Innovative Pedagogies: Twittering From Kindergarten Munchkins To Cool High School Dudes

1



The proliferation of new technologies and the internet have provided access to an enormous range of materials. Children and youth experience many new technologies in their day to day lives – mobile phones, ipods, computers, TV - to name a few. Dezuani (2010) says if we don’t respond to this and bring some of these experiences into the classroom, we are doing students a disservice because we’re not connecting with their lives outside school or making use of effective learnings available through new technologies.

In this post I will be considering a couple of the many examples of innovative pedagogies with new technologies through the medium of the internet – focusing particularly on an inspiring example with kindergarten children.

There are many examples of using new technologies in education depicted in videos which have been uploaded on YouTube. In this example the University of Minnesota YouTube video (2009), "Twitter in the classroom?", describes a partnership program called “Dig Me” which is being used in Roosevelt High School to raise engagement and academic achievement of students. To do this the teacher and high school students are shown weaving the social website twitter, which most of the students use outside of school, into traditional English courses. Both the teacher and students attest to its popularity and effectiveness. This is a good example of the importance of connected pedagogies advocated by Dezuani (2010) and referred to above.


As well as connecting pedagogies to the cultural and technological experiences young people are involved in, both Dezuani (2010) and Buckingham (2007) argue for the need to use creative and productive pedagogies, and to learn critical reflection of the media. Buckingham says while much emphasis has been placed on students’ access to the media in schools, more is needed in teaching and facilitating the many uses of it.

In this assignment we were asked to write about things we’d do differently in our own practice. As I am not a practicing teacher, I can’t do that, so instead will write about an innovative pedagogy I have found which I would like to be part of, should I get the chance to work in a classroom on a program such as this one.

In her blog, Miss Night's Marbles: I heard them say, love is the way, Miss Night (2011) describes an innovative and very exciting program whereby a class of 20 kindergarten children in Canada are partnered with a class in Indonesia and communicate with Twitter. The children exchange questions and answers about their own lives, and from these exchanges the teacher crafts learning opportunities: e.g., about weather and time differences, how to use maps, orang-utans, and tsunamis. The children increase their literacy by making drawings in their journals, dictating texts to go with them, then copying the texts. They expand their knowledge of using media technologies as well as twitter by working on a Prezi presentation to share learning with parents and other classes, and making a video to send to their Indonesian friends (teaching them about snow and how to dress for it).

These children are teachers and learners – they teach their partner school children, and learn from them. They then seek information about what they have learnt. The children are highly engaged and highly motivated as they direct some of the learning. Buckingham (2007) comments on the strong sense of autonomy and authority as learners which extensive use of new media at home gives to children (p.116). This is often denied in schools he says, but not is this case. Not only are these children consumers of this medium, they are producers (journals and video). They learn about representing themselves and construct their identities by describing their lives and comparing them with the differences of those of their partners. They have a voice – beautifully illustrated in by their comments about the Indonesian children facing a tsunami: “They are our friends. We can take care of them. They will be safe with us. We have room”.

Using the Circuit of Culture model (Dezuani, 2010) referred to in our other blog posts here, we can see the richness of using the cultural phenomenon of the internet in Miss Night’s blog post. The interplay between the different aspects of production, consumption, representation and identity support the usefulness of this media in education. Regulation of the internet prohibiting its use, or the use of the needed technologies to provide twitter feeds in the school, would have prevented this very valuable learning. Of course some regulation would have taken place – e.g., the teacher supervising how the internet was being used.

Not only does this blog provide details of an inspiring and innovative use of the internet in education, it connects to another blog site which enables other classes and schools to join in this kind of program (see: http://kinderchat-kinderchat.blogspot.com/). The program is well described, and written in a manner which gives no doubt about the affection and dedication this teacher has for her students. So if you’re at all interested in the use of twitter in the classroom, and want some inspiration, take a look at these great examples!

