What I have learned.

After sitting back and reflecting on what I have learned this semester - trying to find that one conclusion that encompasses it all - I came up with this: the impact of new literacies on society has been more profound than I had imagined.

The concept of spaces, and communication within those spaces, has been altered; membership within communities has been altered; and even the many spheres of our lives have all been altered.  These concepts are truly revolutionary, yet much of society is still not fully aware of the extent of these changes.

  

I am by no means "fully aware" of these changes, but I have had an "ah ha!" moment.  This moment came while following the primary elections and considering the impact of social media and civic engagement on those elections.  Bernie Sanders, whose grassroots campaign would not have gotten thus far in an era sans digital media, has benefited from participatory culture in a way that few politicians have.  Donald Trump, and his excessive use of twitter, has taken "trending" to new heights.  I followed all of this, and continue to do so, with a degree of shock and awe.  New media and new literacies have transformed politics and elections, which are both inherently American.  Institutions and concepts that have been relatively unaltered for centuries have now been drastically transformed.  In this regard, new medias are in full effect and society needs to become fluent in digital literacies to progress as a whole (that was the "ah ha").

I'm not completely sure how this course will impact the work I intend to do in this program.  It might impact it greatly or perhaps not at all.  If anything, it has made me aware of the digital world around me.  I won't be able to go on a social media site without considering participatory culture.  I won't be able to read/write fanfiction without reflecting on it as an affinity space and an educational activity.  Perhaps these awarenesses are impacts in and of themselves.

Information Literacy

Information Literacy Guide for Adult Learners

Information Literacy Meaning:

"To be information literate, a person must be able to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information." (American Library Association, Presidential Committee on Information Literacy, Final Report, January 10, 1989)

Five Steps:

Know – Identifies a need for information and determines the nature and extent of the required information.

-Recognizes that information in needed to fill any gaps in one’s existing knowledge

-Recognizes the benefit and value of utilizing information to fortify one’s arguments

-Constructs research questions geared towards finding needed information

-Reevaluates research questions for clarity and precision

-Refines research questions

-Examines the costs and benefits of undertaking a particular research project in considering all resources and finances.

Access - Efficiently and effectively accesses information sources

-Become aware of and understand the differences among information sources.

-Information retrieval through multiple types of sources.

-Recognize and select the most appropriate sources to fulfill required information.

-Understands how information is produced and disseminated.

-Create and utilize a particular search strategy that is discipline appropriate.

New Media Literacies as Social Skills

New Media Literacies as Social Skills

 

 

Jenkins (2010) does well in stating that "the new media literacies should be seen as social skills, as ways of interacting within a larger community, and not simply an individual skill to be used for personal expression" (p. 20).  In essence, all literacies and teachings are meant to connect the learner with his/her society and help build a connection within that society that will benefit both the learner and society as a whole.

 

Such an example can be seen by viewing the advertisements that are viewed daily in our social media realm.  Advertisements on Facebook, Instagram, etc., have entered into an area that is both private (our personal social media pages) and social (visible by all users).  It serves to benefit social media users and society as a whole if we better understand the prospective target audiences of these ads, and how those same ads will attempt to reach a particular demographic.
These teachings tend to be the responsibilities of caregivers but must now become a joint responsibility with school educators.  New literacies and social media are growing at an proficient rate and require both trainings and discussions to allow society to benefit from, or not be susceptible to, its many offerings.

I believe that this weeks readings provided sufficient evidence, particularly in statistical evidence, of the impact of media advertising.  Opinions and decisions are being shaped by the content that is becoming more and more difficult to avoid.  The goal of any advertisement - to sell a product - is becoming easier to accomplish due to the expansion of media outlets coupled with an audience who has yet to fully grasp an advertisements effects.  This, to me, was a key element of the readings/assignment for week 8.

 

Works Cited

 

Jenkins, Henry, et al. Confronting the challenges of participatory culture: Media education for the

 

         21st century. Mit Press, 2009.



Week 6: Civic Engagement.

I often find the concept of civic engagement to be ambiguous.  What constitutes as civic engagement is subjective to one's views of government, media, traditionalism, and several other factors.  This ambiguity is addressed by W. Lance Bennett who states the following:

"OK, young people may well be participating and engaging in all sorts of very active and interesting ways online; and we could probably think of many other examples.  But in what ways is this CIVIC engagement? ...“media engagement” is not necessarily the same as “civic engagement.”  I would accept other people’s comments to the effect that this term “civic” is a little worthy and moralistic... but how, in the end, are we defining what counts as “civic” and what doesn’t? (Bennett, 2008, p.4)."

Are we now left to define, or rather redefine, "civic engagement"?  I would venture to say yes.  The internet has changed the culture of the world, and government and politics are no exception.  Many of the activities associated with civic engagement, such as fund-raising, protesting, or political discourse, have long ago began a transition from the traditional public sphere to the networked public.  However, I am by no means advocating the end of traditional civic engagement.  If anything, I support the role traditional civic engagement has taken in functioning in a productive and collaborative manner with the networked public.  I do believe, however, that civic engagement through the networked pubic does not undermine the principles of civic engagement.  Furthermore, not only does this collaboration of processes not undermine the principles of civic engagement, it may even enforce it.

I also believe that the term "engagement" invokes thoughts of physical contributions.  In the minds of a more senior community, "engagement" is not heavily associated with the actions of digital society, but rather is associated with individuals stepping outdoors and contributing the "outside" community.  If the dichotomies of traditional civic engagement and networked civic engagement are not fully comprehended, the conceptualization of young adult as disengaged citizens will continue to thrive.

Works Cited

Bennett, W. Lance. “Changing Citizenship in the Digital Age." Civic Life Online: Learning How Digital Media Can Engage Youth .E dited by W. Lance Bennett. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Series on Digital Media and Learning. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 2008. 1–24. doi: 10.1162/dmal.9780262524827.001