkins et al. (2006) “fostering such social skills and cultural competencies requires a more systemic approach to media education” (p. 4). It is not clear if there are any effective practices yet for teaching these skills. At my school (Susanna), we had to stop letting 5th grade students take home their iPads because they weren’t able to manage the distraction and responsibility. I keep coming back to wondering if developmentally, kids who are 10 years old just aren’t ready to be holding a device that powerful and asked to resist all the distracting aspects of it. (ie. Don't play with this toy we have given you). On the other hand, perhaps there are means for teaching the necessary skills that our school has not yet implemented.
The educational system plays a major role on students’ ability to become full participants in the emerging media culture. According Jenkins et al. (2006) “before students can engage with the new participatory culture, they must be able to read and write” (p. 19). Therefore, in order to be literate in today’s media-rich environments, students need to develop knowledge, values and a whole range of critical thinking, communication and information management skills for the digital age. This is not a question of a shifting of essential skills for students as much as it is an expansion of the essential skills students will need to succeed in the 21st century.
Guiding Questions:
- How can educators effectively leverage the activities happening in popular culture contexts to improve teaching?
- What changes are needed in teaching practices to facilitate a culture of participatory learners?
Jenkins (2015) comments that Turkle noted to him the pressure of trying to give the black and white answers that society wants. Through engaging and participating in these online cultures it could demonstrate to and teach students that simple answers are frequently a myth. Rarely is the answer to a question or problem black and white. It reminds me (Christina) of the debate that raged when the child fell into the gorilla exhibit at the Cincinnati zoo and the zoo keepers decided to kill the gorilla. As my students discussed the event all of them had very definite views: the zoo keepers did the right thing or not. Some said that the gorilla should not have been shot, but they were not considering if the child had been seriously hurt. This can be linked to the common theme from above of ensuring the students are critical of the media they are coming into contact with.
Jenkins (2015) noted a Winston Churchill quote favored by Turkle, “We make our buildings, and in turn, our buildings make and shape us.” I believe this is how we as educators need to view our students relationship with technology. We, the educators, need to assist our students as they make and create content via technology and make sure that the technology is having a positive effect and help. We need to help students understand that most of the answers to life’s important questions are varying shades of grey and it can change based on perspective and changing cultural aspects of life both in virtual and actual reality.
Guiding Questions:
- Are these participatory cultures good learning environments?
Benefits and Risks of Participating:
Benefit: One of the benefits of participating in an online community is that you broaden your knowledge to include opinions and perspectives of others from around the world. One of the primary reasons I chose the online EdD program (Lauren) at JHU is that I wanted to meet educators from across the country and the world. I am very familiar with the network of educators in the area where I live. This program has allowed me to meet and learn from people who are practicing in different settings and areas than I am. Our program is a participatory culture in which we share our thinking and questions on various topics from the courses. The different expectations of each course shape the tone of the culture. In some classes, the discussions have been more formal, with citations required and emphasis on incorporating content from the readings. In other classes, like this one, the discussions have been less formal, which in my opinion leads to more creative thinking.
Risk: One of the risks of participating in an online community is that you are making yourself vulnerable. Everything you write, submit, or post is out there - and you can’t take it back. You create your digital footprint each step of the way. Also, if you are not careful, the tone of what you write can be misinterpreted. Early on in our program, I think people overcompensated for this fear by being overly polite. We were very reluctant to disagree with each other about the course content or even challenge each other to think differently. The risk of online participation (without the video conferencing) is that words can only say so much without the human face behind them. Another risk is if you do not witness the effect your words have on others a writer can become detached and lose insight into the positive and negative effects words can have. I have always disagreed with the old adage, “sticks and stones can break your bones, but words can never hurt me”. I think we realize now that words can and do hurt and the damage can last much longer than the time it takes for a bone to heal. The risk that I am referring to is with respect to cyber bullying and other negative online practices.
Guiding Questions:
- How can educators best understand the impact that technologies are having on today's youth and use that to facilitate formal or informal participatory environment?