References

Buckingham, D. (2007): Media education goes digital: an introduction. Learning, Media and Technology, 32, 111-119. doi: 10.1080/17439880701343006

Dezuani, M. (2010). CLN647 The ‘Circuit of Culture’ in New Media Contexts: Lecture 6 [Lecture Notes]. Retrieved from http://blackboard.qut.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_75617_1%26url%3D

Dezuani, M. (2010). CLN647 Innovative pedagogies, transforming institutions and mapping future directions. Lecture 11 [Lecture Notes]. Retrieved from http://blackboard.qut.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_75617_1%26url%3D

Miss Night (2011, March 11). I heard them say, love is the way [blog].
Retrieved from http://missnightmutters.blogspot.com/2011_03_01_archive.html

University of Minnesota (2009, March 25) University of Minnesota – Twitter in the classroom? [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4OxIz_3o3O0

Posted by Paula









Continue..

Filed Under:

Australia Pushes Net Censorship in Washington

1








Communications Minister Stephen Conroy. Photo: Jessica Shapiro


This article, published in the Sydney Morning Herald on 23rd April, 2010, provides an interesting twist on the controversial issue of internet censorship. The spokesperson for the Australian government, Communication Minister Stephen Conroy (pictured), is being drawn into a discussion of their plan to ban certain websites in Australia, but only because the US government is expressing concern over the plan. The article provides a lively debate about the issue, from many points of view. The debate began with the US ambassador voicing his concern about the censorship on Australian TV and saying cyber safety could be achieved without censorship. (One wonders what might be the US interest in a “free” internet in Australia – this point is not covered in the article.) Following this statement the press pursued the issue. Conroy’s office did not give much detail about its plan to introduce legislation to enable internet filtering policy in the second half of 2010. The legislation will require ISPs to block a blacklist of banned websites – classified “refused classification” (RC) for all Australians. The defence of the government is that it is applying the same offline classification rules to the online world, and it is only blocking access to child pornography.

In the article others criticise this argument from two points of view:

1) That it won’t achieve its objective because filtering will not stop other ways of internet access to the same material (e.g., email and peer to peer networks) and filtering can be overcome. Antony Loewentsein (2010), in an editorial in The Age, agrees that filtering is ineffective, saying other Western nations (including Norway, Finland, the UK, Denmark, the Netherlands and New Zealand) which have all blocked sites said to contain child pornography find that impact on limiting access to the obscene content has been minimal.

2) That it will be block a much broader range of other material as well – e.g., potentially innocuous material such as euthanasia and abortion sites or graffiti videos on Youtube.

The circuit of culture model (Dezuani, 2010) helps illustrate here that regulation effects consumption (information being denied to Australians through filtering), production (use of that information in other activities being denied internet users), identity and representation (both effected by absence of material on issues like abortion or euthanasia which might be of vital significance to those Australians directly affected by these matters).

An up to date “post script” to this issue is provided by Libertus.net (2011), a website arguing against internet censorship, which says the government’s mandatory ISP level blocking plan is on hold until the completion of a review report to be completed by January 2012.

REFERENCES

Dezuani, M. (2010). CLN647 The ‘Circuit of Culture’ in New Media Contexts: Lecture 6 [Lecture Notes]. Retrieved on 10/10/11from http://blackboard.qut.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_75617_1%26url%3D


Libertus.net (2011) AU Gov't Mandatory ISP Filtering / Censorship Plan. Retrieved on 21/10/11 from http://libertus.net/censor/isp-blocking/au-govplan.html


Loewentsein, A (2010) Governments should not censor the internet. Retrieved on 13/10/11 from http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/governments-should-not-censor-the-internet-20100512-uxfr.html


Moses, A (2010) Australia pushes net censorship in Washington Retrieved on 4/10/11 from http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/australia-pushes-net-censorship-in-washington-20100423-tgkh.html


Posted by Paula


Continue..

