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.
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