Concluding Thought: How are you supporting these standards for creating knowledge constructors? https://www.iste.org/standards/standards/for-students-2016
References
Jenkins, H. (2013, May 7). Henry Jenkins on participatory culture (Big thinkers series). [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/1gPm-c1wRsQ
Jenkins, H. (2014, January 20). The influence of participatory culture on education. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/HYbSD_GdkjU
Jenkins, H. (2015). "Does this technology serve human purposes?": A "necessary conversation" with Sherry Turkle. In P. Svensson & D. T. Goldberg (Eds.), Between humanities and the digital (69-81). Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.
Jenkins, H., Clinton, K., Purushotma, R., Robinson, A. J., & Weigel, M. (2006). Confronting the challenges of participatory culture: Media education for the 21st century. Chicago, IL: MacArthur Foundation. Retrieved from https://www.macfound.org/media/article_pdfs/JENKINS_WHITE_PAPER.PDF
Hi Team 2 -
ReplyDeletePunita (from Team 3) here.
Great job and idea in developing a blog to share your thoughts! In your post, you discuss the importance of reflecting on (in addition to actually making/generating) media content. As you discuss, the education system can play a large role in children and students' interaction and engagement with the emerging media culture.
I would take that a step further and say perhaps the education system should play a role in teaching children/students about how to engage with media from an ethical, civic, and character education standpoint. We already engage in this to a degree with teaching and talking about cyberbullying, but there is a lot of room for more:
What about in regards to helping children develop a self-worth outside of the number of likes they earn?
Or in regards to helping children recognize that the people on the other side of the screen are individuals with feelings (youtube comments are a place where this awareness ceases to exist)?
Or in regards to helping children learn to defend claims they make online with evidence?
Just my initial thoughts.
Great platform!
Punita (Rice)
Hi Punita,
DeleteYou make an excellent point and I have been thinking a lot about this. As Susanna notes, I don't think the tools are quite there. I also wonder if the societal expectations are in line with this though. Your question about helping students understand that there are individuals on the other side of youtube stuck with me.
A case in NYC was just finished where a freshman college student committed suicide after his roommate posted a video that the roommate had taped on a webcam of the student kissing another boy. It was determined that the 30 days in jail that the student served would be all he ever had to serve.
I thought about bringing up the case to my students as a story about how online actions impact real lives, but was worried that I wouldn't be able to portray the story I had intended.
Christina
Hi Punita,
DeleteYou make an excellent point and I have been thinking a lot about this. As Susanna notes, I don't think the tools are quite there. I also wonder if the societal expectations are in line with this though. Your question about helping students understand that there are individuals on the other side of youtube stuck with me.
A case in NYC was just finished where a freshman college student committed suicide after his roommate posted a video that the roommate had taped on a webcam of the student kissing another boy. It was determined that the 30 days in jail that the student served would be all he ever had to serve.
I thought about bringing up the case to my students as a story about how online actions impact real lives, but was worried that I wouldn't be able to portray the story I had intended.
Christina
Hey Punita & Christine (and Team 2),
DeletePunita you present an important point about moving student usage, knowledge, and engagement from the traditional social interactions (i.e. self-worth, sociable/unsociable exchanges) to a broader understanding of ho technology can be used to strengthen concepts such as social involvement and global understanding, just to name a few. I do believe that civil respect and responsibility must become key components in the educational framework used to educate learners. No longer can educators ignore the negative interactions and impact that social media (SM) has brought to the school building. What transpires online is often spilling into schools.
Christina I followed the case you reference and indeed it was a very unfortunate, but an all too common event that is occurring with SM users. So who takes responsibility for these consumers developing unhealthy and poor consumer skills? Whose role and responsibility is it to provide training, and who are the stakeholders that should be involved in this process? These are the questions that as an educator I pose to myself, student's parents, and my administration. We can no longer sit on the sideline and this has become increasingly apparent.
