Class 5 article

Confronting the Challenges
of Participatory Culture:
Media Education for the
21st Century
Henry Jenkins, Director of the Comparative Media Studies Program
at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
with
Katie Clinton
Ravi Purushotma
Alice J.Robison
Margaret Weigel

The above article is a very thought provoking one. How well are schools and communities using, and recognizing, the power of Media creation and participation by our youth. Schools and communities seem to demonize the On-Line-Culture instead of seeing it as a valuable set of resources. There in now an apparent gap in the whole Socialist line of thinking that no one should have anything, what so ever, those others do not also have. Well may be I'm over reacting but lets face it. The idea of making all things equal is unrealistic. Instead we should provide opportunities. It is not societies fault that some grow up in less favorable conditions. So, society should not try to some how make up for this loss rather it should encourage more favorable conditions and provide as many opportunities as possible to all of its citizens, allowing for the reality that some will distinguish them selves and have, I know it's a bad word, more.

All of this being said, it seems that a partially agree with the article. Participation can be a powerful tool, and yes we should guide and nurture students’ involvement with media and it creation. Ethics are important, as well as on-line safety. Whenever our children are unsupervised they are outside of our protection. The reality is that we want the most for our children and we have a powerful impulse to protect them. Some parents protect their children by limiting the Childs access in unnecessary ways, as do schools, and the rest let their children have unfettered and uninformed access. What is at the root of this problem, why are the adults doing such a bad job?

There are two reasons. One, adults simply have no idea what’s out there, and thus don't know its value or its liability. So, if we don't understand something then we either think it harmless or we are leery of it. Two, technology is evolving faster than adults and institutions can keep up with it. As soon as we find a way to incorporate it into education new technology has taken its place and our kids.

What’s the real solution? Schools need to accept the above realities, and allow teachers and students to freely evolve with it. Schools need to have reps that can in-service the staff and help them adapt. Once schools get use to incorporating, and stepping with technology they will be as use to it a many students already are. Students' with actively involved parents will still be ahead but there will in effect be a smaller gap because schools gave an opportunity.