W5 - Youth Involvement and Coming Changes

     The Internet as it continually morphs to offer more opinionated topics, diverse graphics, world news, and opportunities to discuss current events, is dramatically changing the perception of democracy and its principles, particularly among the youth of the world.  Digital access has helped bring the important issues of racism, poverty, prejudice, and the inequities of our presumed democratic system and all of its failures.

Young people are avid consumers of these digital forums, and have taken in droves to its ability to vent and voice opinions, and to relish in the presumed anonymity to speak out against the failures of our political and financial systems.

     “Changing Citizenship in the Digital Age”, an essay by W. Lance Bennett, University of Washington, Center for Communication and Civic Engagement argues and compares two paradigms of the youth movement:  on one side are youth that are active interested in community and civic engagement; and the other those that have completely disconnected for our democratic values and given up on the integrity of an honest and fair system.  Digital media provides access to all of the world's problems, and what has become obvious is the world's democracies are beginning to "show signs of wear" (Bennett, 2008).

     With power often comes abuse, and most of the democratic nations of the world have allowed their government and financial systems to become hijacked by power hungry politicians and financiers.  The media, once presumed neutral, have become obvious skewed to one side or the other, which essentially invalidates them as reliable sources of information. Nowhere is this more obvious that the state of our current electoral process in the United States.  Both sides, democratic and republican, have been bashing each other’s policies for the last eight years under the Obama Administration.  During this time, we saw the rise of the Occupy Movement, an effort to overthrow the financial system, among other youth-driven discourse organizations.

     Thus, young people have taken the Internet, and more specifically social media, to voice their opinions, and attempt to organize.  This has been demonstrated through the dramatic increase of civic engagement including interests in community involvement, consumer activism, and concern for environment and economic injustice (p.2)

     Yet at the same time, others have become completely disenfranchised from the system.  In the United States, for example, millions of young college graduates have received their degrees, and are straddled with extreme student debt that they are unable to pay at absurd interest rates, and often end up taking part-time jobs that were previously filled by high school students.  This group has little to no faith in the system, and to some degree, their futures and ability to advance in a declining society.

     To compound the problem of disengagement, the decline and practical non-existence of civic courses both in high school and college (p.7), has led to a generational shift in which young citizens (p.8) have become further disinterested in the political process.  One need only look to the civil disobedience and virtual overthrow of the existing political system in the 1960s to recognize how important young people are to the process.  

     The current presidential election in the U.S. has demonstrated the power of social media as a tool to both expose youth to the issues, but is also being used as tools to skew public opinion. (p.10). Donald Trump has essentially hijacked the process and is leading to an upheaval of public values through the use of Twitter.  Hillary Clinton as well, is using Facebook, Twitter, and static websites to advance her economic and civic intentions should she win this election.  Clearly, young people participating and volunteering on the various election committees are showing the candidates, and the world, the power of the Internet as a well-developed communication media.

     Still, while this political chaos unfolds in the digital world, many young people see the political system as a joke, with players who are disingenuous and "faking it" (p.15).  Bennett goes on to state that those governments who choose to ignore both sides, the involved and disenfranchised, run the risk of further dividing the sense of civic responsibility, thus forcing them to alternative political outlets to vent their frustrations (p.15).

     This is where education, and more specifically, teachers, become more important than ever.  Young people who attend high-school and college often take great interest in the subject matter when it is presented in a manner that offers teaching methods that are engaging.  Bureaucratic school systems must release these educators to create innovative materials, and to be allowed to bring their owner personal experiences and opinions into the classroom in order to engage and inspire our youth.   While no one can argue that some standardized education is required (that which ensures that young people can read & write, and understand the materials), the rest should be left to the imaginations and demands of the people, and it must be able to shift and evolve as our societies rapidly advance.

     Bennett states quite clearly that unless all leadership, educators, public officials, journalists, and educational policymakers (p.21) get involved in this social disconnect, and start to encourage young people to be excited about public service, the obvious outcome will be continue to be young people becoming further disconnected from the political process. (p.21).

