Final Blog Post

As I have gotten deeper and deeper into the conversation of whether or not social media is a positive or negative in education, I have realized that both sides are equally correct.  Social media can be seen as both a positive and a negative.  As seen in the two articles above,  it generally depends on how you look at the situation.  If you see the situation from the "Henry Jenkins'" side, or the positive side you can see that media can be just as much of a basis for learning as a textbook or a teacher.  We learn so much from the things we see, use, and do on a daily basis.  The positive side of this conversation are pushing to see more media, and social media being used within schools.  For example, our classes blogs!  Social media!  We learn so much from reading each other's thoughts, and commenting with a rebuttle or feedback!  This is the type of social media that younger generations really are pushing to see more of in schools.  However, for every positive there is a negative!  The negative side also has a very valid point.  Children, teens, and students aren't always using media the right way.  We see so much harassment and bullying going on in the media that we cannot blame the side that wants to eliminate media in schools.  James Paul Gee's idea of identity plays an important role here again.  The idea of identity that we can get from video games also falls into media.  Students will create a false persona when it comes to media.  They will use the media in many different ways which can all be negative.  This also plays a major role in their education, alongside the positive.  We see in the second article above a questioning of what students are really doing with the media.  Are they learning, or are they goofing off?  What they don't understand about the media is that it changes your emotions, attitude, personality, and everything that makes you you for better or for worse.  It has been interesting diving deeper into the symbiotic relationship between media and education.  I think it is safe to say that we can see this relationship as either a positive or negative.  No matter our point of view the media is here to stay in education.  As I look back over the semester I see that almost everything we have done in class has involved some kind of media, whether it be blogs, videos, emails, Twitter, or Ignite talks!  Even with all the media we have been through, this semester has be a success.  We have learned how to make connections between things we thought were polar opposites, and then analyze, revise, and do it all over again!

• Anderson, Steven. "How to Create Social Media Guidelines for Your School." Edutopia. The George Lucas Educational Foundation, 27 May 2012. Web. 28 Apr. 2013.

• Bagigah, Ahmed. "Digital Media to Strengthen the Connection Between School and Home | EdLab." Digital Media to Strengthen the Connection Between School and Home | EdLab. Columbia University, 2011. Web. 28 Apr. 2013

• Jenkins, Henry. "Is New Media Incompatible with Schooling?: An Interview with Rich Halverson (Part Two)." Confessions of an AcaFan. N.p., 24 Mar. 2010. Web. 28 Apr. 2013

Mini Project #3

Here I made another found poem on a screen cast-o-matic!  My poem uses different words and phrases from many different education sources that I have found online.  This week I decided to focus on the negative effect of media on education, and if there is one or not.  When reading many different sources I discovered that the conversation on whether or not media has a negative influence on education is all over the place, with many different points of view.  On the positive side, media in education allows a student to become themselves.  Students get to create an online identity in which they can say whatever they want, to whomever they want.  Many scholars, such as James Paul Gee, feel as this ability for a student to create their own "identity" is a powerful tool in helping a student learn.  I agree with this as well.  I know media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, or even a cellphone allow students to be themselves and explore certain things that they can't or wouldn't be allowed to in school.  However, I do also believe that the media has a negative effect on education and learning.  First thought is,  just think of how impressionable students are!  Students can see something in the media, good or bad, and think it is the greatest thing since sliced bread!  This was the argument for the negative influences of media in education.  I also agree with this side too!  I feel as if the media will allow students to create a false identity, with 99% of the time this identity being a negative one.  Even when it comes to education, a student will feel the need to be wanted or popular within the media.  This leads students to do anything for attention.  The media has also engaged in lots of idolization and stereotyping lately.  This causes students to idolize the wrong things in the media.  The wrong things being a woman who is famous for being with multiple men.  Or a man who is famous for stealing or doing things that are illegal.  I don't think our media has a real understanding that these kinds of behavior translate back to us students and terribly affect our education.  In this conversation about media as it happens around the world I believe the positive side is winning.  We see the media being incorporated more and more education in school around the world.  This matters to me as it should to every other student around the world because it our education.  These behaviors in the media, negative and positive, are changing much more than we realize.  In my opinon I think we should cut back on media in education as it relates to the negatives.  I know I probably sound crazy going back and forth in my projects, but this is such an interesting topic and it can go both ways!  Someone play devil's advocate, what do y'all think?!

Link to my video on Youtube, just in case it doesn't show up! Click here

Mini Project #2

Henry Jenkins is a very interesting man, and this is a very interesting article!  Henry Jenkins talks directly about the question that has been burning in my mind.  I know the picture is super small so here is the link to the article.  Jenkins talks about what our class has been discussing, peer-based learning.  In the article Jenkins quotes a quote from his father saying, "never let schooling get in the way of your education."  It took me almost 5 minutes to understand what this quote was truly saying.  Jenkins pushes the idea that schooling and education are becoming more and more intertwined.  Jenkins idea of schooling is the formal way of learning.  Sitting in a classroom, reading from a textbook, listening to a teacher, the usual.  However, his idea of education is gaining knowledge, whether that be from Facebook, a new Beyonce song, the morning news, or even the text you got from your friend with the directions to a party, it is all learning!  I can easily side with Jenkins because I to agree that knowledge doesn't always come from a teacher.  We focus so much in class about connected learning, and peer based learning but I don't think we ever take our thoughts serious!  BUT WE SHOULD!  Jenkins backs up everything we say!  Are learning should not all come from teachers or the formal way!  Honestly, this article backs up what we've been asking all semester; what are other ways of learning?  Connected learning!  I think it is really interesting that this conversation is happening elsewhere, not just in our English class.


I believe that a lot of younger people have the same point of view on this subject.  However, adults on the other hand feel as if you can't learn from a movie or Twitter!  This is really important to me and should be important to other students because I believe we can build from here.  Just knowing that other people feel like we can learn from the media is means to start a rally!  We could rally for Twitter/Facebook textbooks for classes.  Or a curriculm focused around texting, and how to get better WPMs!  This add fuel to the fire or to the conversation that media is directly connected to learning.  This just shows the positive way in which it is connected.  But is there a negative way?!  Stay tuned......