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Using Digital Media for Classroom Learning

Using Digital Media for Classroom Learning


Tama Trotti
MEDT 7490

Using disruptive technologies to make digital connections: stories of media use and digital
literacy in secondary classrooms
Shanedra D. Nowell

Using Digital Media for Classroom Learning

This article reported on a study that explored classroom and digital teacherstudent interactions
at a large, urban high school. The main question that drove the study was, How do secondary
teachers and students utilize disruptive technologies and for what purpose? The study revealed
ways that teachers and students employed social media, mobile phones, and other technologies to
teach essential life skills, including digital literacy, strengthen relationships between teachers and
students, and open new digital learning spaces. Although mobile phones and Web 2.0 tools have
been labeled as disruptive to the learning process and even banned from schools altogether, many
secondary teachers have chosen to ignore this technology ban and incorporate these digital tools
into their classroom lessons because of their students dependency on the technology (Prewett &
Stein 2014).

Ever since the introduction of computers into schools, researchers have shared concerns over
technologys influence and control over the classroom. Digital classrooms have opened
additional access points for students to connect with classroom curriculum by eliminating
traditional school time and space areas. As well, relationships between teachers and students
have also changed as students expertise has often outpaced their teachers.
The theory of Media Uses and Gratifications was first proposed by Elihu Katz in 1959 to
challenge media researchers to consider what people do with media (Prewett & Stein 2014).
Researchers have focused on how social media fulfills teenagers needs to socialize, form, and
maintain relationships with others, seek out information, be entertained, escape from everyday
life, and create new identities (Prewett & Stein 2014). Teenagers also use their mobile devices to
get advice on school or life issues. Linking the theory of media uses and gratification to this

Using Digital Media for Classroom Learning


study provided an understanding of why teachers and students chose certain new media
technologies and what they gained from its use as an educational tool.

Media literacy, an essential twenty-first century skill, involves skills to access, analyze, evaluate
and create all types of media. Media users are defined as active participants, choosing specific
media technologies in order to complete particular tasks or to receive certain benefits or
gratification (Prewett & Stein 2014). While todays young people are prolific media consumers,
it is up to educators, parents and other adult role models to insure that they become media
literate. Schools bear the responsibility to teach students the skills to live in a networked
society (Prewett & Stein 2014). Of course, teachers must first become media literate themselves
before gaining the ability to teach these new literacies. Educators today are challenged with
presenting new skills which include editing or revising information found online, determining if
online information is credible, publishing with a variety of multimedia tools, researching and
storing information online and effectively collaborating with others.

The study took place at Alexander Graham Bell High School, a large urban magnet school that
serves 1200 students in grades 9 through 12. Around half the student body is EuropeanAmerican, with another 25% African-American, approximately 10% each Native American and
Hispanic-American, and less than 5% are Asian descent. Half of Bell Highs students were
eligible for free or reduced lunch (Prewett & Stein 2014). This teacher research study examined
both teachers and students concerns over media and digital literacies, the digital divide, and
digital teacherstudent relationships. Participants were selected from both the student and teacher
population at the high school. Three veteran teachers, who were also involved with on-campus

Using Digital Media for Classroom Learning


student groups participated in the study. The following question was asked of all participants:
How do secondary teachers and students utilize disruptive technologies and for what purpose?

Artifacts, such as screen images from classroom websites and student Facebook pages,
interviews, and focus groups were also used as data for this study. Beginning with the student
focus group, the participants were asked about personal technology use, their online
relationships, their understanding of digital literacies, how they felt about traditional teacher
student relationships, and how to build better online relationships with teachers. Individual
interviews with the three teacher participants gathered information about educational technology
use within the classroom, personal technology use, and classroom and online relationships with
students. Each teacher participant then completed a follow-up interview, and two of the three
teachers also participated in a focus group where they shared their online classroom practices, as
well as ideas of how to utilize disruptive technology.

One of the main findings from this research study was how students struggled with connecting
their personal media use to their experiences with technology within their educational lives. The
study showed how the teachers and students of Bell High School used computers, social media,
mobile phones, and other technologies as learning tools, and what gratifications resulted from the
use of these technologies. These findings demonstrated the importance the participants placed on
digital technology and its emerging role in the educational lives of teachers and students. All of
the participants used one or more online social media sites, Facebook being the one in common
among all of them. All three teachers used either educational or popular online social networks
in order to extend classroom learning and relationships beyond the school.