     I am very quiet concerned for the state of affairs in the United States regarding the political and economic systems.  Still the bright lights are the youth.  My children inspire me greatly; I talk about them often in my college postings for Empire State College.  My daughter has chosen to work for little more than minimum wage to help young people living in public housing advance their ability to read and write.  My son is finishing his degree in political science, and is leaning heavily towards community service and activism rather than working form some level of government.  Unlike the older generations of past who saw the young as destructive to their principles and values, I personally welcome the upheaval that is coming and have great confidence that they will make their mark and change our system to be more equitable for all of our citizens, not just those in positions of power and influence. 


Reference:

Bennett, W. L. (2008). “Changing Citizenship in the Digital Age." Civic Life Online: Learning How Digital Media Can Engage Youth. Edited by W. Lance Bennett. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Series on Digital Media and Learning. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, Pg.1–24. doi: 10.1162/dmal.9780262524827.001

W3 - Reflective Post - The New Wave of Literacy Researchers / Networked Publics

Our assigned readings for this module were quite diverse and covered a number of new concepts and terms introduced by some of the major trend setters in the new media literacies.

I was absolutely intrigued by the theories introduced by Henry Jenkins, the Director of the Comparative Media Studies at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.   In his white paper "Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century", he defines participatory culture and its place in society as a type of virtual classroom environment furthering the definition of modern media literacy.

He, along with other researchers, recognize that time spent on video games, or socially interacting in virtual environments such as Facebook constitute learning.  Specifically, he identifies a number of skills that can be derived from these events and interactions.  Many are specific components of cognitive development that children are expected to master as they move from grade to grade, and are introduced to more difficult material and role-playing. Jenkins discusses new skills required to survive and be successful in the global economy.  These skills such as multitasking, judgment, networking, and negotiation  have always existed.  What has changed is the primary function that computerization plans in modern education.  Innovative individuals have created, whether intentionally or not, online societies that embrace countless social networks and business skill developments that are rapidly changing the way our societies interact and collectively interact.

This particular white paper includes may contributions from other experts in the fields of media education.  One such individual that intrigued me was James Paul Gee, a prominent social sciences and linguistic researcher from Arizona State University who has studied the development of the Internet as an educational tool.

Gee coined the phrase "affinity spaces" which he uses to define a "place where people relate to one another in terms of common interests, irregardless of race, class, gender or other identifier " (Gee, 2004).  It is these virtual spaces where knowledge is being exchanged, mentorship is occurring, and people are using their own creativity to define new literacies that are rapidly becoming the norm for online activities and education.

Overall, this was a complex read and many words could be written about the dept of content and importance of this document.

Another assignment was to read the Introduction to the book "Networked Publics" edited by Kazys Varnelis with contributions from a number of prominent researchers.  This publication appears to provide in-depth discussions of how computers have grown from business and government networks to large international social networks that by definition are now creating a cultural and social exchange that constitutes again new educational environments and opportunities to break with tradition from the static environments and expectations of traditional classroom training.

While I am finding the overall content intriguing and informative, I also must admit that I am somewhat overwhelmed by what seems to me our cultures educational system being on the precipice of great change that sometimes appears to have no formal direction, but rather is in its infancy and requiring cooperation from many different professional contributors to ultimately use these new creative tools as the new "standards".  Thus, in a strange way it will cyclical, if successful, and result in the restandardization of literacy but using a whole new methodology that will most likely continue to morph and evolve.

References:

Jenkins, H. (2006, October 19). Digital Media & Learning. Retrieved September 27, 2016,
       from https://www.macfound.org/press/publications/white-paper-confronting-the-challenges-
        of-participatory-culture-media-education-for-the-21st-century-by-henry-jenkins/

Varnelis, K.(Ed.).(2008). Networked Publics. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press.

Finland Education - Huffington Post

Good morning everyone:

While reading the Huffington Post the other night, I came across an article discussing the free-spirit style of Finland's educational system and the lack of standardized testing.  Yet, their students turn out quite well and pursue secondary education and careers that allow them to participate in the general global economy.  Here is the link to a site with a number of interesting articles relating to Finland education that I thought would be interesting to share:

Finland Education Articles - Huffington Post  

Literacy: Do We Need a New Standard?