Filed Under:

Online Resource - YouTube

0

One of the most popular online resources available through the internet is YouTube. Wesch (2008) noted that in 6 months (in 2008) YouTube produced more than the 3 major television networks in the USA had produced in the previous 60 years. Young people easily become producers as well as consumers through YouTube, and many are very familiar with it. An ideal medium then to connect popular culture with pedagogies.

Here I am considering an example of a high quality video which could be used as a source of information on an aspect of internet regulation.


The internet is, by its very interconnected nature, difficult to regulate (Dezuani, 2010). In this YouTube video, “Saving Canada’s Internet”, another threat to internet freedom is discussed – the threat to net neutrality. Net neutrality is a description of the current situation in many Western countries whereby no-one is allowed to discriminate on traffic – where it’s from or the nature of the data. The makers of this video, SaveOurNet.ca (2010), discuss a threat from large corporations who want a tiered structure which will give them a guaranteed percentage of the faster bandwidths (which they can buy), and leave a small percentage and slower bandwidth to smaller producers. The smaller producers will only be able to access faster internet by paying higher prices. The effect of this, they say, could be the small players who cannot afford to pay being squeezed out – effectively giving most control to larger corporations and thereby stifling innovation. They want the Canadian government to regulate to protect net neutrality, and compare the stance of the US government which has pledged to retain net neutrality.

This YouTube video is a good example of a high quality audio visual presentation freely available to internet users – using images of people talking, cartoons, diagrams and music. It shows sources of much of the footage – e.g., the Canadian Minister speaking in parliament, giving it credibility. It also shows clips of un-named people speaking – appealing to the ordinary person, who they appear to be. It makes sound arguments and explains the issues well. Altogether it is interesting to watch because of its high quality, and is thought provoking because of well put together content. It raises another issue concerning internet regulation that could become important for Australia too.

References

Dezuani, M. (2010). CLN647 The ‘Circuit of Culture’ in New Media Contexts: Lecture 7 [Lecture Notes]. Retrieved from http://blackboard.qut.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_75617_1%26url%3D

SaveOurNet.ca. (2010, October 10). Saving Canada’s Internet [video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=hKbPpizEDBM#!

Wesch, M. (2008). An anthropological introduction to YouTube [Video file] Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPAO-lZ4_hU&feature=player_embedded#!

Posted by Paula


Continue..

Filed Under:

The Formation of Young People's Identity Online

1


Microsoft Office Images: Businessman





The Internet provides ways for young people to construct online profiles both visually and narrated. Maintaining these profiles is an important aspect for young people in developing their identities. This blog post will review an article entitled, Look at me! Look at me! Self-Representation and Self-exposure Through Online Networks (Mallan, 2009), which is based on the author’s empirical study into how high school students represent themselves and interact with online social networks. Mallan’s research found, with no surprises, that the Internet offers both “promise and peril” for young people. Greenhow and Robelia (2009, p. 124) suggest that it is the combination of the benefits and risks that merit educators’ awareness and guidance in developing young people’s ability to become digital citizens. When creating online profiles, which combine both private and public spaces, the technology becomes an important factor in how an individual creates their identity within an online community. This study also demonstrates how the Circuit of Culture underpins how young people interact with new digital media (Du Gay et al. 1997). The interconnectedness of the concepts gives educators an understanding of where students are coming from and the type of participatory culture they are creating.


According to Greenhow and Robelia (2009, p. 123), “Adolescence is a time when young people explore the physical, sexual, occupational and ethnic dimensions of identity within a social context.” Young people aspire to belong to a community both online and offline. How they represent themselves in either situation varies to the extent of the context they are participating in. It is within these contexts that young people begin to play around with their identities. Offline participation is limited to how young people think, speak and behave and it usually occurs within a familiar context such as being with family, friends, or social groups. They are forming identities in public places under adult scrutiny. However, the Internet offers a new world for young people to participate within different communities and try out new versions of themselves. They learn to modify their behaviour to impress or influence others, for example before posting a picture of themself they may use Photoshop to perfect the picture. It is through the production of self-representation that young people explore their identity.