Punita's discussion coincides with Henry Jenkins assertion of schools shying away from using SM for varying reasons. However, as technology and STEM increasingly becomes the expectation for 21st Century learning schools systems must become a leading stakeholder in the education of consumers. I was looking at the technology guidelines that my system has and comparing to the outcomes in ISTE and it was interesting to see the similarities and dissimilarities. What I find interesting is the differences that occur within each classroom. This is where the biggest difference is seen. Just like in this class there are some of us who became exited with the technology demand and others who may be thinking WHY :-0
The questions above are all rhetorical and do not require a response. The reality is that through the literature we are all recognizing how education system become the leading authority for supporting learning across all disciplines and fields of study. This is a lesson that education should be in the forefront and not responseive. So, as educations leaders how do we move the education system to move towards policy and programming that is proactive, instead of reactive. Or can we?
Nikki
Hi Punita, Christina, and Nikki,
DeleteWonderful conversation about how the "education system should play a role in teaching children/students about how to engage with media from an ethical, civic, and character education standpoint." I treat teens and young adults with serious mental illness, and unfortunately, many of my patients are victims of internet predators. I work with the DA's Special Victims Unit and ACS in NYC on these cases. It is really frightening how dangerous the internet can be, for our children. On apps like Kik, child predators can set up anonymous accounts, pose as a child and search for users by age. Like Nikki said, we cannot just sit on the sideline anymore. It is every adult's responsibility to provide guidance with technology/internet use, and discuss these serious risks with our children. As Henry Jenkins said, we cannot allow students to become "feral children of the internet," they need adults to watch their backs.
Best,
~Nan
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ReplyDeleteHi Punita!
DeleteI agree with you-and I haven't seen any fantastic curriculum developed yet to help elementary school age and middle-school children deal with these questions. At our school, we try to address some of these questions in our advisory program, but I feel like I don't have the tools I need to really help students. I remember one student confessing to me that she sends something like 1000 texts a day! I can't imagine that, and it is already quite different from my own experience as an adolescent. I'm going to be on the lookout for a good school-aged child curriculum on online ethics/usage.
Susanna -
DeleteYour concern and struggle is a common. I am facing similar concerns with my own children's learning. My husband is an engineer and technology is huge for him. For us, he found classes at University of Maryland that my daughter started taking at the age of 11 that taught cyber safety, and responsible consumer usage. Now my son, 10, is beginning these Saturday enrichment opportunities.
This is where schools need to become more savvy at engaging in entrepreneurial partnerships. There are organizations that have already invested in the programs. Thus, using what is there instead of recreating curriculum is a better investment of our resources. This program is not only at UM it is available at numerous colleges and universities as well as for-profit companies.
Nikki
Hi Nikki,
DeleteThat's an interesting idea--using program developed in other institutions. Did you found the program at University of Maryland was age-appropriate for your children? I wonder if they would be willing to partner with local schools to help advise them on these issues. I often forget about the importance of these types of community partnerships. Thanks!
Susanna
DeleteSusanna,
I cannot take complete credit. I am lucky to have a spouse who understands that we, as parents, are stakeholders in educating our children and who understands the important of rearing children who are 21st century prepared and that understand the risks that encompass being online. I have always believed in the idea of working smarter and not harder. Sometimes this means outsourcing.
I really have enjoyed UM's cybersecurity program. They have camps that start at 4th grade and I have found them very age-appropriate. Each year the courses vary. For instance, when my daughter was 12 they held a girls only session on using social media. It incorporated information on managing the social-emotional aspects that girls face as pre-teens and teens. She really enjoyed it.
As educators, we are making out jobs harder by trying to produce all the content our students need. I have to stop myself often from trying to fix every problem. Sometimes the best that I can do is to ensure a partnerships with parents and educate them on the resources that are available for their consumption.
http://cyber.umd.edu/education/pre-college
Nikki
Your team's post is incredibly reflective and brings many great questions to light. At our school, we teach a social skills program entitled "The PEERS Curriculum" for adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders. As key components of this curriculum, we explicitly teach the ins and outs of electronic communication and cyber bullying. Students also have social assignments related to connecting with their peers on a weekly basis. While we have seen many great benefits of this program, I also wonder about how a program like this may need to be frequently adapted to keep up with the ever-changing social and technological landscape.
