Philly's+Digital+Natives...+Final+Cut

__Philly’s Digital Immigration __  The 2000s have proven to be a period marked by immense advancements in media technology. History shows us with technological progression comes progressive change in most industries. Guttenberg’s moveable-type pioneered an entire world of communication mediums, radio/television transcended space by bringing people closer together and the internet revolutionized means of sharing information. With the increasing capabilities in digital media of this decade comes the demand for users to understand and apply their knowledge.

Think About Thinking The basis for which we obtain knowledge lies with our capability to understand what it means to be literate. What is literacy? American researcher and educator James Paul Gee defines, “Literacy is control of secondary uses of language (i.e. uses of language in secondary discourses)”. These discourses being schools, work and various other societal networks in which people participate. Gee describes two means to obtaining knowledge via secondary discourses. He says, “Acquisition is good for performance; learning is good for meta-level knowledge” (Gee1986). This dissection is essential in properly educating ourselves through digital media. Renee Hobbs elaborates, “Texts are continuously created by authors and involve the coordination from different types of labor” (Hobbs 1998). We are demanded a use and understanding of multimedia technology in collaboration with other students as they are not merely being an audience member, taking in a message, but becoming the active authors of the messages they share with their peers. Acquired knowledge is attained by nearly all, and not conscious, but learned knowledge is explicit and conscious. Learned knowledge is the understanding of understanding (meta-level thought); through this deep level of understanding we remain relevant within our own circles of discourse. However, our acquisition of knowledge throughout our experiences in our primary discourse, as well as the secondary, provide vital skills necessary to learn the intricacies, mechanics and a total functionality of digital media required to for a next level understanding to how to empower one’s self. Together, this new media literacy enables a learner to become a producer who is not only relevant within their networks but create the messages and images consumed.  With an understanding of the meaning of literacy and the nuance that is new media literacies, an examination of the education effort for new media literacy is in order. John Dewey believed the practice of communication is embedded in experiences within local cultures (discourses). Students are not to be limited to where the purpose of education revolves around a predetermined set of skills. Education is meant to recognize one’s potential and ability to utilize their skills for a greater good. Media literacy grants necessary and useful skills for the future, and the support for learning these skills should be a priority. Education is a civil engagement; however, some areas lack the financial or civic commitment necessary to allow reform.
 * Literacy: **
 * Education: **

Incompetent Schools = Incompetent Learners English educational advisor, Sir Ken Robinson sees the American Education System as a lame duck (  [|QUACK] ! ). For over a century the Public School System has taught millions of Americans creating expectations of earning a decent job when “training” is complete. Unfortunately, our traditional methodology of mere teaching is proving to be obsolete in today’s profoundly media-driven world. It would seem logical to modernize our outdated system and look toward developing a new structure for educating the 21st Century Student or even reforming the current. Surprisingly, most are contempt with public education. Sir Robinson speaks of how we allow the same retired practices be used to teach generation after generation in effort to prepare them for the future. Dewey said it best, “If we teach today’s students as we did yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow.” This mass produced, sit and listen style of learning deprives students of their creativity, an essential tool for media literacy. Some problems this new approach to learning may have are with the traditional standard of education in the US. How will the testing and textbook industry try to either adapt or denounce this “new learning”. Parents will find it hard to imagine their kids not learning the same facts from a teacher that they did. Our culture of learning has been limited throughout the 20th Century by policing ourselves and our children and discouraging innovative ways of learning because they may not be valued while they actually could be valuable to children in their life. Educators may fear the loss of traditional practices by which they received their credentials. Even some weary over totally mediated world. But Gee tries to reassure us, “Digital media is changing the ecology of reading and writing rather than destroying it” (Gee). Some view a possible threat to education where in actuality is using different practices that are much more engaging and producing different text.

