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Multidisciplinary

Meeting the Needs of Adolescent Learners with Media and Technology

by Rebecca Lawson

Middle school students October is Month of the Young Adolescent (MOYA), a time to celebrate the skills and accomplishments of 10 to 15-year-olds while focusing on the unique needs of this age group. During these years when young bodies and minds are changing rapidly, educators must be mindful of providing academically rigorous learning while supporting the developmental and social needs of the middle level student.

This We Believe: Successful Schools for Young Adolescents, the foundational position paper of National Middle School Association (NMSA), describes the characteristics that such schools must exhibit. Among the recommendations are that learning must be relevant, challenging, integrative, exploratory, collaborative, and active. Students must be able to see how subjects are connected and how learning is connected to their lives. They must be led to use critical and higher order thinking skills and experience a variety of teaching methods. I can think of no better way to address these needs than through the use of technology and media!

Media Makes a Difference in Learning!

When I think about the impact of technology and media on today’s learning, I remember 1986, early in my teaching career. Students in our junior high’s gifted and talented program were assigned the task of researching and exploring conflict and how it shaped our world. Eagerly we went to our school’s library to access the only available resource for finding “current” information — Readers’ Guide to Periodical Literature, a paperback published bi-weekly listing all the articles printed in magazines and journals during that time. Unfortunately, almost all the relevant articles were in publications not found in — and not appropriate for — our library.

Fast forward a dozen years to a computer lab in the same school. Students were researching a topic using DISCUS, South Carolina’s Virtual Library. In one day’s time, hundreds of new articles were posted about this particular topic. Many of the articles were in magazines and journals that had not even reached newsstands and libraries; yet, we could use them from the comfort of our school and homes. Using information that is made available as soon as an event happens impresses upon students that learning is connected to their lives, both now and in the future.

Today’s student must be equipped with skills to quickly find and use information, then create new learning from it. Our task is finding the best resources and incorporating them seamlessly into lessons that promote critical thinking, entice students to dig deeper due to a desire to know more, and encourage them to reach higher levels of learning than they thought possible. The result will be citizens who have the skills for life-long learning that are essential for success. The following resources may be useful as we strive to reach this goal.

Embracing Online Collaboration

The first time I realized the Internet’s potential for education was about 1992, when my students and I became part of the KIDLINK community. Begun in 1990 in Norway, KIDLINK’s purposes include promoting understanding between the youth in many countries while helping them develop life skills, set goals, and understand their potential to promote positive change in the world. This is done through volunteer-managed collaborative projects and online communication. There is no fee for KIDLINK activities. To learn more, visit KIDPROJ.

KIDLINK opened the world to my students and me. Since they were writing for their faraway friends, the quality of work drastically improved. The computer lab was abuzz after school as students stayed to participate in IRC chats and to e-mail fellow KIDLINKers. Realizing that their peers in other countries might use different words than we, students were challenged to find common words with which to communicate their ideas. As our circle of friends grew, concepts from geography class, which had previously been “only words in an old book,” became relevant and made sense.

In addition to KIDLINK, Global SchoolNet provides free access to projects and a wealth of online information. Also, many entities, including iEarn (International Education and Resource Network), provide online collaborations for a fee.

Connecting with Skype

Recently educators have begun using a newer tool for collaboration: Skype. Visit the National Middle School Association Web site to hear how Bill Ivey’s students in Massachusetts used Skype to collaborate with students in New York City.

During the past school year, Steve Climie, current principal of Chief Zzeh Gittlit School in Old Crow, Yukon Territory, and his students used Skype to connect with students in Birmingham, Alabama. The students learned about the differences in their cultures, jobs parents do, and types of food eaten. In addition, the students gained confidence in speaking before groups.

Empowering Students to Produce Media

Web 2.0 provides a platform that entices young adolescents to perform at their highest potential. The podcasts and vodcasts created at Mabry Middle School in Georgia demonstrate the scholarly work possible when students are engaged in creative self-directed learning (click on Podcast Central or the 2007 Film Festival). As one participate said, “Making a movie is like learning on steroids.”

Additional examples of student-created media about adolescence and the middle school experience can be seen and heard on the NMSA Web site.

Using Media to Promote Problem Solving and Thinking Skills

Middle schoolers respond well to hands-on, active learning. Working in collaborative groups to solve problems and create projects entices students to develop critical thinking skills while mastering standards in the four academic areas. PBS’s Design Squad provides games and numerous projects that challenge the brain. In addition, videos of full episodes from the television series may be watched online.

Promoting Health, Wellness, and Safety

While providing academically challenging learning in schools for adolescents is paramount, it is not enough. Students must also develop interpersonal skills and learn to live healthy lives.
World health officials are quite concerned about the well-being of today’s youth. Poor lifestyle choices fueled by peer pressure, unrealistic body images portrayed by the media, and media filled with violence and sexual activity have created an environment that leads researchers to believe the youth of today may have a lifespan shorter than that of their parents.