                Since the earliest days of the settlement of the Americas, literacy has been something of an obsession.  There are countless writings by very prominent Americans calling for literacy to be expanded to the masses.  Around the same time, in Europe, literacy movements were just as pronounced as the invention of the printing press allowed even the common people to suddenly have access to the printed word.  The founding fathers of the United States had very differing opinions on literacy as race and gender played a significant role in defining who should be deemed literate, and who shall not.  One of the most powerful statements advocating for literacy of the masses at that time were written by Thomas Jefferson while serving in the Virginia Assembly in the 1770s.  While more political than social, his powerful statement reflects, even today, the power and perhaps single most important reason for setting standards of literacy.  "Those entrusted with power have, in time…prevented it into tyranny; and it is believed the most effectual means of preventing this would be, to illuminate…the minds of the people of large".  (Lynch, 2011). Thus one of the first advocates of public schools proposed "reading, writing and common arithmetik" as a basic right to be taught to all "the free children, male and female."  (Lynch).  Jefferson realized that those holding positions of power had the capacity to exploit the masses if the people did not possess the basic knowledge to understand what was actually happening around them.

                As early as the 1900s, the American government and educational systems have focused on creating a set of standardized tests capable of assessing the general literacy of the population (cite).  It was thought that as long as children were capable of recognizing text, writing their name, balancing a checkbook, speaking the English language, that they had achieved an acceptable level of "functional literacy" or survivability (Lankshear and Knobel, 1985).  As societies advanced rapidly into the Industrial Age, these basic educational standards were sufficient enough to allow most adults to successfully support their families, operate machinery, and manage their finances.  It was thought that these were the essential skills required to survive. As with much other human advancement, the aftermath of violent war offered a catalyst for change.  For example, the advent of literacy programs and educational standardization became extremely important in the United States during the war drafts of World War I and II.  Lankshear and Knobel stated that President Roosevelt's government had identified over 433,000 men deemed not eligible for military service in 1942 as they "could not meet the army's literacy requirements", were unable to "understand written instructions" or perform "basic military tasks" (Lankshear, p. 5).  Once the fighting men returned home to their families, poverty, unemployment, poor  health, and crumbling infrastructures were but a few of the major hurdles faced by nations hoping to return to a peaceful existence and advance their societies.  One such advancement that was the joint effort in the 1940s between government and educational institutions to create the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET) which today is referred to simply as the Internet (Wood, 2012).

                Many remnants of those early educational literacy programs remain in place today in the United States and there are staunch advocates who represent that nothing much has changed.  Yet there is a new movement among modern educators to recognize that there are other tools of literacy that are far superior to the basic texts taught in the past.  The widespread availability of the Internet has brought educational opportunities into the home, and has enhanced the experience of children and adult learners in the classroom environment as well.  It is critical for bureaucrats sand teachers alike to embrace that learning has changed dramatically in the past several decades.  Imagery, symbolism, abbreviations, and the written text are but a few of the components that define modern literacy.  Many refer to this as the "digital age" and our children have been raised from birth with vast access to a plethora of electronic devices including televisions, computers, and smartphones.  All of these tools hold some intrinsic value to the acquisition of the core educational skills needed to function in our modern society.

                Computers and software applications have been instrumental in both identifying and aiding children with learning disorders such as dyslexia and Attention Deficit Disorder and more importantly have helped them achieve success (Rich, 2008).  Graphical interfaces can often aid such children who struggle with the recognition of written text, and yet identify with graphics and symbols.  Thus the question is raised, is there really any difference in literacy methodology provided the end result is the same?  There are very few assessments to determine the value of "Web skills" (Rich, 2008) which even small children seem to possess today.  Learning takes many forms, and there are few who can argue that those without computer skills suffer a great disadvantage over those who are Web savvy. 

                As a father who witnessed his own son suffers from undiagnosed ADD, I learned firsthand the power of computers as a learning tool.  While he often struggled to compose sentences, or decipher math equations, he was able to master highly sophisticated computer programs to create video games, play digital instruments, and develop graphic animation.  Today he is an exceptional student studying Political Science at SUNY University of Albany.  Initially, I applied the old standards myself thinking he was lazy and not willing to learn.  But as an information technology professional, I had a very difficult tie arguing with the results. 

                If we are to truly become a global society capable of sharing a common dream, it is critical for our educational systems to update their definition and approach to literacy by recognizing that learning itself comes in many shapes and sizes.  The old "one size fits all" standardized testing and strict models to which students must adhere no longer ensures success.  To be literate in our world goes far beyond having the basic knowledge allowing one to survive in their environment.  Rather, educational standards of literacy must be consistently revaluated and include the collective efforts of students, parents, educational institutions, and governmental authorities to ensure our societies ability to achieve individual success and global human sustainability in the coming decades.