As young people search for recognition and contact in online participation they help build a culture and a sense of belonging. The act of participating in creating and maintaining files online is an important part of contemporary youth culture and identity formation. When young people play with online medians, they are creating multiple ways of expressing themself individually and as a collective representation. More understanding and acknowledgement that new technological processes have varying complexities that require a certain amount of skill and knowledge to be able to use these applications (Mallan, 2009).

These interactions maybe compromised when an individual gives a false identity. Authenticity and validation are important issues in self-representation. How do young people tell if other identities are credible? The way others perceive a profile is through the information that is shared. Three areas have been identified in how young people make judgements about online profiles.

1) If the profile owner uploads group photos of themself with friends it makes them look popular;
2) Complimentary comments made by friends provides credibility to an individual’s profile; and
3) A negative aspect is the reinforcement of stereotypical behaviours such as a photo of a young female who is drunk is seen as unattractive and attracts negative comments yet if it was an attractive male it is seen to be cool (Walther, et al. 2008; Mallan, 2009).

Mallan (2009, p. 64) suggests that the Internet offers a new field for young people to socialise with friends and tools to play with in creating their online identity. Greenhow and Robelia (2009, p. 123) refer to this experience as being dynamic because there is a constant shifting of constructions and presentations of the self. This idea associates closely with the theory of Circuit of Culture whereby the five aspects are interrelated in some way (Du Gay et al. 1997).

In context to the Circuit of Culture, Mallan’s (2009) study demonstrates how the five concept areas are closely related and displays how identity crosses over into production and representation when young people use the Internet for social relations. In order to work on one’s identity they must first produce an item that represents who they think they are. Some young people hide behind cartoon images or obscured photos displaying a wariness of not exposing too much of themself. On the other hand, there are those who like to exhibit themselves to the world. The study also highlights that students were aware of risks when working online. They had been informed through school, family and friends, and their knowledge indicates that they are not as naïve or innocent as people think and adults need to place more trust in their ability to work online.

By Mallan’s own admission, this study is only a snapshot of her research with 150 students from four private schools in Queensland (2009, p. 64). There should to be a wider selection of schools incorporated in a study to get a bigger picture. There will always be those who participate online with the greatest trust and there will always be those who use it for deceptive, bullying behaviours. This brings this blog back to the underpinning Circuit of Culture and the aspect of regulation (Du Gay et al. 1997). Until there are ways to regulate how the Internet is used there will always be issues. Educational institutes and parents both need to work together to support and empower students when using the Internet so they can appropriately and confidently define their identity within this new digital media culture.

References


Du Gay, P. Hall, S., Janes, L., Mackay, H. And Negus, K. (1997) Doing Cultural Studies: the Story of the Sony Walkman. London: Sage/The Open University.




Greenhow, C. & Robelia B. (2009). Informal Learning and Identity Formation in Online Social Networks.’ Learning, Media and Technology. 34(2), 119-140. Retrieved from:
http://www.tandfonline.com.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/doi/pdf/10.1080/17439880902923580

Mallan, K. (2009). Look at me! Look at me! Self Representation and Self-exposure Through Online Networks. Digital Culture & Education, 1:1, 51-66. Retrieved from:
http://www.digitalcultureandeducation.com/uncategorized/mallan-2009-html/


Walther, J., Van Der Heide, B., Kim, S., Westerman, D. and Tom-Tong, S., (2008). The Role of Friends, Appearance and Behaviour on Evaluations of Individuals on Facebook: Are We Known by the Company We Keep? Human Communication Research 34(1): 28-49. Retrieved from: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/doi/10.1111/j.1468-2958.2007.00312.x/pdf

Continue..

Filed Under:

I Like Big Books!

