Sprout: Personal Experiences
Past Experience
When I was in high school I was more active in online spaces. I would often repost PSAs or political posts calling people to action or raising awareness about social issues I was passionate about. When I was in middle school I was considered “Wattpad famous” as a story I wrote on the online platform had around 100,000 readers. My experience with writing on Wattpad led me to talking to other writers on the site and trading feedback on each other’s writing.
Current Practices
I consider myself more of a “lurker” than an active participant when it comes to my online activity. I post on Facebook or Instagram every now and then to update friends and family about my life, and I will at times like or comment on their posts. Currently my online activity is mostly private and only connected to those I know offline. Most of the composing I do online usually involves creating infographics or presentations for classes. I do run a few discord servers for my D&D campaigns to keep things organized and create a space to act as a “guild hall” of sorts for my players to discuss the campaign, share theories, and review important information about the world they’re playing in. I also coordinate most group trips for my friends through group chats and shared docs to organize everybody. I am not very public online, but I am an active composer within my social circle to keep my offline life organized.
Sapling: Connections to Readings
Media Practices (Jenkins)
The first media practice that best describes my online activity is distributed cognition. According to Jenkins, distributed cognition is “the ability to interact meaningfully with tools that expand mental capacities.” I enjoy discovering new tools online to engage with many creative endeavors, but I find myself primarily using this practice for D&D. Discovering and figuring out how to best utilize new online tools to enhance my campaigns is an exciting puzzle for me to solve. If I feel I am missing something that could improve my D&D games I immediately search for new tools to learn to fill that gap. For example, I use an online site called Roll20 for my players to see maps and navigate our fictional world, but I found that I wasn’t satisfied with the pre-made maps available to me. So, I went searching and found a map-making site called Inkarnate that introduced me to a new online community of fantasy map builders. Immediately, I had a new puzzle to solve. I found myself researching map formats, tutorials, and references to help me learn this new tool. Much of my journey as a Dungeon Master has involved searching for and learning new online tools to improve my knowledge of D&D and the quality of my campaigns.
Note: Just getting started in Dungeons and Dragons and need some resources? Check out my list of player and DM online tools and tutorials!
Tree: Connections to Education
Potentials: I am excited by the potentials of using digital media in urban ELA classrooms as it creates opportunities for students to utilize the language of technology that many young people are fluent in. Digital media has potential for students to learn new tools and bring new levels of expression and creativity to their writing. Infographics, short films, blogs, and digital art are just a few examples of new methods of expression that become accessible through utilizing digital media. These new modes of expression also allow students to find their own identities as writers and develop their voices through digital media. Many students learn about complex issues through the internet, so proper use of online tools assists them in forming their own opinions, thinking critically about media they see, and helps them join the conversation about current issue. "These new modes of communication are ripe with possibility for challenging prevailing cultural narratives and promoting engagement in “connected civics,”in which youths leverage their interests and passions for “civic voice and influence” (Ito et al., 2015, p. 11)." (DeJaynes & Curmi-Hall, 2020) This could also help raise student engagement and personalize student's learning experiences. Giving students opportunities to use media that they see every day to craft their own narratives creates new channels for cultural and personal expression.Digital media can be used to encourage students to engage with complex topics and learn what advocacy looks like through the internet.
Pitfalls: While I feel a great deal of excitement about the potentials of utilizing digital media in urban ELA classrooms, I have some concerns about over-utilizing online tools in the classroom. The internet is an ever-present force in our lives and in the lives of our students. Research has shown a strong correlation between consistent internet usage and a rise in rates of depression and anxiety among teens. I think it's important for educators to balance traditional forms of writing practices with use of technology and digital media. I have concerns about how media has shortened attention spans and negatively affected critical thinking skills through use of AI and curated algorithms. I think it is important to provide a respite from the constant streams of media within the classroom. I think that overuse or inappropriate use of digital media in the classroom is detrimental to student literacy. Digital media is complex and has many great potentials for student learning, but it's important to remain aware of the risks and responsibilities of its use in the classroom.
