Teaching with Technology

“With YouTube..The Internet is no longer just text to text…the Internet has…a face…many faces…Faces with voices…and these faces have formed a community…with humility…honesty…humor…and love…Love leads to change.  The Internet has a face.  The Internet has a heart.  The Internet has humanity.”

 This quote was taken from the YouTube video, “The Internet has a Face”.  It speaks to the core of our readings thus far, especially in relation to participatory cultures.  Where at one point in time it seemed the Internet was merely an information source where people could interact through social, intellectual and professional exchanges, now it is a platform upon which people express themselves in profound ways.  This YouTube video speaks to the intimacy of these expressions and the ways people are reaching out to others through acts of humanity.  Similarly, the readings on digital youth by Pascoe, Boyd, and Horst point to myriad of relationships created through this medium and the various roles they play out through family, friendship and intimacy. 

What emerges is a participatory culture in which these acts of humanity, the need to belong, the need to be part of something bigger, the need to share one’s story, and the need to foster change ultimately help us make sense of the world in which we live.  I believe this to be the very core of the argument for media literacy in all phases of education.  I see media literacy a part of the educational experience, not an addition.  Students need to learn how to make sense of and contribute to the world in which they life.  So, how do teachers tap in to students’ social expertise on the Internet for educational purposes, and to give students’ a sense of their value and worth in society?   

The Jenkin’s article addresses this challenge by providing a set of media literacies which will provide students with the necessary tools to reach these goals.  Three stood out as particularly relevant:  (1) Play; (2) Collective Intelligence; and, (3) Networking. Currently, young people tend to view their exchanges on the Internet as playful interactions that are entertaining and keep them connected to others.  First, this idea of play seems most critical to keep students’ interest in learning as well as allowing them to feel free to express themselves and take risks in the process.  Often times this is lost in the classroom, which can be very discouraging for students who wish to express themselves in a supportive environment.  If this type of play can be restored to the educational prospects of future learning communities, then students should find themselves in an environment that is not only familiar, but conducive to the creation of cultivating their voice. 

Second, the idea of collective intelligence keeps in mind the importance of using people as resources.  In this way, students stay attuned to their social roots for communication, but see them in a different light; one that fosters curiosity, directs learning, and promotes respect for everyone’s contributions.  These are invaluable learning tools that can be applied to all disciplines

Finally, networking is a critical s.kill for any phase of education, in that students must possess the ability to integrate a vast amount of information into relationships as well as the ability to successfully communicate the importance of those relationships.  With the wealth of information at their fingertips, it can all too easily be lost to sensory overload.  As teachers we must help students contextualize this information and use it to better shape their understanding of the world around them and how they fit into that world. 

These tools are necessary for the extension of socialization, the continuation of learning, and the cultivation of millions of voices within one Internet, and one world.  In this way, we are tapping into the humanity of learning.