A word about the ethical considerations of participatory culture for educators
What does QA Creativity through participatory culture mean for our current CAS practice? For some, it's a mental model shift to see what we perceive as online play to be a form of creative learning. For the enthusiasts, smudging the CAS entry borders to recognise creative engagement in participatory culture can increase our own tinkering in these sites and lead to self-teaching episodes in the development of more engaging online tools in our pedagogical practice.
It may be a bold leap to ask you to see yourself as some sort of Aslan figure, yet we are important guides on the side as CAS supervisors. Can you see yourself as a co-conspirator? Be prepared with a curious mind, open to the possibilities of what constitutes creative thinking, and able to embrace new ways of knowing.
Concerns about students engaging in online spaces that would be denied access by DET only becomes an issue for students wanting to access these spaces at school. The beauty of the voyeuristic position we hold as CAS supervisors is that Managebac is the student-crafted window to viewing their play in participatory culture. Research suggests that students can be cagey in revealing the true nature of their online networked identity IF their work is to be formally assessed by teachers. Ito and Lange (in Ito et al., 2012) attribute this to the intergenerational tension (between adult authority and youth autonomy) and a tension between educational and entertainment content. The suggestion is that we should value diversity, rather than standardization in this space. Students are already connecting in these spaces. They will need to consider the ethical implications of their actions, a CAS learning outcome of itself, in what they choose to evidence as reflections on their creative activities on Managebac.
Building on the existing enthusiasm and energy students have for participatory culture draws us inevitably on a peda-socio journey. Some of the skills needed for the teacher co-conspirator:
What does QA Creativity through participatory culture mean for our current CAS practice? For some, it's a mental model shift to see what we perceive as online play to be a form of creative learning. For the enthusiasts, smudging the CAS entry borders to recognise creative engagement in participatory culture can increase our own tinkering in these sites and lead to self-teaching episodes in the development of more engaging online tools in our pedagogical practice.
It may be a bold leap to ask you to see yourself as some sort of Aslan figure, yet we are important guides on the side as CAS supervisors. Can you see yourself as a co-conspirator? Be prepared with a curious mind, open to the possibilities of what constitutes creative thinking, and able to embrace new ways of knowing.
Concerns about students engaging in online spaces that would be denied access by DET only becomes an issue for students wanting to access these spaces at school. The beauty of the voyeuristic position we hold as CAS supervisors is that Managebac is the student-crafted window to viewing their play in participatory culture. Research suggests that students can be cagey in revealing the true nature of their online networked identity IF their work is to be formally assessed by teachers. Ito and Lange (in Ito et al., 2012) attribute this to the intergenerational tension (between adult authority and youth autonomy) and a tension between educational and entertainment content. The suggestion is that we should value diversity, rather than standardization in this space. Students are already connecting in these spaces. They will need to consider the ethical implications of their actions, a CAS learning outcome of itself, in what they choose to evidence as reflections on their creative activities on Managebac.
Building on the existing enthusiasm and energy students have for participatory culture draws us inevitably on a peda-socio journey. Some of the skills needed for the teacher co-conspirator:
- A curious interest
- Understanding new media literacies emerging from online participation
- Accepting networked publics as a powerful learning environment, offering the global connection and freedom that a classroom cannot
- Reflecting on our own digital practices – searching, self-teaching, finding out, being critical – and being explicit about these in our teaching practices.
In C. S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Aslan is a large, talking lion, who appears in different sizes to different people, although he himself never changes; as people grow in wisdom and character, they can perceive more of his greatness. Aslan is very wise, and a powerful force for good. Aslan is the one true king of Narnia; he watches over Narnia constantly, although he does not choose to solve all of its problems for its inhabitants.
http://narnia.wikia.com/wiki/Aslan
an adult participant in online interest-driven groups (Mahendran in Ito et al., 2012)
a term used to consider the contribution of digital culture to pedagogical and sociological development (Snyder, 2007).