Using Digital Media for Classroom Learning

The teacher participants in this research study were concerned over students access to
technology and observed many differences within the student population at Bell High School.
Teachers saw these disconnections and responded by using their teacherstudent relationship to
communicate content and digital literacy skills. The student participants did not notice this,
however, they did notice the general lack of technology within the school as a disadvantage for
all of Bells students.
I thought the study displayed some good valid points about teachers and students combining their
digital skills so everyone benefits. It brings to light again the importance of teachers setting
guidelines in the classroom so students use their devices effectively and not to just tweet away
during class time. At this time, I don't have any suggestions for improving the study, maybe just
widen the circle of students to reflect what an impact this could have if teachers and students
worked effectively together to bring technology to the forefront of the classroom.
In conclusion, this article examined how a small group of social studies teachers in an urban high
school employed mobile phones and different social media sites to build relationships, extend
classroom learning online, take on the digital divide and teach twenty-first century literacies and
other life skills. They saw the importance of continued teacher training and curriculum
development. What is unclear is what type of training and materials are needed going forward
and how easy will it be for teachers to incorporate these materials into the different subject areas.
When I do a search for lesson ideas using visual media there is not a lot of information out there.
The research also pointed out that teachers would benefit from better access to primary media
that could serve as teaching tools, more secondary materials that facilitate the integration of
media literacy education across the curriculum, and more teacher training. This study also

Using Digital Media for Classroom Learning


included students thoughts and voices on these topics, but often times students and teachers did
not connect. Both groups came to the same agreement that increased technology was necessary
in the classroom. The teachers also stated that it was the schools responsibility to prepare
economically disadvantaged students with the technology and media literacy skills necessary to
compete in the future. As many schools consider the role social media will play, this study also
provided ways teachers can use interactive websites and applications to extend classroom
learning beyond the traditional school setting. Increasing opportunities for teachers and students
to interact and engage in digital learning spaces prepare our students for the growing demands of
the twenty-first century workforce.

I learned from this study that both teachers and students must continue to work together and
teachers must be open to having their students teach them digital skills they may not otherwise
know about. My third graders are always telling me about new Apps I should look at. I do look at
them and some I have even asked them to show me how they work and then have them teach
their peers. Digital literacy and twenty-first century skills call on educators to not only include
digital technology, but teach students to think about its role in their educational and personal
lives. Media scholars could work hand in hand with teachers and schools to develop curriculum
materials that could be used to teach media in the classroom and to educate and train degree
seeking teachers, as well as those who are already in the classroom.

Three-Year-Old Photographers: Educational and Parental Mediation as a Basis for Visual


Literacy via Digital Photography in Early Childhood

Using Digital Media for Classroom Learning


Arielle Friedman
This article focused on a two year study of an educational program in an Israeli preschool for
children aged three to four based on the use of digital cameras. The study assessed the programs
effects on the children and adults involved in the project and explored how cameras helped the
youngsters acquire visual literacy. Photography played a central role in all areas of preschool
learning as the children took pictures of all their daily preschool activities.
Using digital photography gives preschool children the ability to experiment with problemsolving, and develop curiosity and pleasure in learning, as well as independence, confidence,
responsibility, empowerment and participatory learning of both parents and children. As we
know digital cameras are well-suited to young children's education. They offer immediate
gratification. One can quickly observe the photo created and even have the possibility of
uploading the picture to a computer and printing it right away.
Parents are always trying to find ways to stop the negative effects of television on their children.
However, they do believe that watching educational television programs together a positive
activity and provides opportunity for learning. Parents need different strategies to incorporate
media literacy with their children and using digital photography is one way parents can be
involved in their child's learning. This is what Schofield-Clark defined as participatory learning,
centering on learner-driven inquiry, free experimentation and play (Friedmann 2016). Childrens
early years are crucial for their physical, social, emotional and cognitive development and
technology is one way to either satisfy these needs or have the opposite effect, distancing
children from essential early-childhood developmental experiences (Friedmann 2016).