ReplyDeletePunita- I like your comment about teaching children how to engage with media in an ethical way. I also wonder about teaching children how to filter through information and attribute different levels of value to what others say based on what they know about them or a specific website.
Caitlin
Hi Caitlin,
DeleteYou make a really good point about how relational skills intersect with digital literacy. After doing some exploring online, I've found some programs that address digital literacy, but they don't seem to really get at the social-emotional issues that are magnified by technology (self-esteem, identity development etc.) I'll let you know if I find something!
Caitlin,
DeleteI think digital communication can present additional challenges for students with autism. If the student struggles with social communication in person, the methods of text and email may add the additional challenge of having to interpret tone without the benefit of facial expression and body language. At the same time, digital communication may provide a less-threatening environment for students to use while engaging with peers.
Susanna and Lauren,
DeleteThanks for your reply. Lauren- I absolutely agree; the nuances of electronic communication are incredibly challenging for many of my students. I keep thinking about an example of something we teach is the "two-message rule". If you send two text messages, emails, etc. and do not hear a reply, then you have to wait. That is not even an example of how we get into tone, use of language, inferencing, etc. At the same time though, many of our students to connect with others through gaming websites and platforms that highlight their interests. This is where internet safety really comes in to play.
Caitlin
Hi team!
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of creating a blog for this topic :)
Our students each have their own chrome book and they use them constantly in individual and collaborative assignments. They work in groups and communicate with each other even when they are not in the same vicinity-it's amazing (to an extent). Also, our teachers have began to create class Wix pages, classroom blogs, the students in upper grades create their own Powtoons, the list is growing as teachers get comfortable using technology and social media as a springboard for learning.
Still, as you discuss, the students are not getting lessons necessary or the proper tools and understanding at school when it comes to safety and the negative impacts that social media can have. The teachers give a broad set of rules and have "refresher" discussions about cyberbullying and internet safety, and I provide guidance lessons on the topic, but I do not feel it is enough. The community has complained about us teaching these topics, as they feel it scares the children away from social media and technology, but, in today's world, this fear is a necessity to keep them safe.
Hi Katherine,
DeleteIt's interesting to me that "the community" has complained. Is this mostly parents? I can't really imagine why they would be against this. At what age do students get their own chrome books? Is the curriculum you teach the student about digital literacy or mostly about safety?
Evening Kat & Susanna,
DeleteHaving worked in the building and served the community that Kat is referencing, I feel safe with stating it would be the parental stockholders for who she speaks. This community is a posh and well-established, and the school had historically benefitted as a result of the external resources that are available. This community has established a significant voice within the current structures.
From my experience, I feel that our system doesn't focus enough on the cyber security and dangers. I am in total agreement that as the technology landscape and demands change so has the level of assurance to ensure learner responsibility. Most recently, last week, our school system announced a partnership with Common Sense Ed to to expand our current curriculum focused on digital citizenship. Currently, curriculums vary based on in-house school priorities. This varies based on programs in the buildings such as STEM and the expertise within the building.
Nikki
Team 2,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your reflective post! It was so interesting to read your various perspectives in regards to participatory culture. I chose to reflect on the guiding question: “What changes are needed in teaching practices to facilitate a culture of participatory learners?”. I think the changes that are needed are highly dependent on the particular school setting. For example, in schools where traditional, teacher-centered practices persist, the students are less likely to engage in learning strategies that effectively cultivate 21st century skills. In regards to technology use, teachers who primarily use strategies that simply place students in the position of media consumers will not encourage the participatory culture that is so important to develop creativity, collaboration, and other skills essential for success in today’s world. Conversely, teachers that regularly integrate technology tools that foster creativity and collaboration (not just with local peers, but with individuals across the globe) are more likely to foster students’ 21st century skill development. However, teachers need extensive and ongoing support from technology staff, other teachers, and administrators in order to develop the pedagogical approaches and skills needed to integrate technology in this manner.
