Henry Jenkins’ lecture and white paper, Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century was very thought provoking. It addressed many skills that are necessary for young adults to thrive within the participatory culture of the new media landscape and how the education system can approach the idea of teaching new digital literacy skills successfully. It also stressed the need and importance of actually teaching new media literacies. I think it would be necessary to make sure that these new literacies be embedded throughout and across subjects and disciplines in order to keep them authentic and meaningful.
Jenkins (2006) discussed many skills that are essential to be productive within the new literacies (p.4). One of the many skills addressed in the white paper was the need to be able to play with digital literacies as an approach to provide engaging and meaningful education to students. An effective way to teach is through play because “play can motivate other forms of learning” (Jenkins, 2006, p. 22). Play as a skill is a necessity because it is “a mode of active engagement, one that encourages experimentation and risk-taking, one that views the process of solving a problem as important as finding the answer” (Jenkins, 2006, p. 24).
A common idea throughout seems to be of continuing to try even if mistakes are made. “Part of what makes play valuable as a mode of problem-solving and learning is that it lowers the emotional stakes of failing: players are encouraged to suspend some of the real world consequences of the represented actions, to take risks and learn through trial and error” (Jenkins, 2006, p.23). Many of the social skills discussed, operate with the notion that it is okay if it doesn't initially work.
The lecture and paper seemed to provide some solutions that many of us were looking for in reference to the Ken Robinson video from the Intro to Critical Pedagogy course. It is interesting how many of the ideas from both courses seem to overlap.
For someone just starting out in the teaching profession, it raises lots of questions: if we have this wealth of knowledge and understanding as to what is effective and engaging, why isn't it in the classroom? Even though it seems like common sense ideas, nothing is changing. 
Another positive point to their take of playing and trying even if mistakes are made is that it exposes them to one of life's most used problem solving strategy, trial and error. Coming from a math background I know firsthand how convenient that skill becomes at times. There are times were trial and error will yield faster results than traditional methods for solving some mathematical problems.
ReplyDeleteI found it interesting that video games were considered a good idea. I know many parents and teachers who really recommend students to stay away from them because of the "issues" they cause for students. With that said all things should be done in moderation. I just wonder how much of any one thing like on-line reading is too much.
ReplyDeleteI too, loved the discussion about a great way of teaching is through play. I do believe that play motivates learning. I was that student and I still am. If I am having fun, I’m engaged and paying attention. If I’m paying attention I am more likely to remember the content being taught. And fun creates excitement. If you create that excitement it is going to set an expectation and students are going to be expecting to have fun the majority of the time when they are in your classroom. This as a future educator, this makes me excited! I love the idea of students loving my class, so play and digital literacies are things that are going to be greatly incorporated within my instruction!
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