How are young people using digital media in surprising ways?
Filed at 9:05 am on December 3, 2006 • 2 comments
“What surprises you about young people’s use of digital media?” In the MacArthur open forums, we asked teachers to post their answers to this question. Here’s a quick sampling of their responses.
Mechelle De Craene:
As a teacher, watching how children interact with digital media, I find myself surprised daily…and that’s half the fun in teaching. Kids help adults see the world through a fresh lens. I guess my first surprise is that girls don’t feel embarrassed to be techno-geeks anymore like when I was in school…. Girls aren’t as afraid to show their smarts and aren’t as penalized for showing their smarts as much anymore… However, there are still some marked gender differences regarding teacher perceptions of abilities. Typically boys are seen as more tech-savvy by most teachers…
Kim Gregson:
I teach college - in a school of communication with a good reputation - my students are bright, anxious to get started on their careers…. I’m amazed at all the things my students don’t do online. They’re big on IM and email. And facebook/myspace. But most don’t have their own webpage, not even on the school’s server. They don’t read blogs, much less have their own. They haven’t heard the buzz words and don’t read much news or the trades in any industry….
Nancy Scofield:
I am a high school English teacher in a small mountain school in southern Colorado. One thing that has surprised me is how hard students are willing to work on projects. I have had students spend many hours working to create an animated video or some other product for class…. I know that technology is only a tool, but sometimes the tool is so engaging for them that they don’t realize how much time they’ve spent, or they don’t mind spending the time to make something that they’re proud of. I don’t think they would work so hard in a different medium on the same assignments.
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Comments (2)
1: Arthur Ballard from Director, Infoquest Foundation at 1:28 pm on Friday, December 15, 2006
Our little foundation sponsors original dinosaur research and maintains a website whose purpose is to encourage children’s and the general public’s science education in science education. The website is also a teacher’s resource for teaching basic biological, paleontological and geological concepts. We encourage and appreciate anyone’s suggestions to improve our site
2: Sandy LeBarron at 9:34 pm on Friday, March 2, 2007
I am a high school visual art teacher. I am working with my Advanced Placement Studio Art students to create digital art portfolios. They are currently digitally documenting the process for solving art problems. It is typical of artists only to have a finished product shown as in an art exhibit. People do not necessarily get to see all the hard work and efforts put into their products. By recording the process with their cameras, they will be able to show their work in a digital format as they make a student-curated digital art exhibit to be viewed at the end of the school year. The process, the product and the finished presentation will all be important components to making their work complete. I welcome any thoughts or feedback regarding my ideas?
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