Using Digital Media for Classroom Learning


Successful technology integration goes hand in hand with the constructivist approach to learning,
including authentic and challenging tasks, flexible grouping, cooperation, the teacher as more of
a coach than a sage on the stage, and more hands-on activities by children. It is stated that
educational mediation enhances childrens cognitive functioning and their social relations which
make learning possible. Youngsters today need high levels of cognitive functioning to cope
successfully with twenty-first-century challenges. To reach these levels, children should learn,
with the help of an adult who mediates between them and the environment, and tailors content to
their interest areas and ability levels. The mediating adult explains to the child the meaning of
experiences by connecting the child to an experience not only through sensory experience but
critical thinking and reasoning and provides feedback to better carry out tasks (Friedmann 2016).
The purpose of the study was to examine the possible connections between visual literacy in the
preschool and parental involvement at home using joint photographic activities. The studied also
investigated the effects of educational work using cameras and digital photography on the
experiences of children and the adults around them. The research was conducted in a preschool
in northern Israel. Most of the childrens families are from the lower middle class and a third
have immigrant parents from the former Soviet Union that have both disadvantaged and
privileged social groups. Thirty children ages three and four took part in the project in Year 1;
thirty-three in Year 2. The study included both parents and a preschool teacher (Friedmann
2016).
The main research questions investigated were whether educational mediation by the preschool
teacher and the parents increased the childrens learning and skills, and how teacher and parents
perceived and described the photo-based program. Photography was part of the entire preschool

Using Digital Media for Classroom Learning


program that lasted a full school year. The research tools included ten videotaped observations of
educational mediation of the preschool-teacher and children about photographs.
The researchers asked the parents involved how they felt about the photography curriculum in
the preschool and how it affected their children. The researchers were also interested in the most
meaningful photography-related events of the year and whether they took part in the
photography homework given by the teacher. Parents were also asked if they entered the
preschool to see their or other childrens work and if they participated in the internet activities
involving the photographs.
The program had two main goals: to educate, empower and protect children who are growing up
in a world overloaded with digital cameras and new communication media, and to impart
creativity, visual-literacy and digital skills. The program was designed so that all lessons were
taught using photography. The youngsters used digital cameras and/or devices to also view
questions and discussions. Five advanced digital cameras (Fuji 8600s) were purchased for the
preschool and placed on a shelf where the children could easily get to them. This gave the
children the confidence to experience real technologies and as well were trusted to work the
cameras and take care of them the same as adults. The children were free to use the cameras as
they wanted. The program also used photography to establish a meaningful connection between
school and home as the children also took turns bringing the camera home to photograph their
families and life in and around their home.
An important part of the program was the childrens encounter with photographic art that they
discussed in class with professional photographers who displayed and spoke about their works,
and when the children and their parents visit a photography museum together. The premise

Using Digital Media for Classroom Learning


behind this was that of the Reggio Emilia educational approach, in which children are exposed to
classical works of art at a very early age (Friedmann 2016).
The photographs also allowed the teacher to observe children communicating in a way that is not
solely verbal, thereby giving them another way to evaluate the childs cognitive, affective and
creative development. All parents except for one mother perceived their involvement in picturetaking assignments together with their children as a joint learning and creative activity through
the mediation of the digital camera. They considered it both a positive form of enrichment and
learning and an important new way to communicate with their children. The one mother stated
that her child did not enjoy photography at all and they had to plead with their child to do the
assignments.
The combination of a photography-based program and the educational mediation gave children
independence and control of technology, the ability to cope with photographic tasks at a complex
cognitive level and to experiment in problem-solving. The adults involved in the project
mentioned that it enhanced the children's creativity, confidence, responsibility and empowerment
which are all skills needed in this new digital age.
In conclusion, this study demonstrated the empowerment of young children via photography and
strengthened the belief that digital literacy can be fostered at an early age. Acquiring digital skills
can hopefully prevent children in remote or low socio-economic areas from falling into a digital
gap (Friedmann 2016). These skills will contribute to a childs future success in school in diverse
areas of learning, creation and communication. These findings will hopefully show policymakers
the importance of using educational media such as digital photography in both preschools and at
home and hopefully expand the use of visual media.

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Using Digital Media for Classroom Learning

I thought this was an interesting study as this is something younger students can do quite easily
and by giving them the power to photograph and discuss their images, we are teaching them the
critical thinking skills that are so necessary for the future. The author stated that it might also be
valuable to document and analyze parent-child conversations dealing with photography. I agree
this would be additional information to see what types of conversations the parents were having
with their child and how better critical thinking questions could be designed based on these
conversations. It would again be a matter of asking the types of questions that would invoke
critical thinking, the "how" and "why" questions that don't have a straight response. Something
as simple as taking photographs can invoke a variety of visual media lesson ideas that can be
easily implemented in the classroom. Teachers can design rubrics to determine content learned.
Students could take the photographs to the next level and design a documentary based on their
images. I am going to try and do a similar activity, designing it for 8-9 year olds. The sharing of
images with their peers and other adults and having discussions about the various images and
why they chose to photograph those images could be a great critical thinking activity.

