I learned much while reading about the various youth organizations and programs that are incorporating digital literacy to bring change to their community. I love what the Digital Youth Network through their efforts- "students are developing new technological skills and transforming the way they see themselves. They now see themselves as producers of media (articles, games, videos, etc.) rather than as the often-caricatured passive teenage media consumer." It is wonderful for students to learn that they can move past their role as passive media consumer and assume an active voice in the digital media.
Mr. Rivera's fourth grade class proves what a group of students can accomplish through the impact of digital literacy and media. I was pleasantly surprised to see the amount of thought, research, planning, and executing that these ELLs produced through their service learning project. The students used various digital media sites that allowed them to create their own emails, set up a blog, take a poll, and create their own podcast to advocate for water conservation and raise awareness about water pollution.
This school year I am student teaching in a fourth grade class. After reading and watching the video of Mr. Rivera's fourth grade class' project, I hope that I will have an opportunity to use digital media in a similar way this year. I will keep my eyes open for the possibilities as the school year progresses.
http://digitalis.nwp.org/collection/digital-tools-change
http://digitalis.nwp.org/resource/366
I am glad you saw the 4th grade example. Many of the ideas on the site are for older grades, but I do think that younger students can also be a part of using these tools to collect, create, and publish their ideas. I think the key to getting it into the classroom is not to see it as an "extra" but to figure out how these tools can enhance what we are already doing.
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