Reflective Essay Number One
When I sat down to brainstorm this assignment, I immediately thought of what seem to be the three elements of digital authorship: the creator, the content, and the community.
I believe these three areas are in concert with one another. I believe students are most engaged in digital learning when these areas are working together and do not exist as separate entities. This belief is not unique to me as scholars have been interested in the relationship "between audience (or users) and media industries and producers" (Micheli, 333). Through participation in online environments, or communities, students have the unique opportunity to not only be a member of a community, but exist as more than just an observer. I believe seeking to connect all three areas when making an assignment will help teachers make sure their tasks are more authentic. Further, I believe doing so will give students the opportunity to deeply engage in the task at hand. When students are engaged in digital tasks, they are creators of both commentary and content as well as members of a community. |
At no other time in history has so much information and knowledge been so readily available to such a huge population of people. In the age of the Internet and smartphones, people have instant access to research, news, stories, journals, blogs, etc. With the advancements of technology, apps and other tools to help students move through information unique to their own inquiries, concerns, or curiosities at a pace appropriate to their learning style, students are now able to be their own discoverers (Bruner, 1). Whether students are discovering a new vocabulary word, exploring a new culture, or learning something new about themselves, they have access to supplemental information, alternative perspectives, and more all with the tap of a finger.
In terms of content, students can use their knowledge of different modes and mediums to create artifacts of their learning. These multi-faceted, multimodal, and even multilingual projects are “key for moving…teaching into the twenty-first century" (Fraiberg, 101). As teachers we can engage our students in projects that require digital literacy knowing we are helping students “develop new kinds of communicative and creative skills...represent new digital cultures...connect with older cultural forms, and allow [students] to see them in new ways" (Burn, 5). Digital authorship also affords students the unique opportunity to be digital advocates where they can “use different media to represent their research on these social issues” (Pack). When students learn about social issues, they are engaging with the world around them. In doing so, they are provided the opportunity to be a positive agent for change. |
The public nature of digital media and digital learning provides young people with a voice. People all across the globe are using digital tools to join communities and participate in them.
In Stern’s (2008) article, she argues “adolescents have historically had few opportunities for public address…” (104). However, in digital media environments where students are asked to be content creators and community members, this is likely not the case. Burgess (2006) writes “The question that we much as about ‘democratic’ media participation can no longer be limited to ‘who gets to speak?’. We must also ask ‘who is heard, and to what end?’” (3). These tools, as Burgess writes, are "explicitly designed to amplify the ordinary voice" (6). To answer Burgess’ question, with the affordances of digital media, everyone has the opportunity to both speak and be heard. Engaging students in assignments and tasks that ask them to become digital authors will help them strengthen their ideas of Self since these opportunities “provide a means by which youth can exemplify and personify the self in direct relation to their peers and community members” (Hobbs, 3). As a teacher, it is important to help your students develop socially and emotionally (in addition to academically) and I think engaging students in digital media projects where they can shape or strengthen their voice will be greatly beneficial in helping them do so.
The ideas of creator, content, and community are extremely important to me as a future English teacher. Students in my future English classes will have to be creators. I will want them to create and craft more than just a traditional essay. The idea of presenting content has always been interesting to me. I have found so many students thrive when they are given the choice to present their knowledge (or content) in a way that is logical and meaningful to them. I will want my students to have choice in the classroom. Therefore, as often as I can, I will ask them to create content that is authentic to them. Community is important to me as an English teacher because I want my students to feel like they are part of a learning community within my classroom, part of a school community, part of a local community, state community, national community, and global community. Secondary students are trying to find their place in the world and I want to help them see they have many places and spaces where their thoughts and ideas matter. Regardless of the environment (digital or traditional), students must feel heard, validated, and encouraged in their development as content creators and as they shape their identities within a community.
In Stern’s (2008) article, she argues “adolescents have historically had few opportunities for public address…” (104). However, in digital media environments where students are asked to be content creators and community members, this is likely not the case. Burgess (2006) writes “The question that we much as about ‘democratic’ media participation can no longer be limited to ‘who gets to speak?’. We must also ask ‘who is heard, and to what end?’” (3). These tools, as Burgess writes, are "explicitly designed to amplify the ordinary voice" (6). To answer Burgess’ question, with the affordances of digital media, everyone has the opportunity to both speak and be heard. Engaging students in assignments and tasks that ask them to become digital authors will help them strengthen their ideas of Self since these opportunities “provide a means by which youth can exemplify and personify the self in direct relation to their peers and community members” (Hobbs, 3). As a teacher, it is important to help your students develop socially and emotionally (in addition to academically) and I think engaging students in digital media projects where they can shape or strengthen their voice will be greatly beneficial in helping them do so.
The ideas of creator, content, and community are extremely important to me as a future English teacher. Students in my future English classes will have to be creators. I will want them to create and craft more than just a traditional essay. The idea of presenting content has always been interesting to me. I have found so many students thrive when they are given the choice to present their knowledge (or content) in a way that is logical and meaningful to them. I will want my students to have choice in the classroom. Therefore, as often as I can, I will ask them to create content that is authentic to them. Community is important to me as an English teacher because I want my students to feel like they are part of a learning community within my classroom, part of a school community, part of a local community, state community, national community, and global community. Secondary students are trying to find their place in the world and I want to help them see they have many places and spaces where their thoughts and ideas matter. Regardless of the environment (digital or traditional), students must feel heard, validated, and encouraged in their development as content creators and as they shape their identities within a community.