2

What a great time I had searching for an online resource to showcase youth as producers on the Internet!  I couldn't stop at one resource however, so welcome to the first of my reflections on how young people are encouraging each other to stay engaged with literature by producing videos and sharing them with the world via YouTube!





Dowell Middle School students from Texas, USA, have produced a highly entertaining video clip promoting the benefits of reading books to students. They introduce perceptions that kids have about large factual texts and why they might read them, then debunk any misconceptions by outlining a range of text types and why reading them is a great idea.  They also include a range of student cultural “cliques”, including the school grid-iron team, who happily chant about how much they like to read!  Their message to their peers is that knowledge brings power, and that you should read for at least one hour a day.

I love the fact that the school Principal is happy to share the way reading books helps him escape from reality and chase his dreams… you will need to watch the video to see what those are (and view right to the end, as the out-takes on his contribution are great)!  They also encourage students to engage with real books in libraries rather than getting caught up with using electronic readers and ebooks! (An interesting viewpoint expressed from the digital generation!!).

I chose to utilise the Circuit of Culture (du Gay, Hall, Janes, Mackay & Negus, 1997) as a framework for reflecting on how the production and online sharing of video clips make up part of the cultural experiences of youth of today:
·          Production – although this literally takes place “offline”, then intent is to create a final product that is to be shared with an audience beyond that of the school - a global audience
·          Identity – Students and staff from throughout the school represented themselves with a shared identity – that of a community of readers who were reading for a noble range of purposes!
·          Consumption – Since the upload of this resource in December, 2010, there have been over 60 000 views through YouTube, over 200 “Likes” and 72 comments posted – the majority of which appear (by their content) to be made by school students, so the producers appear to have reached the target audience of their peers!
·          Regulation – The clip was uploaded under a standard YouTube licence by the school county, who have uploaded over 90 clips to YouTube. I was surprised to see that surnames were used for the students involved – one could only assume that appropriate consent schedules have been signed?
·          Representation - a large percentage of the student population of the middle school were engaged in the production of this clip, as evidenced in the oval and library borrowing scenes, and the message was clearly aimed at the peers of these middle school students: it is cool to read no matter what you read, or who you are!


This blog entry was posted by Bronwyn White

Resources

Dowell Middle School. (2010). I Like Big Books. Availability:
http://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=tuZSfvHHMr4&feature=related
Retrieved September 21, 2011.

Du Gay, P., Hall, S., Janes, L., Mackay, H. & Negus, K. (1997). Doing cultural studies: the story of the sony walkman. London: Sage/The Open University.

Continue..

Filed Under:

Producing and Sharing Digital Stories to Build Community

2

Opportunities for youth to produce and publish digital media have never been as bountiful as they are today, with the Internet being an available and accessible vehicle for sharing those products.  Sasha Mackay, a PHD student, is currently studying how young people in rural and isolated regions of Australia can use storytelling and digital media as methods for having a voice and constructing their own identities.  A full news article and accompanying podcast of her September, 2011 radio interview can be found at: Digital Storytelling: Research for rural youth


Sasha herself is a previous contributor to and winner of Heywire, an online community designed to create a shared conversation amongst young people in rural and regional Australia.  She explains that using the publishing space in Heywire, young people can create profiles and upload videos, photographs and stories so that other people can know who they are.  She believes this publishing of digital stories in a range of formats is a way for rural youth to be in touch with other people, and develop a sense of community they otherwise wouldn’t have, as well as making a positive contribution to debunking stereotypes about youth living in rural areas.

Sasha’s PHD proposal is to interview the young people who have told their stories on the Heywire  website, and find out what being in touch with people by sharing personal stories means to them.  She highlights the potential that such a specialised online community might also have in other countries where youth are even more marginalized than those in regional parts of Australia. 

