Gayle Thieman, Joe O’Brien, John Lee, Elizabeth R. Hinde

1. Participatory Media and Citizenship EducationAn Opportunity for Social Studies to Help Youth Have Their Say http://communities.socialstudies.org/communities/technology Gayle Thieman, Joe O’Brien, John Lee, Elizabeth R. Hinde American Educational Research Association April 14, 2009 2:15-3:45

3. How is technology making their world different from ours? Why should this matter to social studies?

4. Present the 21st Century Skills and Social Studies Map Demonstrate map’s potential to bridge the digital disconnect and transform classroom instruction. Engage participants in a discussion of challenges and opportunities for integrating technology into social studies instruction. Discuss the implications for pre-service and in-service teacher professional development and public policy. Suggest a research agenda on the use of participatory media to support youth civic engagement. Offer participants the opportunity to post comments on implementation of the map in their practice. Session Objectives

5. Digital Divide vs. Digital Disconnect • Teachers cite K-12 students’ lack of technology at home as a barrier to incorporating technology into their lessons • Yet more students are coming to school with cell phones, media players, game devices, and laptops Students need to learn how to use multiple technologies as tools for learning, communication, and participation, both locally and globally.

6. “Educators may be the most out of touch with the shifting citizen identity patterns of youth.” (Bennett, 2008)

7. Young people are well versed in social use of emerging technologies but less able to use technologies for academic and civic purposes. Need to draw connections between students’ online social and consumer oriented experiences with civic matters.

8. NCSS Members support • More attention to studying controversial issues, multicultural and global issues • Greater emphasis on integrating technology into the curriculum • Stronger linkages of social studies learning to social responsibility and civic action (NCSS Curriculum Standards Revision Committee hearings, NCSS, Houston, 2008)

9. Research indicates: • Many districts and teachers do not address controversial issues in the classroom • Students do not develop participatory skills relating to civic action and do not learn how to engage in civic action (Torney-Purta & Lopez, 2006)

10. Lenhart, et al, found that generally civic gaming experiences are related to higher engagement in the real world. • Hartshorn and Van Fossen (2008) also found that civic gaming experiences positively affect civic engagement. They specifically studied players involved in MMORPGs. • So, civic gaming experiences (experiences involving civic action in virtual worlds) are positively related to civic engagement in the real world.

11. How might teachers enlist…young people’s enthusiasm for using digital media in the service of civic engagement?

12. Democracy… requires active citizens participating with many voices, critical inquiries, alternative representations, and dissent.

13. “If we ask the children to critique the world but then fail to encourage them to act, our classrooms can degenerate into factories of cynicism. While it’s not a teacher’s role to direct students to particular organizations, it is a teacher’s role to suggest that ideas need to be acted upon and to offer students opportunities to do just that.” (p. 5) Civic Engagement Bigelow, B., Christensen, L., Karp, S., Miner, B., & Peterson, B. (Eds.) (1994). Rethinking Our Classrooms: Teaching for Equity and Justice. Milwaukee: Rethinking Schools.

14. Creativity and Innovation Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Communication Collaboration Information Literacy Media Literacy ICT Literacy Themes: Civic Literacy Financial, Economic, Literacy Global Awareness Partnership for 21st Century Skills http://www.21stcenturyskills.org

15. 21st Century Skills MapNCSS & Partnership for 21st Century Skills

16. expands the notion of reading and writing to include images, sounds, advertising, and popular culture, as well as print. deepens the ability to critically analyze the relationships between knowledge and power in society. Media Literacy is a new understanding of literacy that …

17. Education must move … from primarily focusing on the collection of information and facts, to concentrating more on the connections between people and information and power. Carmen Luke (2006)

18. Creativity and Innovation • HS students create a simulation, role play, or webquest on a current or historic event (e.g., global climate change). Product can be presented to a local school with analysis of most creative and innovative elements in each of the products. Mike Schlotterback, Fisheye Photography

19. MS students use online databases (www.census.gov) to determine immigration patterns and compare to changes in community demographics HS students use county voting patterns, demographic & socio-economic data from US Census bureau to predict outcomes of upcoming election. Display election projection & supporting information on a digital map. Create a podcast that suggests election strategies that political parties might use for their candidates. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

20. Communication • Elementary students choose an area from state history, organize a storyboard on the person, place, or event and use digital tools to create a presentation to share with other students and community members.

21. Collaboration • MS or HS students watch documentary video of historic event and read online first-hand accounts (e.g. Israel-Palestine conflict in Gaza). • Students use collaboration list serve or Skype Video Chat , or asynchronous discussion forum (Blackboard, Moodle) to discuss and compare their findings with students in other parts of the US, Israel, and Palestine. http://www.mercycorps.org • Students reflect on experiences in small group discussions (on or off line)

22. Elementary students use online survey tool to collect data about local attractions their family likes to visit. Create a spreadsheet, evaluate, use graphing tools to display their findings, and use digital images to illustrate favorite places. MS students analyze digital information about how transportation systems have changed over time (digital photos, aerial photos, satellite images). Analyze connection to demographic changes and historic events Information Literacy

23. Media Literacy • MS students analyze how media format influences media messages. • Use history websites & primary sources to compare & contrast historic & current presidential election campaigns. • Hypothesize how 19th & 21st century media influence political campaigns • http://www.socialstudies.org

24. ICT Literacy • Elementary students examine interaction of human beings & physical environment, land use, towns, local ecosystem changes (e.g., mining in Lead, SD) • Compare dated aerial photos of the local community to recent satellite images. • Compare and evaluate the changes.

25. What are the challenges and opportunities for integrating information and communication technologies into social studies instruction?

26. What are the implications for pre-service and in-service teacher professional development and public policy initiatives needed to link participatory media literacy with citizenship education?

27. What are some potential research questions on the use of participatory media?

28. What are the effects of news sites and search engines’ use of algorithms that favor popularity over quality or diversity on users? What are different approaches to a recommender system for participatory sites and the implications/effects of each? Questions…. Round I

29. Questions…Round II In an increasingly participatory global media culture in a multicultural society, what are the effects on student understanding … (Mark Dueze, Journalism, v 7 , 2006.) What are the effects on student understanding of various religions in the U.S. as they engage with relevant religious and ethnic media ?

30. Questions …Round III What is the effect of participating in an online civic MMPORG (Massively-Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game) on students’ understanding of an ethnic group? (“Digital Games & Young Black Men,” Games & Culture, 2008. What is the effect of participating in an online environment on the formation of young people’s civic , cultural and social identity?

31. Question…Round IV • What is the relation between youth’s widespread use of participatory media outside of school & their socialization in school? • What are emerging/existing social norms of an online environment? • How are they alike and different from those in an offline environment?

32. Question…Round V • What are the implications of a shift from a consumer orientation toward media and its content to a producer oriented online one where users have a worldwide audience? (i.e. my going to a movie made by others to making my own & uploading to YouTube) • What are the implications of an online “public commons” operated by the private sector? (YouTube, TeacherTube) • What is the relation between users/content producers and service providers/”publishers” of users’ content?

33. Question…Round VI • What effect does maturation in an age of continuous instantaneous connectivity have on young people’s sense of place & time, and their formation of their personal identity?

34. What are the most critical questions that we as social studies researchers ought to address to best serve the field and K-16 social studies learners?

35. Voice Thread • Capturing student voices just got a lot easier. Digital storytelling made easier.

36. Blog Talk Radio Making on the scene reporting more accessible

37. Creative Commons

38. Teacher Tube

39. Flickr