Week 6: Social Media Effects - "Digital Footprints"

One of the themes discussed this week was the capabilities and the effects that the internet has on democracy. In the video, “Digital Youth, Social Movements and Democracy Brazil” by Raquel Recuero, the issues and impacts that social networking sites specifically have on youth, was very informative. Recuero discussed the different ways that social networking sites have contributed to the youth of Brazil. “Social network sites are allowing people to connect, share information, exchange ideas and create social movements”. The idea and manner in which social networking sites can improve communication and activism in Brazil, is not much different from the associations that American youth also have with social networking sites. Before watching the video, I have always felt that Facebook is not the place to share political or other controversial feelings. I understand that those feeling are because of how I interpret Facebook and the role that it plays in my life. For a lot of people, it is an outlet – they feel freer to speak their minds regarding any issue. I definitely think in some ways Facebook could certainly be used as a way to make change politically or at least have your voice heard when it might have otherwise been ignored, when used effectively. 

Although youth have the opportunity to use these types of sites to have a positive impact on their community, there have been issues of negativity becoming more prominent. Recuero explained that, “social media has become the vehicle for all types of discursive violence”. She stressed that this type of language has been basically ignored because it has been masked as humor. I think she definitely put a different perspective on the fact that many of us find things that are funny or offensive, but assume that because our intentions are not out of malice it is okay. I think we all need to be more cautious and aware of the things we put out, especially into the digital world because they are permanent and can never be erased.

Recuero also made a valid point in saying that, “There is potential for good in online social networks…and social media isn't creating the problem, its exposing the problem”. We can’t blame everything on social media. There have always been prejudices, bullying, and people saying and doing disrespectful things. Social media has just become another outlet for those negative and inappropriate behaviors to be expressed. The unfortunate aspect is that this outlet allows that type of information to be immediately widespread; it is not just telling one person – it is telling millions or an entire group at once. We are already aware that because of the negative issues that have become common within social media interaction and communication, most schools have completely eliminated it altogether, instead of addressing the issues and presenting ways to use social media properly and still have access. “There is a need for intervention to guide youth in terms of their digital footprints”. We have to make an effort to teach and explain the impacts, whether positive or negative, that the internet can have and also how to go about using it appropriately and effectively.

Week 3: Participatory Cultures

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. 

Week 2: Literacy Debate

Literacy is everywhere and constantly changing. Even though everything eventually “entails some engagement with text” (Rich, 2008, para. 9), literacy is more than just printed text. Literacy is about sending and receiving information in some form. Literacy includes: speaking, writing, reading, and listening. I think what counts as literacy are various forms of communication that encourage thinking, questioning, challenging, and functioning.

The new media landscape has allowed people to receive information through new and engaging venues like: zines, weblogs, and memes (Lankshear and Knobel, 2011, p. 186-197). The concepts of the new media landscape have “created a shift of power that changes in possibilities of authorship and challenges notions of expertise” (Wilber, 2010, p. 2). The empowering concepts of who can create and publish, along with the continuous development of new forms of communication have created multiple opportunities to experience literacy through a variety of platforms.

“Today, technological change happens so rapidly that the changes to literacy are limited not to technology, but rather by our ability to adapt and acquire the new literacies that emerge” (Leu et al. as cited in Wilber, 2010, p. 1). We should be persistent in staying up to date with new forms of communication in order to remain proficient with new literacies. Even more so, teachers need to be current with new literacies that evolve, particularly to make learning meaningful for their students “to better understand their world and construct learning” (Wilber, 2010, p.4). Ideally the ultimate goal is to maintain balance through exposure to a variety of literacies.

“If we don’t change, we don’t grow.” ~Gail Sheehy

Week 1: Making Sense of Texts

Literacy is everywhere. We are surrounded by different types of "texts" constantly. We are becoming more aware that literacy is dynamic; it includes much more than just printed words on a page. Literacies are "comprised of multiple modes of visual, sound...communication, video, images, and advertising" (Wilber, 2010, p. 3). I'm a hardcore visual learner. Part of this includes that I need to be able to see the words but this also includes pictures. I'm constantly interpreting everything that I'm taking in and creating something visual in my head.

I definitely feel that I'm balanced and in between this world of "old and new literacies".  Im a book worm to the core. I don't think there's anything that compares to being able to hold a book and turn the pages and absorb and digest its entirety from cover to cover...but I also love kindle. I agree with Sharlene about the hyperlinks and the advantages that they offer. It's exciting to be able to read a book and immediately be able to look up a word at the same time, to further understand the author's point - without having to go get a dictionary.

Literacy to me is about empowering the reader and/or the author. It's all about making sense of various texts through questioning. Questioning involves communicating; whether it be in my own head or talking about it with someone else. The only way I'm able to use that text further is to make meaning first with myself and then understanding alternate viewpoints and interpretations. Even the way many of us have interpreted this initial discussion: our responses have already taken various paths.