Spotlight on Digital Media And Learning

Is Technology Changing the Nature of Kids’ Friendships?

The New York Times looks at whether time spent with digital media is making our kids more or less social.

Social Media Withdrawal: What Happens When Kids Give Up Their Connections

The International Center for Media & the Public Agenda (ICMPA) recently asked 200 students at the University of Maryland, College Park to abstain from using all media for 24 hours—no internet, cell phones or (gasp!) Facebook. Most failed.

Self-Narration in Video Game Design Environments

How can Latino teenagers in Los Angeles re-invent Pac-Man? Katynka Martinez, an assistant professor of Raza studies at San Francisco State University, spoke recently at a forum on digital literacy about her research on how teaching game design to young people can help them challenge inaccurate representations of themselves and their communities in dominant media.

Digital Literacy in Networked Learning Environments

The United Negro College Fund and the MacArthur Foundation hosted a public forum on digital media and learning in multicultural contexts in March at Huston-Tillotson University in Austin. It was the second in a series of forums taking place around the country.

“Making Sense of Privacy and Publicity”

Do we have a right to look, just because it’s possible to be seen? danah boyd on online privacy, publicity and teens’ access to online public spaces.

Women in Sciences - Progress Stalled?

An in-depth article looks at the importance of women in STEM careers and what can be done to encourage more participation.

“The Digital World of Young Children: Emergent Literacy”

A new report from the Pearson Foundation examines how digital media is affecting early literacy around the globe.

Does Race Matter Online? Digital Media and Learning in Multicultural Contexts

“African American youth are just as likely to use social networking sites as any other young population in the United States,” says S. Craig Watkins, associate professor of media studies at the University of Texas at Austin. “The access gap more or less has been addressed, and now what researchers are turning their attention to is what we call the participation gap.”

Barbie Gets Tech

Armed with pink glasses and a pink laptop, Barbie takes on the role of computer engineer—her 126th career.

Meet the iGeneration

Younger than Millennials and more wired, this newly named demographic has high expectations of the world around them. Plus, teens at a tech conference plot the future.

Beat Makers, Rappers: “Your Audience is Wider than Just Chicago or Your Own Neighborhood.”

In this edition of StudentSpeak, George takes us into the music studio to meet his friend and musical partner, James. The seniors at the University of Chicago Charter High School talk about how learning to make digital music has helped them express themselves and reach wider audiences.

21st Century Learning in Action: Literacy, English Language Learners and Digital Storytelling

In fall 2007, instructors at the Life Academy in Oakland, Calif., and Bay Area Writing Project Teachers led students in a digital storytelling project. The semester-long integrated unit was grounded in the development of literacy, writing and 21st-century skills. The students’ digital storytelling let them see writing in a new light.

Responses to Kaiser Study on Media Usage

Last week’s news that media usage among young people is up—to seven and a half hours a day—sparked a number of responses from digital media experts.