Thanks!
Molly
Hi Molly:
DeleteCollaborative effort for sharing ideas and developing resources for transforming learning to be relevant in the 21st century is essential. In addition, authentic learning opportunities that are enhanced through technological tools is furthermore important. To your point, many teachers are using technology in their classrooms to support different learning styles and to engage students, but what’s missing are guidelines to help them do this in ways that promote innovative thinking and collaborative work. Because 21st century education in a participatory culture requires traditional skills to be applied in different ways such as collaboration, critical thinking, communication, computer and digital technologies, administrators should support teachers in their effort enhance or improve their skills in order for students to achieve academic success. --EuraDell
Hi Molly,
DeleteYour point is well taken. All change is context-specific and relative. What is a major change for one teacher may be a very small change for another. I think the biggest change needed in order to facilitate a participatory culture in a classroom is not a change in practice, but instead a change in the mindset of the teacher. If the teacher truly believes that students have as much to offer to the learning community as the teacher, then the culture of participation will begin to grow. It's like a plant - the teacher plants the seed and then waters it, watches it grow. But if the teacher believes that his/her knowledge and perspective are the most important forces in the classroom, then the plant will not grow at all. In the worst scenario, the plant dies and students lose confidence in themselves as learners.
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DeleteHi Molly,
DeleteYour statement regarding teacher support really resonated with me. I definitely agree. The reality is that most veteran teachers are not technology savvy. We cannot expect individuals who have been facilitating teaching and learning through traditional means to integrate technology all on their own and immediately realize success. Programs need to be in place to help teachers develop their technology knowledge and their technological pedagogical content knowledge (Mishra & Koehler, 2006). Having an understanding of technology is one thing, but knowing how to blend this knowledge with content and pedagogy is another. Teachers need support. They need access to technology coaches, but they also need access to each other. There is so much that teachers can learn when they collaborate. Often, veteran teachers have the content and pedagogical knowledge, yet they lack the technology knowledge. On the other hand, younger, novice teachers are likely to have content knowledge and technology knowledge but lack pedagogical knowledge. Implementing technology professional learning communities will help to facilitate these teachers collaborating, supporting, and learning from each other.
Hannah
EuraDell, Lauren, and Hannah,
DeleteThank you all for your insightful responses! You all make terrific points about how to enhance teachers' use of 21st century technology trends. I completely agree that teachers need ample support at a variety of levels (technology support staff, administrators, colleagues, etc.) in order to enhance their pedagogy, learn current technology trends, and integrate these trends within a constructivist, student-centered learning environment. Teachers, like students, bring with them a variety of backgrounds and skill-sets, and thus the professional development opportunities must be differentiated accordingly and tailored to their unique learning needs. While some veteran teachers may be considered “master teachers” due to their skillful implementation of certain instructional approaches, their ability to integrate technology in a manner that elevates the students’ learning experience may be a bit lacking. Conversely, as Hannah pointed out, novice teachers may be comfortable with current technology trends, but their technology pedagogical content knowledge may be underdeveloped. Therefore, teachers need ample time for learning novel pedagogical and technology integration strategies, collaborating with colleagues, and experimenting with and reflecting on approaches with which they may be less comfortable.
Thanks!
Molly
How can educators effectively leverage the activities happening in popular culture contexts to improve teaching?
ReplyDeleteOne of the concepts that Jenkins shared in the YouTube video is that participatory culture is a natural and open sharing and exchange of ideas. I think that we can leverage a participatory culture in schools by allowing students to be creative, have flexibility in how they are sharing and communicating their knowledge, and how they approach a problem or topic. I like the idea of the "Genius Hour" where students engage in learning and teaching in an area of interest. A unifying theme within the participatory culture readings and videos was that there is genuine passion and interest, which initiates the communication and sharing of practices.
