SOCIAL MEDIA: Folk Culture Locations for Cultural Exchange and Knowledge Construction Jason Nolan and Alexandra Bal Presented at Shaping Our Future Conference, Ryerson University, May 12, 2009

SOCIAL MEDIA ARE DIFFERENTFROMVISUAL MEDIA

PARTICIPATORY CULTURE (JENKINS) Peer based production and consumption of media Facilitate users’ participation new tools and technologies enable consumers to archive, annotate, appropriate, and recirculate media content. Mediate human relationships Do It Yourself (DYI) media allows Individuals and groups to participate in conversations Educators must explore the impact of this participatory culture on education

Peer based production and consumption of media

Facilitate users’ participation new tools and technologies enable consumers to archive, annotate, appropriate, and recirculate media content.

Mediate human relationships Do It Yourself (DYI) media allows Individuals and groups to participate in conversations

Educators must explore the impact of this participatory culture on education

THE YOUTUBE PHENOMENON For Wesch,YouTubecelebratesnew formsof: Expression Empowerment Identity Global Community YouTube generate new forms of Culture

For Wesch,YouTubecelebratesnew formsof:

Expression

Empowerment

Identity

Global Community

YouTube generate new forms of Culture

FANDOM: POP CULTURE JAMMING Remixingexisting media messages to create new ones

CULTURE JAMMING TO FAMILY FOOTAGE The public has become both the creator and a performer.

COLLECTIVE PUBLIC PERFORMANCE This informalparticipatory culture isinfluencingother social spheres.

This informalparticipatory culture isinfluencingother social spheres.

OBAMA POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS USED CJ Yes we can song has had17,777,352 views

Yes we can song has had17,777,352 views

WHYOBAMACANNOT PULL THIS OFF.

SOCIAL MEDIA = FOLK CULTURE Folk Culture respond to the need of people to be active social participants in the creation of their culture (Nolan and Bakan, 2009) To share To create (Janick, 2009) To perform (McLuhan, 1967) Their own stories, experiences and knowledge The network is a public sphere Creation and participation to public discourse and culture

Folk Culture respond to the need of people to be active social participants in the creation of their culture (Nolan and Bakan, 2009)

To share

To create (Janick, 2009)

To perform (McLuhan, 1967)

Their own stories, experiences and knowledge

The network is a public sphere

Creation and participation to public discourse and culture

FOLK CULTURE EXISTS IN MULTIPLE FORMS Cartesiansocial form: Youtube: conversation = co-creation of content Embodiedform: Real world : Living libraries Virtual worlds conversation = co-action + co-creation of content Social Media has facilitated the emergence of informalcommunities where culture emerges out of informal conversations

Cartesiansocial form:

Youtube: conversation = co-creation of content

Embodiedform:

Real world : Living libraries

Virtual worlds conversation = co-action + co-creation of content

Social Media has facilitated the emergence of informalcommunities where culture emerges out of informal conversations

SOCIAL MEDIA ARE INFORMAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS Where people are self organizing informal communities and institutions

Where people are

self organizing

informal

communities

and

institutions

SHIFT IN MEDIATEDEDUCATION CULTURE Visual media: Authored Story Telling An authorformally tells a story via a scriptedexperience Social media & Story Sharing: Peersinformallyshareauthentic and livedexperiences ExperientialMedia as Living Stories Peersbuildexperiencestogether Information = knowledge Authoredknowledge An expert educates via a scriptedpresentation Social media as knowledgesharing: Peersinformallyeducateeachother ExperientialMedia as knowledge building Peerslearn by building experiencestogether

Visual media: Authored Story Telling

An authorformally tells a story via a scriptedexperience

Social media & Story Sharing:

Peersinformallyshareauthentic and livedexperiences

ExperientialMedia as Living Stories

Peersbuildexperiencestogether

Information = knowledge Authoredknowledge

An expert educates via a scriptedpresentation

Social media as knowledgesharing:

Peersinformallyeducateeachother

ExperientialMedia as knowledge building

Peerslearn by building experiencestogether

WHAT DOES THIS MEANS TO EDUCATION? Digital natives are growing up in these alternate social realities. Since education = social reproduction, which values should pedagogy promote?

Digital natives are growing up in these alternate social realities.

MEANINGFUL LEARNING Social media involves creating representations of people, places and things and sharing them with others. This is constructioNist learning (cf. Papert) It involves intentional, active, constructive, cooperative, and authentic learning processes (Jonassen) where students recognize and solve problems, comprehend new phenomena, construct mental models of those phenomena, and, given a new situation, set goals and regulate their own learning Educators must create these opportunities and situations. My examples engage learners via sharing experiences and participating in culture jams: songchild and creating science simulations

Social media involves creating representations of people, places and things and sharing them with others.

This is constructioNist learning (cf. Papert)

It involves intentional, active, constructive, cooperative, and authentic learning processes (Jonassen)

where students recognize and solve problems, comprehend new phenomena, construct mental models of those phenomena, and, given a new situation, set goals and regulate their own learning

Educators must create these opportunities and situations. My examples engage learners via sharing experiences and participating in culture jams:

songchild and creating science simulations

SONGCHILD.ORGW/ SCRATCH.MIT.EDU Students as creators of learning objects to model learning. Teaching students how to help children create their own songs and culture. Can you help me (I’m Lost!) http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/girltarist/504554 Learning social technology & creating songs for children as a way to model course learning outcomes. Sharing work with others fosters engagement Creating meaningful learning objects can be done in any learning context

Students as creators of learning objects to model learning.

Teaching students how to help children create their own songs and culture.

Can you help me (I’m Lost!)

http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/girltarist/504554

Learning social technology & creating songs for children as a way to model course learning outcomes.

Sharing work with others fosters engagement

Creating meaningful learning objects can be done in any learning context

MODELING SCIENCE LEARNING Documenting classroom activities as learning objects for reflection, evaluation and modeling. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oyl7F5B-Ta8 Workshop with educators at Reggio Emilia conference last week. Document experience, mix it, play it back to participants, reflect, revise, and share. Creates bridge between discrete experiences and larger professional/learning community.

Documenting classroom activities as learning objects for reflection, evaluation and modeling.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oyl7F5B-Ta8

Workshop with educators at Reggio Emilia conference last week.

Document experience, mix it, play it back to participants, reflect, revise, and share.

Creates bridge between discrete experiences and larger professional/learning community.

CONCLUSION(S) Key to meaningful learning: intentional, active, constructive, cooperative, and authentic. Learning w/ social mediacreatingrepresentations of people, places& things & sharing them with others: learning creates content Learners are embedded in experiential social media practices.

Key to meaningful learning: intentional, active, constructive, cooperative, and authentic.

Learning w/ social mediacreatingrepresentations of people, places& things & sharing them with others: learning creates content

Learners are embedded in experiential social media practices.