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From Theory to Design: Exploring the Power & Potential of ‘Connected Learning’, Part One
This summer I attended summer school…well kind of. For three weeks in June I worked with a great team to implement a digital media and design project with high school students. We followed that project with a two-week game design camp in July at the University of Texas with middle school students. Both projects are what you might call ‘connected learning’ design pilots. What exactly is that? The goal of each project was to put into action some of the ideas th… more
Why Critical Design Literacy is Needed Now More Than Ever
One thing is clear in our work at Texas City High School (TCHS) this year: students like to create their own media. Students at TCHS create their own YouTube channels, compose original music, comics, games, Tumblr pages, art work, and fashion designs. As young people’s use of social and digital media applications continues to evolve they are developing what I call a “design disposition.” This is a reference to a distinct generational view that they expect to not o… more
What Schools are Really Blocking When They Block Social Media
The debates about schools and social media are a subject of great public and policy interests. In reality, the debate has been shaped by one key fact: the almost universal decision by school administrators to block social media. Because social media is such a big part of many students social lives, cultural identities, and informal learning networks schools actually find themselves grappling with social media everyday but often from a defensive posture—reacting to student disputes that play out over social media or policing rather than engaging student’s social media behaviors.<… more