Hi Christina:
DeleteYou make an excellent point about the role of communication in participatory cultures. In a participatory culture, students should be active, socially connected participants. Helping students to develop strong communication and conflict resolution skills should be the first tool set that teachers provide. Growing a shared commitment to excellent communication can help to support knowledge building and cultural sharing. Shifting the culture towards effective collaborations can foster a more interactive, creative, and engaged participatory environment. --EuraDell
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DeleteTeam 2 your framing of the literature to recognize how participatory culture influences the educations setting provides a deeper understanding of the arguments that induce the educational field. From your work what stood out to me is the area of digital citizenship and how does the education system promote and engage this concept.
ReplyDeleteAs is the history of reform in America, individuals fear what they do not know or understand. Cyberspace and the social media is definitely the new area that falls into this category. Critical to being able to support learners is understanding what is needed for student success, but also which is available and being used – as it relates to products, resources, and access to these items. Technology is yet another area of expertise that educators have to possess to be able to meet the every growing demands of today’s global learner. I think were education systems go wrong, is in trying to meet these demands alone instead of using available resources and experts in the field to support their needs.
As a parent, I recognize the shortcomings that my children’s schools faced and I took action. As a stakeholder with the school, I shared the resources that I found with fellow parents and my child’s teachers and administration. It all goes back to educators having the ability to recognizing who are the stakeholders and building partnerships around meeting the needs of the learners. It is not feasible for schools, given the constraints that exist in the traditional school day, to meet evert need. However, we can begin to think more through the entrepreneurial view to find the resources that might meet their needs. I will share this link for those in the greater DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia) area. http://cyber.umd.edu/education/pre-college
Nikki
Hi Nikki,
DeleteI am struck by your comment that "Technology is yet another area of expertise that educators have to possess to be able to meet the ever growing demands of today’s global learner." It's true that educators seem to have never-ending demands on them: keep kids safe, recognize signs of mental illness, accommodate all learning styles, prevent kids from using drugs, challenge students, include all learners...the list goes on. When it comes to technology, I wonder if this is an area that students can take the lead. Why do teachers have to be the sole experts in the room? What a great leadership opportunity for students who are on the cutting edge of technological learning tools? Why not solicit assistance from students when looking for a tool to accomplish a particular learning task? This not only takes the pressure off of the teacher, but it also furthers the participatory culture by having members of the classroom community create new learning opportunities for other members.
Lauren,
DeleteThose are great questions and really deserve strong consideration as the K-12 education setting continues to incorporate and use technology as a platform. I think at some level it would work. Charging learners to identify and share with their peers and teacher creates a dynamic classroom that breaths all the qualities of an engaged classroom.
However, at the end of the day, educators are responsible for the information shared and guiding the day-to-day instruction. As such, educators need to keep their fingers the pulse of the tools available on the market place to ensure tools used support instructional and learning outcomes and are appropriate for the classroom. Whether the teacher is the collector of the learning tool or the beneficiary the teacher still has a role. I wasn't complaining, but identifying yet another responsibility, thus another strain on the educational resources. Also, this idea only works for kiddos in middle and high school. What about those in primary/elementary schools.
I have found that across the many school systems I have worked there is a bad habit of concentrating on learning technology and participatory activities in secondary levels, especially when it relates to assistive technology for children with special needs. In my experience we fail learners when we do such. The younger the learner the more likely they are to gravitate learn in use authentically. In such case, the teacher becomes primary procurator and instructor.
Just my two cents.
Nikki
Hi Team 2!
ReplyDeleteI love the blog post! In our English classrooms, students create websites/blogs via Weebly. They can visit each other's sites and comment on their ideas. I love the time we spend in class only communicating via the written word - it's amazing to see all of their thoughts and ideas shared within minutes. It also supports the MBSL research on students producing higher quality work when they anticipate rapid feedback.
