Spotlight MacArthur Foundation

Online Social Networks in the Lives of Teens: “A Gateway That Keeps You Current”

Produced by Ben Wolff

StudentSpeak Webisode 5/ View more Spotlight videos

In this edition of StudentSpeak, high school seniors George and James report back on their social networking furloughs (both tried to avoid social media for at least a week) and sum up the lessons they learned from the experience.

So how did it feel to not use Facebook?

“The first time I kind of freaked out was on Valentine’s Day,” said James, explaining that he usually uses the public platform to wish his girlfriend a Happy Valentine’s Day. But the day turned out OK: The couple hung out and went to dinner.

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Survey: Students Take “Free-Agent Learner” Approach to Education

Filed by Christine C. • March 19, 2010

A national education survey found that students are increasingly creating personalized learning experiences, using a wide range of outside-the-classroom resources, technologies and collaboration with other students.

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PLAYBACK: C-SPAN Makes Video Archives Available Online, Redefining Education

Filed by Christine C. • March 18, 2010

Plus: The trustworthiness of Wikipedia; university dorms do away with land-line phones; explaining the vision of digital media learning; and Intel science winners—all in Spotlight’s Digital Media and Learning news round-up.

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How Would You Reimagine Learning?

Filed by Sarah J. • March 17, 2010

New federal online portal asks the public for educational solutions and design ideas.

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Webinar on Networking and Negotiation as Skills in a Global Classroom

Filed by Sarah J. • March 15, 2010

Project New Media Literacies presents the second installment of its professional development series for educators, “Networking and Negotiation as Skills in a Global Classroom,” on Thursday, March 18 at 7 p.m. (EST).  To join the webinar, visit the Elluminate Meeting Room.

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PLAYBACK: Survey: Teachers Choose Digital Classroom Resources Over Textbooks

Filed by Christine C. • March 12, 2010

Plus: Cyber-Bullying and the law; Teens check out digital space at public library; Learning through remixing and more—all in Spotlight’s Digital Media and Learning News Round-Up.

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Can Cell Phones Help Teach Math?

Filed by Sarah J. • March 10, 2010

When high school math teachers in rural North Carolina experimented with giving students problem sets via smartphones they found surprising and promising results.

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How Mozilla and Open Source Culture Can Inform Open Government Initiatives

Filed by Barbara R. • March 9, 2010

Open source software has an illustrious history, fervent advocates and a quixotic stance in a capitalist climate. Can it also be a model for open government and civic action?

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Women in Sciences - Progress Stalled?

Filed by Christine C. • March 8, 2010

An in-depth article looks at the importance of women in STEM careers and what can be done to encourage more participation.

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To be Young, Digital, and Black

Filed by Josh Karp

As the digital divide closes, thanks in no small part to mobile media, the question is no longer who’s using digital media, but how.  Are African American youth engaging with digital in dynamic ways that will help them develop useful skills and greater capabilities?

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Does Race Matter Online? Digital Media and Learning in Multicultural Contexts

Produced by Ben Wolff • March 4, 2010

To Be Young, Digital & Black/ View more Spotlight videos

“African American youth are just as likely to use social networking sites as any other young population in the United States,” says S. Craig Watkins, associate professor of media studies at the University of Texas at Austin. “The access gap more or less has been addressed, and now what researchers are turning their attention to is what we call the participation gap.”

This “participation gap” refers to how youth of color engage with digital media. The concern is that they may be using technologies and tools that are less likely to encourage the development of sophisticated skill sets and literacies.  Watkins was the keynote speaker at a public forum, “To Be Young Digital and Black,” held at Morehouse College in February and sponsored by the United Negro College Fund with support from the MacArthur Foundation.

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