As
I reflect on the content of this course I realize how complex 21st
century society is. Some of us are connected through so many electronic devices
while others are still waiting for ubiquitous internet. Those without the
access are crippled in terms of participation in our digitally wired civilization,
while those with access are citizens of a participatory culture that is
designing our future. Prior to this course there was a lot that I used to take
for granted in terms of computer technology, access to it, and its usage. Through
this course I have learned that computers and other digital devices are
gateways to participatory cultures that have “relatively low barriers to
artistic expression and civic engagement, strong support for creating and
sharing creations, and some type of informal mentorship whereby experienced
participants pass along knowledge to novices.” (Jenkins 2006, p. 3) It is an ecosystem that explores, creates, and
develops content. “New media positions their users
in society, making them both producers and consumers of information,” (Bennett
2008, p. 9) It has also developed a new area of linguistics outside of
the technical binary language of the devices they use. “There is a widely held
intuition that some sort of Netspeak exists – a type of language displaying
features that are unique to the Internet, and encountered in all the above
situations, arising out of its character as a medium which is electronic,
global, and interactive.” (Crystal 2004, p.18)
There
are some hindrances to participatory cultures. One of them is a gap, which to
some extent intersects others such as the gaps in wealth and achievement,
called the participation gap. It is “the unequal access to the opportunities,
experiences, skills, and knowledge that will prepare youth for full
participation in the world of tomorrow.” (Jenkins 2006, p. 3) There are also issues
surrounding constitutional rights such as freedoms to speak and assemble in
regards to network neutrality caused by capitalistic ventures involving the
blocking of internet content delivery without the user’s knowledge. “Internet
freedom matters because the internet is the modern printing press distributed
to all of us. It is the infrastructure for us to exercise our freedom to speak,
read, and connect with others. These freedoms are basic to democracy and for
individuals to control their own lives and reach their full potential.” (Ammori
2013) A loss of such online freedom would hinder the creation some of the most
valuable digital content, users of all ages, genders and ethnicities. “More
than one-half of all teens have created media content, and roughly one third of
teens who use the Internet have shared content they produced. Contrary to
popular stereotypes, these activities are not restricted to white suburban
males. In fact, urban youth (40 percent) are somewhat more likely than their
suburban (28 percent) or rural (38 percent) counterparts to be media creators.
Girls aged 15-17 (27 percent) are more likely than boys their age (17 percent)
to be involved with blogging or other social activities online.” (Jenkins 2006,
pp. 3 & 6)
Moving
forward, the knowledge I have gained through the content of this course will
assist me as I develop programs and curriculum. During the next year I will be
working with a community agency to set up an outreach program that will address
the participation gap. In addition I am working to establish a charter school
for at risk middle school students in the Syracuse area. I will ensure that new
literacy is an intricate part of the curriculum.