I wanted to comment in more depth on Mary Beth's question: I would really like to hear your thoughts on participation with the "professional mass media" (Unus, 2016), particularly as it relates to synthesizing the huge amount of information available. One of the things we rely on from the professionals is fact-checking and information vetting. In your engagement with these collaborative technologies that put consumers of information in the role of developers of information, are you uncovering any concerns about the veracity of the information?
^^I think this is really important and it directly aligns with ISTE's knowledge constructor student standard. In my classroom we have a very honest discussion on what is deemed credible, how we define truth, and the value of multiple perspectives. Students can be taught (in fun ways) how to be critical consumers of media and information. On the same token, they need to be provided with opportunities to make mistakes. My students create an annotated bibliography prior to their synthesis matrix and research paper draft. Oftentimes students change sources during each of these phases as they begin to question the source's credibility and value to their argument. I believe that this teaches them that learning on an issue/topic continually changes and that they alone determine which pieces of information stand the "test over time."
Christine
Hi Team 2,
ReplyDeleteI'm curious about conceptualizations of participatory culture outside of or in partnership with technology. In our group's discussion posts it seems like there was a strong emphasis on the use of technology as the only means of facilitating a participatory culture. You ask "What changes are needed in teaching practices to facilitate a culture of participatory learners?" I would expand on this question to encourage the development of participatory culture outside of technology or with technology as a supplementary resource but not the primary driver of the activity?
Great question, Sarah. I know I keep going back to Problem-Based Learning as a teaching strategy that aligns with participatory culture, but it serves as an example of how a participatory culture can be developed with or without internet technology. Humans have been solving problems since the beginning of their existence. Would it be worthwhile for students to pursue a solution to a problem using minimal technology? That would add a layer of complexity to the assignment. What if students could only use books from the library and the U.S. postal service for research and communication? I anticipate this would be an exercise in frustration for the students, but it could lead to conversation about the value of participatory culture without internet technology.
DeleteHi Sarah,
DeleteDeveloping a participatory culture outside of technology is where I start. Once a participatory culture already exists, then I feel comfortable to introduce technology. This has been working well for me. Technology is used as a resource or to facilitate particular learning experiences. Where I teach, even though the students each have laptops, it has been a struggle to get them all to want to use these devices at all, or for educational purposes. I could not start there. Once a participatory culture was established....or I should say, as it is being established, more and more students desire to participate in the technology aspect of the teaching and learning taking place.
Hannah
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ReplyDeleteHi Team 2,
ReplyDeleteYou put together a very thoughtful reflection. Reading it made me think even more about the students I teach and the culture that has been established at my school. I don't jump right to technology. I have learned that establishing a participatory culture before introducing technology works best. Personally, what has worked for me is building genuine relationships with my students from Day 1. I ask questions about their lives and answer their reasonable questions about mine. I take time to bond with them. Some may consider this time wasted, but taking the time to stray away from curriculum pacing guides and listen to my students has definitely encouraged the participatory culture of my classroom. I spend a lot of time encouraging, shaping, and nurturing; I want my kids to know that they can and will make mistakes, and the world won’t immediately end. To be honest, I have never dealt with kids with as much burdens and responsibilities as the high schoolers I teach now. I definitely understand their need to withdraw and refusal to participate in anything academic at times. But getting to know each of my kids and the dynamics of my classes has helped me to get kids involved. Now, the same strategies don’t work for all my classes. Each class is different, and it takes time to figure kids out too. However, the rewards at the end are well worth the effort. I have often had teachers to ask how on earth do I certain children to do actually participate and want to in my classes. For me, building relationships and knowing each child goes a long way. So, in terms of what changes are needed in teaching practices, well, how can we teach teachers compassion? Children know when you care, and they certainly know when you do not. Many times they check out because they don’t feel valued or are intimidated. I run a tight ship in my classes, I have to because I have at least 30 kids in each class, but a huge part of my classroom management and the foundation of the participatory culture fostered in my room is the working relationships I have with my kids. Teachers need to keep in mind that they are teaching little people; that’s a big part of any curriculum.