Thank you for sharing your vast range of experiences in engaging with a variety of digital medias in your personal life--I'm sure these seeds will bloom in new ways as you enter into the potentials of incorporating digital media practices into your own classroom. I am curious about how your past in high school using online spaces to share and repost PSAs and other activist posts may be reinvigorated by encouraging students to do the same on digital platforms as well. As we read this week, the decentralized nature of participatory culture that encourage not just composition but the active sharing, remixing, and "lurking" of others' compositions is part of what makes it such a fruitful environment for activism to be possible. Without the pressure of a dominant voice, we feel much more comfortable to speak our minds (especially if we know there are others who will be supportive in engaging with our opinions, even if they are negotiating with a different opinion.
ReplyDeleteHi Ivy! I really enjoyed reading about your journey with online literacy and how your participation in digital spaces has shifted over time. Your reflection on being active in high school through sharing social posts and interacting on Wattpad gave me a clear picture of how online engagement can build real connections with others who share your interests. Your experience trading feedback with other writers on Wattpad was especially interesting because it shows how digital platforms can become supportive spaces for collaboration and skill growth. I also appreciate how you explained your current practices, especially how you use digital tools to organize D&D campaigns and help your friends stay connected. It shows that literacy online isn’t just about public posting but also about meaningful communication within your own communities. Your connection to distributed cognition and transmedia navigation helped me see how reading and writing extend beyond traditional texts into creative and analytical digital practices. Finally, your thoughts on the potential and limitations of digital media in education were insightful and balanced. I liked how you recognize the opportunities digital tools offer for creative expression and student engagement while also being mindful of issues like attention spans and online overload. This kind of reflection is so important for thinking about how to support students’ literacy development in meaningful and healthy ways.
ReplyDeleteI love the growth journey of a tree you utilized to signify the transitions and correlation of each of the blog topics this week. I think it is a great way to visualize how all of this is connected and develops our understanding of how digital media has been presented to us and how we can use research and examples to craft meaningful experiences for our students.
ReplyDeleteI really like how you describe digital media as a language students already speak. When students are allowed to work in formats they see every day, the barrier drops and they are more willing to try things they might not try otherwise. I see that a lot when students are creating video or visual media within my classes. They take risks more easily and seem less worried about getting it “right” on the first try. They are also far more engaged in the process because it feels real and authentic to them instead of an "assignment."
I also appreciate your point about students already learning about complex issues online. That is happening whether school acknowledges it or not. Making space for students to engage with those ideas critically IS necessary, especially when it comes to identity, voice, and advocacy. When the work connects to what they already consume and care about, it feels more real. It is also important to guide students in understanding this type of content and how to analyze it for veracity, impact, and importance.
Your concerns about overuse resonate with me too. Digital tools can quickly turn into constant output and performance if we are not intentional. I like the idea of classrooms offering a pause from endless streams of content. Digital media has a lot of potential, but only when it is used with balance and purpose. I like to use "unplugged" activities in my classroom that encourage students to participate in activities that still meet the standards of, say, computer programming, but do not force the students to be on their devices for the full 90 minutes. They're still practicing the skills, but utilizing a different modality.
Hi Ivy!
ReplyDeleteYour connection to the Media Practices reading was very well composed! I appreciated your emphasis of using technology as a tool and resource for your personal projects! The internet is vast and the amount of optimized systems and way of doing things are limitless! Even if you can't find something that suits your need, there is bound to be something out there that fits you better if not exactly how you would like! With the rise of AI, the internet and its resources have taken a stark and dramatic shift in terms of using resources to churn out exactly what we're looking for with no waiting. I feel that this shift has put people in a precarious spot where things have become either too easy or lazy while the effects are detrimental and unseen. If the problem can't be seen in the moment or if it does not directly impact our day-to-day lives, then the mass consensus is that there is no problem. However, to use programs to organize and create rather than prompt and generate is a perfect example of the beneficial uses of technology, both personal and academic!
Hey Ivy!
ReplyDeleteI resonate with your pitfall statement in that the overuse of social media causing issues with depression and anxiety in teens. During a sensitive time in their lives where they are developing their own self images and that can get construed with the overwhelming amount of images and information being thrown at them. On the flip side when viewing online platforms from a critical lens, and consuming a healthy amount, it can assist students use their voices and advocate for issues that impact their lives. I like you have very limited access to people online who I do not already interact with in everyday life. The chaos I feel when so much content is thrown at me when I open an app, I can only imagine how a teenager would feel.