The power of youth voice: Kids and digital media

by Erika Owens on Nov 20 2009

Teachers from across the country are in Philly this week for the National Writing Project's annual meeting, and Wednesday evening, the focus was on youth voice and digital media.

Kiosks showcased 18 projects involving youth and digital media. Half the projects were from Philly, including Youth Empowerment Services, several projects from the Science Leadership Academy, and the Temple U. Media Education Lab.

The evening's panel discussed how students interact with digital media, and emphasized how that learning takes place both within and outside of school. Just as the physical boundaries of learning have broken down, so have the boundaries on who, or what, fills the role of gatekeeper or teacher.

The panel included Renee Hobbs, Nichole Pinkard, and Elyse Ediman-Aadahl, with Connie Yowell as moderator.

Yowell described the MacArthur Foundation's recent shift in its grantmaking from "education" to "learning." This switch meant supporting students wherever learning is taking place. In the case of digital media learning, that place can be anywhere.

Pinkard said creating bridges between spaces where kids spend time is a core principle of building digital media literacy. Hobbs described a growing Philadelphia Youth Media Collaborative of groups that work with students in a wide variety of spaces and ways.

Ediman-Aadahl noted the low barrier of entry to creating digital content, and how it is no longer the case that adults are gatekeepers to content.

Rather than having gatekeepers, Pinkard suggested showcasing student work to real audiences in order to build accountability for students. The showcasing also helps students feel empowered and able to speak to people in power.

A teacher/librarian got applause for bringing up the issue of filtering on school computers as part of CIPA. Pinkard said she had success with charter school students monitoring themselves online. Instead of blocking access, the school monitored usage and disciplined students who broke clearly defined Internet usage policies.

Notebook blogger Samuel Reed has written about his use of digital media in the classroom. Reed has also pointed out that organizations like the National Writing Project provide great support and professional development for other teachers who want to incorporate digital media into their classrooms.

Looking to bring digital media work into your classroom or your living room? Reviewing the work of the panelists and exhibitors online is a great place to start.

That's an excellent starting point for any work on the web: Got a question? Google it, survey the existing resources, and get to work improving on them.