Post #1 My Experience/Pros and Cons of Digital Media in Urban ELA Classrooms

In all honesty, I don't have much experience with social media. I mostly use Facebook where I'll occasionally write a post and upload pictures. I have Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter, but I rarely even open these apps. I usually use those apps for if I need extra reward points for shopping or something like that. I know it may be surprising, but I do not own a Tik Tok account! My kids do and sometimes they will show me things on there, but it really doesn't interest me. I've never written a blog, or made videos to upload to You Tube, however, I do enjoy reading blogs and I am subscribed to many different channels on You Tube. Throughout my college experience, I have utilized several different platforms of digital media - this blog being one of them. I've created projects from Visme and Canva, I've done Flipgrid videos, and use Google (docs, slides, etc.) to communicate with classmates and work on projects together.

My thoughts on using digital media in urban ELA classrooms:

I really think that using digital media is an additional tool or resource that can be used in the classroom. Children today are doing everything online, they are constantly on their phones watching videos, talking to their friends, making videos, etc. Especially now during the pandemic, students have laptops that they bring home and use for online learning. I think it's important to incorporate some of these social media platforms into the classroom. I think some major benefits to digital media are: 

1. It keeps students actively engaged in their learning. Rather than writing a paper or taking a quiz, students can write a blog, do a Kahoot quiz, or create zines or online flyers/poster/brochures about the readings. It allows the students to express themselves creatively.

2. It supports more student led learning versus teacher directed learning. Creating a literature circle or assigning groups to teach the lesson while giving them the freedom to work on projects on various different digital platforms, will allow the students to feel more engaged in the material. It will give them more confidence to be part of the conversation and have their voices heard. 

I was really moved by the "Representation in the Media" project that DeJaynes and Curmi-Hall wrote about in their essay "Transforming School Hallways through Critical Inquiry: Multimodal Literacies for Civic Engagement." I thought it was so interesting how the three students were able to incorporate a video, accessible by a QR code, into their hallway bulletin board. What really moved me is how the girls were able to show the fallacies of misrepresentations of colored women in the media. These girls were able to free themselves from the media stigma and put themselves out there to show that they are more than what the media says they are. I thought it was so inspiring that their project encouraged other students to feel comfortable about who they truly are and not what the media expects them to be. It just goes to prove that these multi modal forms foster student led learning both inside and outside the classroom. My big takeaway from this article/project is that once you (as the teacher) give the basic guidelines for an assignment, like introducing them to literary theories, it's important to let the students explore the topic on their own and use different types of media to express themselves creatively. You'll be there as a guide and steer them back into the right direction if they start getting off course. I see how important it is to incorporate digital media into students work, as it keeps them active participants and engaged in their own learning.

Of course there are downsides to using digital media in the classroom. One major thing would be there needs to be enough time during the class period to work on projects. Not all students have access to phones, computers, or even internet at home. (I realize that this might not be an issue during the pandemic as schools offer laptops to take home, and some internet companies are offering free service for students - however, this will not last forever.) Another downside could be that some teachers rely too heavily on digital media in their classroom. There needs to be an equal balance of what is done online and what is considered more "traditional" modes of learning. Not everything can be done with different creative ways of expression, because let's face it, there's still standardized testing, there's certain lessons that must be taught, and even still, when/if the students go to college, they still need to be familiar with writing academically/professionally.

Through writing this post, I realize that I may be a little behind in the digital age. I went to school in the 90's/early 2000's and a lot has changed since then. I guess I am pretty fortunate that my kids are middle schoolers so I am able to see what types of digital media that they are using in today's classrooms. I found a really interesting article about easy ways to incorporate social media in the classroom. The lesson here being that you have to walk before you learn to run. 😉

Here's the link: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/guidebook-social-media-in-classroom-vicki-davis