Explore Locally, Excel Digitally: A Participatory Learning After-school Program for Enriching
Citizenship On- and Offline
Laurel J. Felt, Ioana Literat, Ritesh Mehta, Vanessa Vartabedian

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Using Digital Media for Classroom Learning

This paper discussed an after-school pilot program at the Los Angeles Unified School Districts
Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools. The unequal access to digital tools has long been
regarded as the main issue troubling the digital world. The participation gap, or the unequal
access to opportunities, experiences, skills, and knowledge that will prepare youth for full
participation in the world of tomorrow are missing from education today (Felt, Literat, Mehta,
Vartabedian 2012). Closing this digital divide will depend less on technology and more on
providing the skills and content that is most beneficial to students today. It is not enough to
simply having all the bells and whistles of technology. One needs to know how to leverage it as
well. Providing avenues for the practice of cultural competencies and social skills facilitates
young peoples rich exploration, meaningful discovery, and innovative contribution to their
communities both today and tomorrow (Felt, Literat, Mehta,Vartabedian 2012).
The study was based around a framework, called PLAY! which stands for Participatory Learning
and You! A student's ecosystem is based around both classroom interactions with teachers and
other learners as well as after-school, home and on-line (Felt, Literat, Mehta, Vartabedian 2012).

Participatory culture is distinguished by its relatively low barriers to artistic expression and
civic engagement, strong support for creating and sharing ones creations, and some type of
informal mentorship whereby knowledge is passed on (Felt, Literat, Mehta, & Vartabedian
2012). The 4 Cs of Participation include developing original work or adding value to existing
work; participating in knowledge exchange; collaboration and connecting with others that share
common interests. Challenges to bridging the participation gap include limited opportunity
during the day for students to engage in skills and content. Another challenge was accessing

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content due to Firewalls and Internet filters installed on school networks that blocked relevant
access to sites for video hosting, social networking, crowdsourcing, and gaming. As a result,
youths who exclusively accessed the internet at school lacked entryways into todays
participatory culture because they were not receiving the same benefits of using the internet at
school vs. home.
The study involved a pedagogy of participatory culture that showed how knowledge gets
produced and shared by young people in informal settings and highlighted the results of an afterschool program shaped by this pedagogy. The study took place at the The Robert F. Kennedy
Community Schools (RFK) which serve grades K-12. Located on twenty-four acres in the
Wilshire Center/Koreatown area of central Los Angeles. The school-age population is
predominantly Latino (eighty-four percent) and low-income (eighty-nine percent), with fifty
percent English Language Learners. Twenty-five students participated throughout the course of
the semester. However, as the weeks progressed, a group of eight participants attended regularly.
Of these, six were male and two were female; five were Hispanic, and three were Asian; and
their mean age was fifteen (Felt, Literat, Mehta, & Vartabedian 2012).
At the campus there was a state-of-the art digital media lab and community center that focused
on social justice and digital media. The lab was designed to give students the ability to use the
digital arts for both personal expression and the exploration of larger social issues. The
researchers posed the following questions:
1. What is the impact of an after-school program on high school students levels of: digital
literacy skills; new media literacies (NML) skills; social and emotional learning (SEL) skills; and
the ethical thinking skills inherent to digital citizenship?

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2. How can an after-school program for high-school students facilitate a culture of participatory
learning?
3. How do participants interact with this educational programs learning goals?

Participants had the opportunity to consider community issues and digital practices, as well as
produce individual digital portfolios illustrating their understandings of skills and practices
related to digital citizenship, for which they would earn a Certificate of Excellence in Digital
Citizenship. From their experiences the research team hoped that the participants would develop
greater proficiency in digital tool use, new media literacies (NML), social and emotional learning
skills, and ethical thinking skills (Felt, Literat, Mehta, & Vartabedian 2012).
The participants in the after-school program learned to work with a diverse toolbox of digital
media hardware, software, and applications. The students demonstrated mastery of cameras, iPod
Touches, PCs, and Macs, and learned how to shoot and upload photos and video footage to create
complex multimedia projects. They also interacted with applications such as Twitter, Tumblr,
VoiceThread, YouTube, CameraZoom, Stickybits, Hipstamatic, Google Maps, and Google Earth
(Felt, Literat, Mehta, & Vartabedian 2012). To showcase their work, they created presentations in
Prezi and through augmented reality. The participants practiced negotiation through collaboration
and group projects and understanding of digital footprint. Visualization of the program included
photographing tangible objects that represented social barriers and constructed layered maps to
visualize the relationships between places and people whose thoughts and beliefs were divided.
Through team activities and digital projects, self-awareness was explored in relation to social