Blog Journal Post 1 - Literacy as Social Practice

"The distinctive contribution of the approach to literacy as social practice lies in the ways in which it involves careful and sensitive attention to what people do with texts, how they make sense of them and use them to further their own purposes in their own learning lives" (Gillen and Barton, 2010, p. 9).

As the world has witnessed a profound shift away from traditional pen and paper education, technology has evolved to become perhaps the most single important aspect of how cultures perceive literacy and communications.  With the advent of Web 2.0, the world has been provided great knowledge tools capable of offering vast arrays of stored documentation and knowledge.  Before the World Wide Web and broad-based Internet access, literacy education was conducted largely in "cookie-cutter" type class room environments, complete with a lesson plan, a teacher, and a very defined methodical approach to general education.  There was little room for innovation and improvisation.  In many ways, education and the pursuit of literacy was a very solitary venture, between school and teacher, teacher and student. 

Today, educators continue the need to embrace technology and have slowly begun to appreciate and adapt the Internet and all that it offers to help create rich and diverse learning environments.  As the world has become more globalized providing more access to people, languages, writings, and cultures, the classroom as previously defined is no more.  The old standards that defined literacy are rapidly fading away as the very concept of fundamental literacy is being challenged.  While governments continue to provide regulations, school districts create guidelines, and teachers their lesson plans, they still must recognize the the countless new tools and methods available in their quest to provide a meaningful education for children and adults alike.  Students raised in the digital age will no longer sit still and participate in the old learning methods of paper, pen and desks.  The very idea of education and literacy have been ripped apart and rocked by the advent of the Internet. 

The Internet has morphed rapidly from the technical database type tools that I used when I first started working in Information Technology.  Today, the entire world is available at the press of a few buttons on a computer, connecting learners to millions of websites, applications and electronic tools.  These machines have connected the world resulting in the creation of a new singular web-based society complete with all the nuances that come with such a diverse group.  Today, the Internet provides access to so much information that it is often overwhelming.  As computers have developed, so too has a new language of sorts, that being the language of the connected.  With so much information, it is important for people to be able to discern the truth from the lies. 

One of the greatest things that I see coming from the vast wealth of knowledge on the Internet is the fact that those nations, cultures, and societies that in the past had very little, if any, access to educational capabilities are now able to open up the entire world to their children and adults alike.  This access in itself is education.  Literacy takes on a very different meaning today compared to the early programs that required one to be able to merely "survive" within their societal norms, often thereby being compliant to the governing authorities.  literacy goes far beyond learning to read and write.  It is understanding people, learning to accept the differences between us, accepting each other, and offering our respective creative abilities to contribute to the collective greater good of all people.  A bit idealistic perhaps, but this is what defines literacy as a social practice.  We are all essentially the same people and survival is no longer enough.  

Thinking of my own children for a moment, as someone with 27 years IT experience, I think back to how my son, in particular, had so much trouble in school and eventually was diagnosed with ADD (in 9th grade no less).  But our home was on the forefront of technology and watching his little hands move around the cursor keys playing Putt Putt Goes to the Moon and Fatty Bear's Birthday Surprise (courtesy of EA Kids), and learning to read from book/games like Just Mommy and Me, and I realized from those early days that this was the future.  That one day this is how children would be taught, and adults would learn new languages, and be taken to new places.  Never in my wildest dreams did I think in my lifetime that it would come so far.  We still have much more room for improvement and I believe it will be the students themselves who will create how they want to be educated in the future, and business and society will simply have to adapt. 

References

Durrant, Cal & Green, Bill. (2000, June). Literacy and the new technologies in school education:  Meeting the l(IT)eracy Challenge?  Australian Journal of Language and Literacy.

Gillen, Julia & Barton, David. (2010, January). Digital Literacies A Research Briefing by the Technology Enhanced Learning phase of the Teaching and Learning Research Programme. Literacy Research Centre, Lancaster University, London, England.

Personal Introduction

Hello everyone!  My name is Mark Greiner and I am a student at SUNY - Empire State College enrolled in the M.Ed. - Teaching & Learning degree program.  Welcome to my blog for the New Media & New Literacies course.  Stay tuned for interesting posts and tid-bits relating to new innovations and technology in the field of education.