Article #5: Student Engagement with Media Digital Media Empowers Kids to Create-and Critique-on Social Networks

Weir, L. (2009, May 27). Digital Media Empowers Kids to Create -- and Critique -- on Social Networks. Retrieved December 10, 2014, from http://www.edutopia.org/digital-generation-youth-network-literacy-video

Summary:

Main Points:

This article discussed a social networking tool that has been used effectively in the Chicago-based Digital Youth Network.  This network runs a private Web site called Remix World.  Remix World is very similar to other social networking sites, like Facebook.  Each student is given their own Web page that contains their picture, profile information, and links to their friends’ pages.  The students can post videos, comment on each others digital artwork, and hold online discussions through the network.  Some students have shown great interest in Remix World that they have branched out and started posting their work on public sites such as YouTube.

When students are given the creative power to choose and post what they want more self-directed learning occurs.  "It's not just creating content. It's creating content to share" (Weir, 2009). Students take more ownership over their work and what they make available for their peers to see.  Once students create and share their work on social networking sites, they can access one of the richest parts of this learning cycle that occurs; the exchange and commenting that follows.  According to Will Richardson, “most of the learning occurs in the connections and conversation that occur after we publish.”  Students learn from their peers, but more importantly learn how to accept feedback and critique others’ work.  

One of the problems that exists with social networking is the students can very easily lose their focus.  Students can be easily distracted because there are so many non learning paths that students can get caught up in with social networking.  It’s important to be able to redirect students and keep them focused on the task at hand.  

A really informative feature that Remix World added to their network was the ability to rate videos that students post to their profile.  Like YouTube that allows users to rate a video from one to five stars, Remix World “allows users to rate videos separately for image quality, audio, editing, and content” (Weir, 2009).  This feature teaches students to critique media in an informed way.  

Overall, social networking sites are a great tool to use in the classroom.  It was suggested that teachers create their own network for the students to use first so the teacher could monitor the posts.  

Reflection and Application:

Social Networking is the one tool that I am still hesitant to use in my classroom.  The loss of control that I have as the teacher is definitely what scares me.  I think before students create and share their work online, it is crucial that they understand their technology footprint.  I do see the benefits that social networking brings to the classroom.  The most powerful learning that can occur in the class is when students are learning from each other, and this is exactly what takes place on social networking sites.  I feel like the students would be able to take more ownership over their work and would be more conscious of the quality of work they are posting.  I would like to play around with some of the sites available to teachers and make this a goal of mine to use in my classroom next year.