According to Heywire (2011), belonging to their community allows members access to like-minded peers who share common aspirations, and are confronted with similar problems.  The competition element of Heywire enables winners to have their stories heard beyond the immediate Heywire community - throughout the ABC network, as well as the opportunity to participate in person at the annual Heywire Youth Issues Forum in Canberra, where members of parliament meet and discuss with regional youth contemporary issues of rural Australia.

Heywire is managed by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and as such provides an alternative to Facebook and other general online communities for youth wishing to produce and share their stories with their peers.  (The ABC claim that their close monitoring and management mean that publishers have no risk of receiving inappropriate responses to their work, nor will there be any offensive material published.)  Having said that, the online community is not a closed community, so there is still the opportunity for the digital stories produced and published for the website to be viewed by the wider public, and for the rural youth of Australia to develop an identity beyond the membership of Heywire. There is also a comprehensive area on the website dedicated to informing educators of the potential to purposefully integrate participation in the Heywire community into both English and Multimedia senior curriculum.

After reading many of the digital stories that have been produced and shared by our rural and isolated youth, I was able to appreciate the passion for the land that emerged as a common thread among the stories that were shared, along with the authors’ common desire for the greater Australian community to understand and appreciate their sense of identity and their love of their life on the land.  Mission is certainly accomplished as far as I am concerned!  


This blog entry was posted by Bronwyn White   

Continue..

Filed Under:

Youth as Producers on the Internet

0

As digital pedagogies are becoming more and more prevalent in 21stC classrooms, our youth have greater opportunities to collaborate on, produce and present their work and ideas about learning and what they have learnt through their “formal” education to the world beyond the boundaries of their physical learning environments... into that of the online world.  The Production blog postings of Intric8! will highlight some of the ways the Internet has enabled youth the opportunity to produce and share ideas, stories, resources and artefacts with a global audience.


This blog entry was posted by Bronwyn White

Continue..

Filed Under:

Representation: Young People and Free Expression with Google Apps

1

Image: Google Inc. (n.d.) via Google

Through my research of the area of representation as it relates to the Internet, positives and negatives of the freedom of young people to access and contribute to online materials have both vied for attention.  Closely linked to the idea of production, the ability of young people to create shared meanings on the Internet is determined by their ability to access tools of creation, collaboration and publication.  For some, this may be hugely difficult due to a lack of access to physical hardware.  For others, the difficulty may arise in terms of software and knowledge, or accessing communities of interest with language or perceived cultural boundaries.

The inception of Web 2.0, and the ability of people to become creators and distributors of information, has certainly changed the way we interact on a global scale (Hargadon, 2010).  Many free tools have risen to assist this collaboration.  In particular, the company Google has developed a range of free applications which specifically aim to ‘organise the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful’ (Google Inc., n.d.).

Traditionally known as a search engine, Google has now exploded its range of services to incorporate desktop, mobile and online products.  Not only does Google allow people to customise their online experience, seeking representations of material that appeals to their world view and desires, it also gives people the ability to delve into content creation on the scale of programming and code creation (“List of Google Products”, 2011).

Similarly, collaboration across cultural boundaries is catered for with users of Google Apps being able to create groups, share content such as videos and images, and collaborate on documents in real-time.  Google’s other services, particularly applications such as ‘Google Translate’ scythe the barriers between different language-speakers on the web, allowing communication between collaborators and interest-driven groups with ease.

Young people today are able to have a voice in the way they, and topics close to them, are represented online.  Through online tools which promote content creation, allow personalisation of media streams and foster international collaboration, media influence in terms of stereotyping and bias can be greatly reduced.

References:

Google Inc. (n.d.) Everything Google: corporate information. Retrieved from http://www.google.com/about/corporate/

Google Inc. (n.d.) Google Logo [Image]. Retrieved October 1, 2011 from http://www.google.com

Hargadon, S. (2010). Web 2.0: The essential ingredient in education. Educational Technology Solutions, 37. 46-56

List of Google Products. (2011). In Wikipedia. Retrieved September 25, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Google_products

Continue..

Filed Under: