Jennifer+Exposition+Papers

In today’s society, where there is an increased dependence on technology, a new community has emerged connecting people throughout the world. Jenkins et al use the term “participatory culture” to describe this new community. I will define the term “participatory culture” as well as analyze its implications in the classroom and in society.

Jenkins et al define the term “participatory culture” as “a culture with relatively low barriers to artistic expression and civic engagement, strong support for creating and sharing one’s creations, and some type of informal mentorship whereby what is known by the most experienced is passed along to novices”. In addition, it is “one in which members believe their contributions matter, and feel some degree of social connection with one another (at the least they care what other people think about what they have created)”. (Jenkins et al, 2006, p.3) I believe a “participatory culture” is whenever artistic expression is used by its members as a tool to contribute to the use of all types of media (i.e. blogs, wikis, Facebook, etc.). Here they are free to express their ideas and creations as well as the ability to locate people who share the same interests. “Participatory cultures” give people the freedom they desire in order to do what they choose, when they want to do it, and live up to their own expectations as well as the expectations of those with whom they are connected on the websites. Jenkins also presents his ideas on how “participatory cultures” differ from schools. He states, “Unlike schools, where everyone is expected to do (and be good at) the same things, these participatory cultures allow each person to set their own goals, learn at their own pace, come and go as they please, and yet they are also motivated by the response of others, often spending more time engaged with the activities because of a sense of responsibility to their guild or fandom”. (Jenkins, 2010, pp.237-238)  Using Jenkins’ quote as a basis for our discussion, how can “participatory cultures” affect society and the classroom? In society, people are joined together by various “participatory cultures”. They are connected by text messaging, placing updates on Facebook or MySpace, blogging, sharing videos on Youtube.com, and tweeting on Twitter, etc. These types of technology can eventually have the effect of dominating their lives. When they have free time, every available minute is spent on these websites. For example, let’s look at how these websites affect my colleagues’ lives at work. During our lunch hour, they are using their cell phones to text, check out their Facebook pages, and connect to the internet to surf various websites to stay informed on what is happening in the world. There is little social interaction so that even when there is some conversation, it is mainly about Facebook, Twitter, etc. Even though there are fellow colleagues in the room, they prefer to talk to people in cyberspace. I can agree that escaping from their surroundings and interacting with someone they do not see on a daily basis is an excellent idea. On the other hand, I prefer face-to-face interactions, where you can see facial expressions and respond to the conversation at that moment. Although we do not have the resources to implement technology into our lessons on a daily or weekly basis where it can be helpful, computer technology is being taught twice a week as well as having Smart Boards in some of the classrooms. The teachers who are equipped with Smart Boards have neither the knowledge to use them nor the technological resources to implement them. Even though there are computers in the classroom, they are not used in connection with the lessons and with the Smart Boards (which are turned into white boards). Just recently, our principal announced to us that the classroom will be getting a Smart Board but she told us “I do not how it will work in the classroom”. Also, the fourth grade teacher is unsure how she will use it because she is a traditional teacher but to some extent is technologically savvy (uses Facebook and posts grades on Power School (required by our school)). Although we have technology savvy students, we are unable to use today’s technology to our advantage. However, when students are given the opportunity to use technology, they become more engaged in the lesson which results in making the topic interesting, motivating, and easier to understand. Likewise, Jenkins et al state, “Participatory culture shifts the focus of literacy from one of individual expression to community involvement. The new literacies almost all involve social skills developed through collaboration and networking. These skills build on the foundation of traditional literacy, research skills, technical skills, and critical analysis skills taught in the classroom”. (Jenkins et al, 2006, p.4) In the classroom, literacy is focused primarily on reading, writing, and comprehension to produce what they learn by answering questions in the textbook and on tests. Using technology in the classroom should not be used to overpower the purpose of the lesson but to enhance learning and the students’ connection to the topic. Students collaborate and use various media to gather information and find examples that connect the topic being taught to what interests them. If students are not interested in what is being taught, they will learn it just for that week because there is a test and unfortunately, will not retain the information for the future.

How does participating in “participatory cultures” differ from participating in the classroom? Students use technology to stay connected to their friends and also because “everyone else uses it”. However, technology can be beneficial. Jenkins et al state,  “. . . participation is a property of culture. Participatory culture is emerging as the culture absorbs and responds to the explosion of new media technologies that make it possible for average consumers to archive, annotate, appropriate, and recirculate media content in powerful new ways. . . . . Our goals should be to encourage youth to develop the skills, knowledge, ethical frameworks, and self-confidence needed to be full participants in contemporary culture”. (Jenkins et al, 2006, p.8)

Students use new media to create their own culture within their inner circle of friends. But, technology can also be used to gain access to the world around them to allow them to become a participant in world culture. In this way, students can inform each other about what is going on in the world that affects them and their view of the world. However, when searching for and relying on information found on the internet, people should confirm that the information is from a reliable source. One example is the use of Wikipedia. It is used to gather information on a topic but it is a wiki, which means anyone using it can modify the information being posted. In addition, youths and adults must be aware of the positive and negative impacts that social networking websites, blogs, wikis, etc. have on their lives. While these types of media can help them stay in contact with families and friends as well as gather information, it also can expose them to online predators and bullying. Some examples are a boy who was bullied through e-mail (Digital Nation video) and a girl bullied on Facebook. They both committed suicide as a result.

On the one hand, participation in “participatory cultures” is one’s own choice but on the other hand, participation in the classroom is expected. An example of a “participatory culture” that shows freedom of choice is affinity spaces. In affinity spaces, students and adults can “participate in various ways according to their skills and interests, because they depend on peer-to-peer teaching with each participant constantly motivated to acquire new knowledge or refine their existing skills, and because they allow each participant to feel like an expert while tapping the expertise of others”. (Jenkins et al, 2006, p.9) Youths and adults choose affinity spaces based on a common interest and skill where they can learn from each other. But, in the classroom, the topics are chosen by the school’s curriculum and may or may not interest the students. Teachers expect students to participate to show that they know and comprehend the topic. In some cases, students feel more comfortable in asking questions and talking about the topic one-on-one with the teacher. In either case, teachers are able to assess the student’s understanding of the topic. Therefore, in these classroom situations, face-to-face interactions and discussions are preferable than online interactions because students will be provided with assistance using concrete hand written examples to help explain the topic. On the contrary, affinity spaces allow peers to teach one another but does not provide the physical interaction that is needed to show the rewards of their accomplishments.

In conclusion, “participatory cultures” are wherever members are contributing to various media, freely expressing their ideas and creations, doing it of their own choosing, and setting their own goals. Society is affected by “participatory cultures” because people constantly want to be connected using Facebook, MySpace and Twitter, and using text messaging. Students use these websites to stay informed about what is happening in the world around them. Also, “participatory cultures” can help them to understand the lesson being taught in the classroom. It can help them find examples of the topic that interests them and then apply it back to the lesson. Also, it can help them become a participant in the world culture. Affinity spaces help students by connecting them based on a common interest and skill where they can learn from each other. I believe that the use of these media can be useful tools in the classroom. However, I also believe that each individual has a personal responsibility to be ethically aware when using these sites. __Bibliography __

Jenkins, H. (2010). Afterword. In M. Knobel & C. Lankshear (Eds.), //DIY Media//. New York: Peter Lang.

Jenkins, H., with R. Purushotma, K. Clinton, M. Weigel, & A. Robison (2006). //Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century //. Occasional Paper. Boston, MA: MIT/MacArthur Foundation. Available from: http://digitallearning.macfound.org/atf/cf/%7B7E45C7E0-A3E0-4B89-AC9C-E807E1B0AE4E%7D/JENKINS_WHITE_PAPER.PDF