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Using Digital Media for Classroom Learning


empowerment and awareness through engagement of activities. Surveys, field notes, evaluations,
and examples of participants work were all collected for the research study.
Some students actually withdrew midway through the program. They stated their reasons behind
this withdrawal from the program was that they expected more technology. As a result, the
researchers realized they need to address the students expectations about technology throughout
the program. The balance between soft skills like NMLs and SELs versus more hands-on digital
skills is an important factor in the success of the program. Hands-on digital skills were more
important to the students for creating a rich, holistic learning process (Felt, Literat, Mehta, &
Vartabedian 2012). An additional limitation might have been the presence of outsiders such as
the lab manager, research assistant, and various observers. Their watchful eyes and recording
devices as well as other participants' lack of consistent attendance might have compromised the
high school students willingness to speak and act freely (Felt, Literat, Mehta, & Vartabedian
2012).
In conclusion, researchers looked for different ways the program could have been different. For
example, if they had tried a flipped classroom approach would participants have demonstrated
increased engagement, better attendance, and self-direction? I would agree this would have been
an idea to try as students are on their devices at home so more of the basics could have been
taught through video watched at home. Discussion could then have been brought to the
classroom as well as working on the actual projects instead of having to learn the different
technologies as well. Another suggestion was perhaps student incentive. To me this is not
something I would have added. The incentive was all the new learning discoveries, the digital
certification received and having more one on one time with a teacher. Overall, I felt this was a

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viable study as it showed that giving students an additional outlet to learn new technologies and
explore ideas should ideally transfer back to the classroom. The students had more time to
explore their ideas, develop critical thinking, collaborate with others who have the same interests
and learn new technologies. These are all important skills that can be carried over to higher
education and the workplace.

Reflection:

Before I took this course, I did not know all that media literacy entailed. I think I use many of the
concepts surrounding media literacy, but the realm of critical thinking had not fully come into
play. I now understand that teaching through media literacy education strategies provides the
opportunity to make media literacy central to teaching and learning, since media literacy process
skills enable students to become self-directed lifelong learners, capable of addressing any
subject. The more I searched articles, the more intrigued I have become to find ways to really
impart ways to give students a real voice in their projects. I even joined NAMLE to stay abreast
of current information and continue to reach out and connect with others who are interested in
this topic as well. From reading these articles, I can see the benefits of using media literacy in the
classroom from digital citizenship, critical thinking, creativity to collaboration to name a few.
These are all skills children can benefit and transfer these skills to the workplace when ready.
As teachers, helping young students develop their media literacy should be the goal of teachers,
parents, researchers, administrators and policymakers. We should work together to make it easier
for young people to navigate the ever-changing media landscape. Media literacy should continue

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Using Digital Media for Classroom Learning


to be incorporated into primary, secondary and higher education and teachers should continue to
find ways to emphasize media literacy in their own classrooms.
Educators in many fields of study are eager to find pedagogical tools that help their students
engage in conversations about media, popular culture, and digital communication technology as
a means to guide their learning. Our responsibility as media literacy educators is to learn from
our colleagues in other fields, reach out to others and help close the gap regarding this pedagogy.
We must continue to help students become active authors of media messages, using the full range
of digital media and technology tools for self-expression.

References:
Felt, Laurel, Vanessa Vartabedian, Ioana Literat, and Ritesh Mehta. "Explore Locally, Excel
Digitally: A Participatory Learning After-school Program for Enriching Citizenship On- and Of
Ine." Journal of Media Literacy Education 43.3 (2012): 1-16. Web.
Friedman, Arielle. "Three-Year-Old Photographers: Educational and Parental Mediation as a
Basis for Visual Literacy via Digital Photography in Early Childhood." Journal of Media
Literacy Education 8.1 (2016): 15-31. Web.
Nowell, Shanedra D. "Using Disruptive Technologies to Make Digital Connections: Stories of
Media Use and Digital Literacy in Secondary Classrooms." Educational Media International
51.2 (2014): 109-23. Web.
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