This document discusses how participatory media and technology can help engage youth in civic education and social studies. It presents a map linking social studies topics to 21st century skills like collaboration, communication, and media literacy. The map is meant to bridge the "digital disconnect" between how students live digitally outside of school and limited technology use in social studies classes. The document proposes discussing challenges and opportunities for integrating technology into social studies instruction, as well as a research agenda on how participatory media can support youth civic engagement. It poses questions about the effects of new media on students' understanding of issues and identities.

1. Participatory Media and
Citizenship Education
An Opportunity for Social Studies to
Help Youth Have Their Say
Gayle Thieman, Joe O’Brien, John Lee, Elizabeth R. Hinde
American Educational Research Association
April 14, 2009 2:15-3:45

3. How is
technology
making their
world different
from ours?
Why should this
matter to social
studies?

4. Present the 21st
Century Skills and Social Studies Map
Demonstrate map’s potential to bridge the digital
disconnect and transform classroom instruction.
Engage participants in a discussion of challenges and
opportunities for integrating technology into social
studies instruction.
Discuss the implications for pre-service and in-service
teacher professional development and public policy.
Suggest a research agenda on the use of participatory
media to support youth civic engagement.
Offer participants the opportunity to post comments on
implementation of the map in their practice.

5. Digital Divide vs. Digital Disconnect
Teachers cite K-12
students’ lack of
technology at home as a
barrier to incorporating
technology into their
lessons
Yet more students are
coming to school with
cell phones, media
players, game devices,
and laptops
Students need to learn how to use multiple
technologies as tools for learning, communication,
and participation, both locally and globally.

6. “Educators
may be the
most out of
touch with the
shifting
citizen identity
patterns of
youth.”
(Bennett,
2008)

8. NCSS Members support
More attention to studying controversial issues,
multicultural and global issues
Greater emphasis on integrating technology into
the curriculum
Stronger linkages of social studies learning to
social responsibility and civic action
(NCSS Curriculum Standards Revision Committee
hearings, NCSS, Houston, 2008)

9. Research indicates:
Many districts and teachers do not address
controversial issues in the classroom
 Students do not develop participatory
skills relating to civic action and do not
learn how to engage in civic action
(Torney-Purta & Lopez, 2006)

10. Lenhart, et al, found that generally civic gaming
experiences are related to higher engagement in the
real world.
 Hartshorn and Van Fossen (2008) also found that
civic gaming experiences positively affect civic
engagement. They specifically studied players
involved in MMORPGs.
So, civic gaming experiences (experiences involving
civic action in virtual worlds) are positively related to
civic engagement in the real world.

11. How might teachers enlist…
young people’s enthusiasm
for using digital media in
the service of civic
engagement?

12. Democracy…
requires active citizens
participating with many voices,
critical inquiries, alternative
representations, and dissent.

13. “If we ask the children to critique the world but
then fail to encourage them to act, our classrooms
can degenerate into factories of cynicism. While
it’s not a teacher’s role to direct students to
particular organizations, it is a teacher’s role to
suggest that ideas need to be acted upon and to
offer students opportunities to do just that.” (p. 5)
Bigelow, B., Christensen, L., Karp, S., Miner, B., & Peterson, B. (Eds.) (1994). Rethinking Our Classrooms: Teaching for Equity and Justice. Milwaukee: Rethinking Schools.
Civic Engagement

14. Partnership for 21st Century Skills
http://www.21stcenturyskills.org
Creativity and
Innovation
Critical Thinking and
Problem Solving
Communication
Collaboration
Information Literacy
Media Literacy
ICT Literacy
Themes:
Civic Literacy
Financial,
Economic,
Literacy
Global Awareness

15. 21st
Century Skills Map
NCSS & Partnership for 21st
Century Skills

16. expands the notion of reading and writing
to include images, sounds, advertising,
and popular culture, as well as print.
deepens the ability to critically analyze
the relationships between knowledge and
power in society.
Media Literacy is
a new understanding of literacy that …

17. from primarily focusing on the
collection of information and facts,
Education must move …
to concentrating more on the
connections between people and
information and power.
Carmen Luke (2006)

18. Creativity and Innovation
HS students create a
simulation, role play, or
webquest on a current or
historic event (e.g., global
climate change). Product
can be presented to a local
school with analysis of
most creative and
innovative elements in
each of the products.
Mike Schlotterback, Fisheye Photography

19. Critical Thinking and
Problem Solving
MS students use online
databases (
www.census.gov) to
determine immigration
patterns and compare to
changes in community
demographics
HS students use county
voting patterns,
demographic & socio-
economic data from US
Census bureau to predict
outcomes of upcoming
election. Display election
projection & supporting
information on a digital
map. Create a podcast that
suggests election strategies
that political parties might
use for their candidates.