However, there is a large gap amongst funds in educating the wealthy and lower class. This Digital Divide is a huge obstacle in the way of many students in Philadelphia as the lack the access to digital media technologies and the opportunities which foster necessary new media literacy skills to become a 21st Century Student. Even those with access to these technologies fail to competently use them to learn and obtain meaningful experiences. In “The ‘digital natives’ debate” we are presented with claims about the new generation of digital natives. “Young people who live their lives completely immersed in technology and are fluent in the digital language of computers, video games and the Internet” (Prenksy, 2005). Those definition very well suites today’s youth; however, it doesn’t seem to hold true. Only 20% of students create original content online. They appear to be mere immigrants like those who came before them. But these students are very different from those our current education system was designed to teach. “There is growing appreciation that the old approach is ill-suited to the intellectual, social, motivational, and emotional needs of the new generation” (Tapscott, 1998).

Prison Pipeline Although technological capacity/data density is ever-expanding at astronomical rates and computing is consistently becoming cheaper, there is a lack of equal accessibility. Approximately 14% of Philadelphians are in middle or high school (ages 10 to 19). This 14%, or 200thousand students, of Philadelphia’s ENTIRE population has a serious problem. About 30 to 37% of Philadelphia’s public school students drop out sometime between 6th and 12th grade. As a result, many dropouts (preponderantly minority males) lead down a path of crime due to the lack of skills demanded by a 21st century world. Consequently, state officials look to allocate tax dollars to subsidize the corrections system over the education system. By doing this, representatives basically told the youth of Philadelphia they will likely become inmates, and to look elsewhere to accomplish your dreams.

<span style="color: #00b050; display: block; font-family: 'Impact','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-align: center;">Research Question <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">What out-of-school programs are out there for Philadelphia youth to access necessary equipment, collaborate and analyze or compose media that will develop their new literacy skills as 21st Century Learners and away from a seemingly endless wave crime?

<span style="color: #00b050; display: block; font-family: 'Impact','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-align: center;">New Media Literacy Experience Integration of digital media and education allows growth in skills and knowledge. This integration is transforming the contemporary meaning of literacy. It is meant to be collaborative, not isolating, and engages as well as motivates students to be creative allowing them to use in a ever-growing high tech world. There is an importance of societal networks we develop to share knowledge and new techniques. Here are a few out-of-school programs that aim to promote infusing digital and media literacy into education:

====**[| POPPYN] [|Student Union's Ed. Center] [|Honickman Center] [|Positive Minds]**====

**[|YES Philly] [|Powerful Voices]** **[|BTOP]**
<span style="color: #00b050; font-family: 'Impact','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;"> What I Learned In conclusion, Philadelphia, my city and home, is not a breeding ground for delinquents or the road to a dead-end. It is a town of misunderstood youth with the desire and potential to create. Not just media projects, but opportunities to change their future and the future of other 21st Century Learners to come. As combining new media literacy with education is a vital and promising mission to tackle, and an urgent one. I have seen generosity of others build bridges to opportunity, the strength of communities become the foundation of a future, and the civil actions to ensure Philadelphia's students can share their gifts. Although Philadelphia is a large city wired to communicate, many of its youth lack the means to be considered media literate, let alone digital natives. No, we are mere immigrants heading toward a New World which I find relief as their are many individuals who can see a future in tomorrow.

Works cited: Ben-Yaacov, S. (2010, Sept 2). //New plan to cut phila. dropout rate//. Retrieved from http://whyy.org/cms/news/education/2010/09/02/new-plan-to-cut-philadelphias-dropout-rate/44704

Bennett, S., Maton, K., & Kervin, L. (2008). The 'digital natives' debate: A critical review of the evidence. //British Journal of Educational Technology//, //39//(5), 776-778.

Gee, J. P. (1986). What is literacy?. 1-5.

Hobbs, R. (2006). Multiple visions of multimedia literacy: Emerging areas of synthesis. //Literacy and Technology//, //2//,

RSA Animate. (Producer). (2010). //Changing education paradigms//. [Web Video]. Retrieved from http://www.schooltube.com/video/2cb4889891b0c637f8f8/RSA-Animate-Changing-Education-Paradigms

Woodall, M. (2010, Sept 3). Task force cites high dropout rates for african american, latino students. //Philadelphia Inquirer//. Retrieved from http://articles.philly.com/2010-09-03/news/24973951_1_task-force-dropout-national-graduation-rate