This article synthesized a lot of what I have learned about teaching with technology in other teaching classes, and it was nice to have those ideas reinforced and legitimized.
I am excited to use what I read in this article in my future English classroom. Part of my philosophy of teaching involves empowering my students, helping them to see that they have a voice and teaching them how to listen to the voices around them. As the article states clearly, now more then ever before people have the opportunity to really make a difference in the world because of the Internet and the rapid spread and availability of information and ideas. And this concept is perfectly embodied by the term "participatory structure."
In regards to how I would incorporate the things that I read about navigation (deftly moving from one type of media to another) and networking (deftly working with other people and sources online to gain/share information), the following list includes ideas I had for how to do this:
1.) Give my students the opportunities to be the experts on various types of media. I would like to spend some time introducing my students to various types of media by letting students share what they are already are familiar with. I also want to assign an "Unfamiliar Genre Project," in which students explore and create using a genre that they have not previously utilized. I want my students to know that I realize that they are knowledgeable in this area already, but also push them to expand their media boundaries.
2.) I want to have a lesson about trolling. Trolling undermines trust and shows a lack of respect for others on the Internet. I think that a lesson on trolling (what it is, why it is bad, why people would do it, how to distinguish) would cover a lot of areas that the authors of the article expressed concern about. It will help students to learn morals regarding online actions as well as help students realize that when it comes to networking, being respectful, balanced, and trustworthy is beneficial to all users.
3.) I appreciated that Jenkins realized that traditional reading and writing skills are just as important as ever, and that media literacy should be taught alongside (not in place of) traditional literacy skills. And as we found in "Seeing and Writing," the skills that we use when reading and writing print text often carry over into reading writing digital texts. I want my students to realize the validity and importance of ALL types of media are valid and valuable (which was emphasized in the CMPLE) and that the skills needed to read/create in one type of media are often applicable in other medias. This reflects the principle of Transmedia Navigation - students need to be able to effectively move from one type of media to another, just like the skills needed to do so also transer.
4.) I foresee bridging the Participation Gap as being a formidable obstacle, and to be honest, I'm not quite sure how to deal with this. I would welcome any suggestions. Because honestly, how can I teach about/with media if I am teaching in a severely-underfunded inner city public school. I didn't really get a lot of ideas from the article (maybe I missed it?), so...any thoughts anyone?
5.) I want my students to use media to make change in the world. I feel that now that we live in a Participatory Culture, I feel that it is a responsibility of the rising generation to use their skills and know-how for a purpose for which they feel passionate about. If the resources are available, then I want my students to learn how to use those resources to do something productive. Playing RPGs is great because students are learning useful skills, but those skills are pointless until they are put to good use. I want my students to come to understand (perhaps during my persuasive/informational text unit) that they need to take a stand and at the very least, learn about important issues and make their own voices heard.
This reading was incredibly interesting and extremely empowering/uplifting, and I can't wait to get out into the classroom and bring lessons and knowledge about media with me.
1 comment:
Good post, Johanna! I would like to respond to point four, in which you ask how you would be able to bridge the participation gap. Honestly, if you are in a school that has limited accessibility I do not think there is too much you can do about that, but you can certainly teach your students with the recourses that you DO have available. That, at least, is a start. If some families have computers and access to the internet while others do not, perhaps you can make sure that the students that do not have it will have time to do their work after school in your classroom while you grade papers or something. That was one of my ideas about it, but I suppose it all depends on the rules of the school you end up teaching in. I suppose the main goal is just to make as many resources available to your students as possible.
I loved point number two about a lesson on trolling. Trolling is a disgusting habit that I think many students have. I think that as we are teaching our students how to network and how to navigate that this lesson would be great as kind of “the Golden Rule” for internet: comment on posts as you would have others comment on yours. If children spend most of their time online and on the social networks we are going to have to teach them about anyway, they will probably learn the “internet speak” quickly, which means they will most likely learn how to troll before they learn how to post any of their own subject matter. Getting a lesson about trolling in there is a great plan.
I also liked your first point about assigning an unfamiliar genre project. While I was reading about media navigation I was thinking about how I could better get my students to read how different media portray the same story. I will be both a theatre and an English teacher, so stories are a huge part of my curriculum. I am thinking that I will assign a novel to read after the students have watched a film, read a script, seen a play, or watched online videos about the same story. This could be anything from Robin Hood to Clue, and there are many things in between. I think it would be especially fun for “The Wizard of Oz” to be assigned because there are so many things out there about that story. The original novel, the movie, the play “Wicked” (to bring in what the article talks about in the changing of stories artistically over different genres), the first episode of the second season of “Face Off” (in which makeup artists have to rethink and create makeup for these characters), and the music associated with the Wicked Witch of the West, and the meme of “don’t make me call my flying monkeys” are all aspects of this story that can be explored through different media.
I want to be sure that my students know which type of media to use to best get their points across. In order to do this, I am going to make certain that I use different kinds of media in my lesson plans (though not all of them in one) and allow my students to create some of their final assessments in units using their own kind of media. I also think that they will have to choose a kind of media that they have not already used every time, but that’s just an idea.
Students need to learn about how to network because it teaches them how to synthesize information and create their own opinions. More often than not textbooks try to give a neutral position on things, but most online resources are extremely biased. In teaching students how to navigate networks and glean information from them, the students learn how to better create their own opinions rather than relying on one source of information for their opinions. Networking also allows them to share their own opinions with the world. As teachers of networking in media, we will be able to allow our students to have a voice in this amazing world of technology. Each one is an artist, and both navigation of and networking media will allow them to develop their skills to be heard. We can help teach our students to find networks that will appreciate their own interest and get them the attention they need to be heard.
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