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Mercy2013hess
This document summarizes a presentation on supporting girls' faith through social media. It discusses research on adolescent brain development and girls' brains in particular. It outlines three frameworks from literature: what brain research tells us, the "sacred selves of adolescent girls", and "pedagogies of recognition". The presentation provides an analogy comparing healthy media practices to a healthy diet. It offers examples of tools and practices for engaging different age groups with media in a way that fosters realization, resilience, resistance and ritual. The overall message is that digital media can support girls' faith development when approached as a communicative practice within community.
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Mercy2013hess
- 1. Social Media andGirls Finding Hope and Supporting Faith Mercy Secondary Education Conference 12 October 2013 http://meh.religioused.org/mercy2013hess.pdf
- 2. introductions • my owncontext and background • three main parts • (1) background literature • (2) an analogy • (3) examples and tools • Q&A
- 3. Luther Seminary, RomanCatholic laywoman, media/religion/education
- 4. part one: threeframes from the literature • what brain research is telling us • the “sacred selves of adolescent girls” • pedagogies of recognition
- 5. research into adolescentbrains...
- 6. adolescent brain • hasan increased capacity for language and short-term memory • reacts emotionally rather than logically • responds to music as a vehicle to emotion and information • experiences emotions before it is able to articulate them verbally • works hard at developing self-awareness and self-consciousness • is more vulnerable to stress than the adult brain • is engaged in a constant struggle between emotion/impulsivity and logic/moral reasoning (Feinstein 2009, 73) Baker /Edwards p. 4
- 7. girls’ brains, in particular •Female teens have more gray matter; male teens have more white matter (grey matter contributes to strong language skills, juggling of multiple tasks) • The hippocampus of girls grows faster than boys, allowing girls to be better at coordinating complex social relationships, recognizing faces, and distinguishing complex emotions. • The hypothalamus, the part of the brain responsible for emotions, sexual desire, and controlling the body’s rhythms ... is smaller in girls, allowing them to sit quietly longer and be less physically aggressive than boys. Yet girls are just as adept at and responsive to musical beats and biological rhythms as boys... • The corpus callosum, which links the two hemispheres of the brain, is significantly larger in females, allowing for greater information transfer between the hemispheres. • The anterior cingulate cortex, located in the frontal lobe ... is larger in girls than boys. It allows for the weighing of options and making decisions. Baker / Edwards, pp. 4-5
- 8. implications? Dori Bakerand Ned Edwards • neuroplasticity, mirroring and the company of peers leads to... • importance of thoughtful ritual (satisfies need for structure and organization) • novelty (calls forth new synaptic connections) • while sitting still may be easy, there is a need for social interaction • feedback and reflection is crucial • centering prayer and breath prayer are richly useful • trusted circles (“girlfriend theology”)
- 9. sacred selves ofadolescent girls (Evelyn Parker) • realization (what is the reality of girls’ lives? can we hear their voices and their truths?) • resistance (what kinds of constructive resistance are possible? who are the models we lift up, the stories we tell? how do we help them to connect with movements?) • resilience (how do we encourage and nurture support? what spiritualities are we inviting them to practice?) • ritual (brings it all together, re-members with God)
- 11. Louie Rodriguez’ “pedagogiesof recognition” • relational recognition: counter cultural in the context of NCLB and the corporatization of secondary education, deeply present in a Mercy charism (realization) • curricular recognition: content that is directly relevant requires speaking to embodied theologies of girls themselves (realization, creates room for resilience) • contextualizing recognition: social context shapes engagement with learning, can we “see” girls amidst social media practices? (realization, creates room for resistance) • pedagogical recognition: pedagogies that disrupt “taken for granted” knowledges, that allow for critical engagement (builds resistance, can draw on ritual) • transformative recognition: education “for what?” (here is where our theological commitments become a rich resource)
- 12. table buzz: whatpedagogies are you drawing upon in your contexts?
- 13.
- 14. what does thislook like in the midst of digital media?
- 15. part two: ananalogy by way of going forward
- 16. first, WHY andthen, HOW
- 17. “This means ofspreading information and knowledge is giving birth to a new way of learning and thinking, with unprecedented opportunities for establishing relationships and building fellowship.” Pope Benedict XVI, 45th World Communications Day
- 18. “As with everyother fruit of human ingenuity, the new communications technologies must be placed at the service of the integral good of the individual and of the whole of humanity. If used wisely, they can contribute to the satisfaction of the desire for meaning, truth and unity which remain the most profound aspirations of each human being.” Pope Benedict XVI, 45th World Communications Day
- 19. “The clear distinctionbetween the producer and consumer of information is relativized and communication appears not only as an exchange of data, but also as a form of sharing.” Pope Benedict XVI, 45th World Communications Day
- 20. “This dynamic hascontributed to a new appreciation of communication itself, which is seen first of all as dialogue, exchange, solidarity and the creation of positive relations. On the other hand, this is contrasted with the limits typical of digital communication: the one-sidedness of the interaction, the tendency to communicate only some parts of one’s interior world, the risk of constructing a false image of oneself, which can become a form of self-indulgence.” Pope Benedict XVI, 45th World Communications Day
- 21. is it typical?or are there practices we can learn which emphasize dialogue, exchange, solidarity and positive relations ?
- 22. HOW: keep inmind adaptive vs. technical challenges
- 23. food • we allrequire it to survive • we are embedded in a culture that offers us a lot of unhealthy choices • the artful practices of preparing and eating food are stressed if not extinct • no clear social consensus
- 24. media • we allrequire communication to survive • we are offered a lot of unhealthy communication practices • artful practices of preparing and engaging in communication are stressed if not extinct • no clear social consensus
- 25. by way ofthe analogy... • help people develop healthy practices around media • encourage a diverse media diet • encourage the production of media • provide ways to share more communally in consuming preproduced media • highlight our unique media of spiritual and religious practice
- 26. for young children •limit commercially produced media consumption • for the times you do engage media, put good pieces in front of them (Common Good radio, Children’s literature, etc.) • institute table prayers and practices (candles, etc.) • invite a biblical imagination into daily practice (Bible Stories for the 40 days) • invite them into civic engagement
- 27. for school agekids • invite them to create media (MyPopStudio, animoto, etc.) • have clear family practices around media use • take charge of your news • choose media with deep theological themes to engage together • choose Wii or Kinect over more solitary or less physical options • engage bullying directly • support them in civic engagement
- 28. for teens • playand learn online together • set clear guidelines for family media use • provide opportunities to create in media • practice open and engaged communication in any medium • confront bullying directly • engage in service together • participate with them in social media • practice digital advocacy together!
- 29. for adults • choosethe Net over cable tv • develop a thoughtful news diet • learn with young people • create in media!
- 30. table buzz: whatwould you share with your table mates for supporting “realization, resilience, resistance and ritual” through digital media?
- 31.
- 32. part three: participatorylearning through creative production
- 33.
- 34. StoryingFaith, Cyberpilgrim, TVbyGirls,Center for Digital Storytelling
- 35.
- 40.
- 41. we are madein the image of God, a God who is communicative within Godself, and in communication with all of God’s Creation
- 42. to understand faithyou need to understand practices
- 43. we know thatfaith has to be nurtured at in community
- 44. to understand mediayou need to understand practices of communication in community
- 45. let’s help girlsto: realize resist be resilient draw on ritual in digital media!
- 46. more info: mhess@luthersem.edu citationsavailable here: http://meh.religioused.org/mercy2013card.pdf