20. Communication
Elementary students
choose an area from
state history, organize a
storyboard on the
person, place, or event
and use digital tools to
create a presentation to
share with other students
and community
members.

21. Collaboration
MS or HS students watch documentary video of
historic event and read online first-hand accounts (e.g.
Israel-Palestine conflict in Gaza).
Students use collaboration list serve or Skype Video
Chat , or asynchronous discussion forum (Blackboard,
Moodle) to discuss and compare their findings with
students in other parts of the US, Israel, and Palestine.
http://www.mercycorps.org
Students reflect on experiences in small group
discussions (on or off line)

22. Information Literacy
Elementary students use
online survey tool to
collect data about local
attractions their family
likes to visit.
Create a spreadsheet,
evaluate, use graphing
tools to display their
findings, and use digital
images to illustrate favorite
places.
MS students analyze
digital information about
how transportation systems
have changed over time
(digital photos, aerial
photos, satellite images).
Analyze connection to
demographic changes and
historic events

23. Media Literacy
MS students analyze how
media format influences
media messages.
Use history websites &
primary sources to
compare & contrast
historic & current
presidential election
campaigns.
Hypothesize how 19th &
21st century media
influence political
campaigns
• MS or HS students watch documentary video of historic event
• Students use collaboration list serve or Skype Video Chat , or
• Students reflect on experiences in small group discussions (on
• MS or HS students watch documentary video of historic event
• Students use collaboration list serve or Skype Video Chat , or
• Students reflect on experiences in small group discussions (on

24. ICT Literacy Elementary students
examine interaction of
human beings & physical
environment, land use,
towns, local ecosystem
changes (e.g., mining in
Lead, SD)
Compare dated aerial
photos of the local
community to recent
satellite images.
Compare and evaluate the
changes.

28. What are the effects of news sites and search engines’
use of algorithms that favor popularity over quality or
diversity on users?
What are different approaches to a recommender
system for participatory sites and the
implications/effects of each?

29. • In an increasingly participatory global media
culture in a multicultural society, what are the
effects on student understanding … (Mark Dueze,
Journalism, v 7 , 2006.)
What are the effects on student understanding of
various religions in the U.S. as they engage with
relevant religious and ethnic media ?

30. • What is the effect of participating in an online civic
MMPORG (Massively-Multiplayer Online Roleplaying
Game) on students’ understanding of an ethnic group?
(“Digital Games & Young Black Men,” Games & Culture,
2008.
• What is the effect of participating in an online
environment on the formation of young people’s civic ,
cultural and social identity?

31. Question…Round IV
What is the relation between youth’s widespread use of
participatory media outside of school & their socialization in
school?
 What are emerging/existing social norms of an online
environment?
How are they alike and different from those in an offline
environment?

32. Question…Round V
What are the implications of a shift from a consumer
orientation toward media and its content to a producer
oriented online one where users have a worldwide
audience? (i.e. my going to a movie made by others to
making my own & uploading to YouTube)
What are the implications of an online “public commons”
operated by the private sector? (YouTube, TeacherTube)
What is the relation between users/content producers and
service providers/”publishers” of users’ content?

33. Question…Round VI
What effect does maturation in an age of continuous
instantaneous connectivity have on young people’s
sense of place & time, and their formation of their
personal identity?

34. What are the most critical questions
that we as social studies
researchers ought to address to
best serve the field and K-16 social
studies learners?

35. Capturing student voices just got a lot easier. Digital
storytelling made easier.
Voice Thread

36. Blog Talk Radio
Making on the scene reporting

37. Creative Commons

38. Teacher Tube

39. Flickr