I have always been the type of student who needed to see examples of a completed project. I usually ask for these upfront but when they are not provided, I wait around until someone posts first. Usually, this works out to my benefit because I do not waste my mental energy trying to come up with something I am interested in only to fall short. Instead, I get inspired by someone else’s work. I can analyze their diction, their medium, their mode, and their message and in doing so I think about what I might have done differently. However, sometimes this method can crash and burn right in front of my face. The worst experience comes when I look at other people’s projects before starting mine and just feel like I can never measure up to the quality of their work. It’s draining to feel this way and sometimes I just can’t shake it. Though unfortunate, this has been my experience in trying to draft this reflective essay. I have no grudge against the assignment, I am just being honest about my present experience as a learner.
I am thankful for this assignment because it is forcing me to reflect on myself as a learner at a time in a course sequence and in a semester when I have not done it before. Therefore challenging me to look within, discover new information about myself as a learner, and dedicate the time to strengthen the bridges of strings connecting ideas in my mind. From this project, I have learned I need to sequence out my course requirements in the long-term and not just move from week-to-week. In doing so, I think these independent pieces will start to form a puzzle. I also learned I need to work on my ongoing reflection and synthesizing skills. In order to meet those goals, I will use a calendar as a visual reminder and sequence of the course and assignments due. In order to better reflect on my learning in this course, I will start to take handwritten notes about the different readings, topics, etc. I have been using Evernote to take notes and annotate my PDFs, but I think I need a notebook with some general themes written down so I can build upon that list and work on visually seeing these connections.
In terms of questions regarding the course, I am wondering if a developed curriculum exists for teaching K12 students to be digitally literate, digital authors, and digital advocates? Does some sort of program guide exist for one, two, or even all three of those broad areas? I understand how the three different areas go hand-in-hand, I think I would just benefit from seeing lessons or a curriculum.
The connections among the knowledge I am gaining here and my aspirations to become an English teacher are apparent. For my final project, I am interested in potentially learning more about how engaging in an online/digital community or environment may meet what Wenger (1998) describes as intrinsic components of learning. Wenger asserts learning as experiencing, doing, belonging, and becoming (someone). I am quite intrigued by the connection between these four intrinsic aspects of learning and engaging students in online authorship, especially in regard to student voice and advocacy. I read about Wenger’s beliefs while working on a literature review I am doing for a research study I am a part of and I immediately thought of this class and how engaging students in digital projects might satisfy these four aspects. I haven’t packed my bags or boarded this flight quite yet, but I am interested in seeing how it develops in my head.
Works Cited:
Bruner, J. (1979). The Act of Discovery.. On knowing: Essays for the left hand. Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press (pp. 81 – 96).
Burgess, Jean (2006) Hearing Ordinary Voices: Cultural Studies, Vernacular Creativity and Digital Storytelling.
Burn, A. (2013) Six Arguments for the Media Arts: Screen Education in the 21st Century. Lecture at the Institute on Education, April 21.
Fraiberg, S. (2010). Composition 2.0: Toward a multilingual and multimodal framework. College Composition and Communication, 62(1), 100-126. Retrieved February 15, 2016, from https://www.mendeley.com/viewer/?fileId=3c905d91-f18b-71f7-52e6-457ef0427062&documentId=be2e2578-616e-37e7-9776-9252a2dba43c.
Hobbs, R., Donnelly, K., Friesem, J. & Moen, M. (2013). Learning to engage: How positive attitudes about the news, media literacy and video production contribute to adolescent civic engagement. Educational Media International 50(4), 231 – 246.
Micheli, Marina (2013). New media literacies in after-school settings: Three curricula from the program 'Explore Locally, Excel Digitally' at Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools in Los Angeles.
Stern, S. (2008). Producing sites, exploring identities: youth online authorship. In D. Buckingham (Ed.), Youth, Identity and Digital Media. John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Digital Media and Learning Initiative.
Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of practice. Learning, meaning, and identity. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Bruner, J. (1979). The Act of Discovery.. On knowing: Essays for the left hand. Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press (pp. 81 – 96).
Burgess, Jean (2006) Hearing Ordinary Voices: Cultural Studies, Vernacular Creativity and Digital Storytelling.
Burn, A. (2013) Six Arguments for the Media Arts: Screen Education in the 21st Century. Lecture at the Institute on Education, April 21.
Fraiberg, S. (2010). Composition 2.0: Toward a multilingual and multimodal framework. College Composition and Communication, 62(1), 100-126. Retrieved February 15, 2016, from https://www.mendeley.com/viewer/?fileId=3c905d91-f18b-71f7-52e6-457ef0427062&documentId=be2e2578-616e-37e7-9776-9252a2dba43c.
Hobbs, R., Donnelly, K., Friesem, J. & Moen, M. (2013). Learning to engage: How positive attitudes about the news, media literacy and video production contribute to adolescent civic engagement. Educational Media International 50(4), 231 – 246.
Micheli, Marina (2013). New media literacies in after-school settings: Three curricula from the program 'Explore Locally, Excel Digitally' at Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools in Los Angeles.
Stern, S. (2008). Producing sites, exploring identities: youth online authorship. In D. Buckingham (Ed.), Youth, Identity and Digital Media. John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Digital Media and Learning Initiative.
Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of practice. Learning, meaning, and identity. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Word Count: 1,498 (not including Works Cited)