As educators, we must use the media to educate our students about the risks. Numerous Web sites are available. An example is the PBS site It’s My Life, which contains information and activities to help students deal positively with key issues for young adolescents — friends, family, school, body (food, puberty, eating disorders, tobacco and alcohol), emotions, and money. Each concept is reinforced with games. The design of the site is also very appealing to 10 to 15-year-olds.

Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty provides online videos to help young girls realize their natural beauty.

NMSA produces several resources to assist educators in combating the downward spiral of teen health. Included is a presentation that can be downloaded from the Web site.

Now It Is Your Turn

These ideas are only a few to get our conversation started. Please share your knowledge and experiences about how media impacts teaching and learning. We welcome stories from your classrooms/schools, information about additional resources, and your comments. Only with your input can our learning community come alive.

More like this: Multidisciplinary, Grades 6-8

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My students have also enjoyed doing some of Brenda Dyck’s projects… “Excuse Busters,” and “She’s Not Just a Pretty Face” in particular. My advisory group took on the first, and my Humanities class the second. These (and other award-winning projects) are linked from http://www.masters.ab.ca/bdyck/bd/new_page9.htm.

Posted by Bill, 10:37PM 10/09/08

Hi Rebecca,

I teach multimedia at the high school level. This past year my students had the opportunity to collaborate on a project with 8th grade students from an inner city school in South Central Los Angeles. Together we produced a 30-minute documentary film about the United Nation�s 8 Millennium Goals.

Fifteen years ago, the only resource the students would have had for the project would have been the books in the library. Today, through the use of technology, the students still had the ability to read professional journals but also had the opportunity to connect with people outside of their geographic area. Technology brought this project to life and helped students from both communities see the world as it is. They became more aware of the problems people around the globe face on a daily basis. The students became inspired. We had the opportunity to send several students from the junior high school in South Central Los Angeles to Honduras where they served as ambassadors for the project. While there, the students had the opportunity to meet with the President and First Lady of Honduras to discuss the state of education in that country. The culminating event of the project took place about three weeks ago at the UNESCO facility in Paris, France. I had the privilege of bringing two of my students to the United Nation�s DPI/NGO conference. This year�s theme was �Reaffirming Human Rights for All�. My students had the opportunity to sit on a panel and discuss how media can be used to discuss human rights in the classroom.

Just a few years ago, it would have been impossible to have shot an edited a film at the high school level. Today, the technology is readily available and affordable. My students used to read about the world, now they touch it. Imagine having the ability to have your students conduct research, work with diverse groups of people, create their own music, write-write-and write some more, coordinate production with film crews in different locations around the globe, find appropriate footage and secure the rights to use it, and bring the project in ahead of schedule and under budget. As an educator, I can�t begin to tell you how exciting it was to know how this project touched the lives of all the students who participated in it. I know they will never see the world the same again, and for that we are all the better.

Best,
Joseph Fatheree

P.S.
If you are interested, here is short sample of a clip. It can be seen by going to this address: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLunwtONJas&feature=related

Posted by Joe Fatheree, 10:48PM 10/13/08

Bill, Thank you for sharing Brenda’s projects and the experiences your students had with them. Her work is always thoughtful and exceptionally well done.

I was planning to add her “Eleanor Rigby” project when I saw Joseph’s post. The two fit well together. For those not familiar with the project, it helps all of us - students and adults - remove the mask and the stereotype from homelessness. You may view the project at the link Bill posted. (Brenda is also editor of MidLink magazine, which highlights exemplary student work. MidLink Magazine

For those who have not accepted Joseph’s invitation to view the clip of his students’ work, you have missed a treat!

How many “standards” do you believe Joseph’s students mastered while collaborating with the students in Los Angeles, supporting the trip to Honduras, researching, handling the business necessary, and creating the documentary? The probabilities are massive … and along the way their work must have had a huge impact on their character - and that of others.

Congratulations, Joseph, and thanks for making our world a better place through your students.

Posted by Rebecca Lawson, 8:59PM 10/16/08

….another thing ..
Joseph, do you have a website about the project and other work your students have done? If so, please post it.

Posted by Rebecca Lawson, 9:03PM 10/16/08

Rebecca,
I think media literacy is one of those things that, while perhaps not being explicitly outlined in state standards, are essential skills for today’s students. I have tackled this in a number of ways in my science classroom. One of our discussions revolves around air pollution. I have my students generate propaganda posters with “facts” they find online about air pollution. We then discuss the reality of those “facts” and how much propaganda was used in the original presentation of those facts. This has really gotten my students thinking about what they read online, and even what they see on television.
Additionally, I have had students begin to use podcasting and a wiki to help them with digital literacy in the 21st Century. Last year, we generated a list of 80 different topics related to human body systems. Students did research and generated 3 to 5 minute podcasts about their selected topic. These were posted to my webpage and students were allowed to go in and listen to others research. Students who never would have edited their writing were recording their podcasts 5 and 10 times. One group actually tried 15 times to record their podcast and get it “just right”. Those podcasts can be heard at http://williamsonscience.wordpress.com/body-systems-podcasts
My most recent endeavor has been to get my students involved in a wiki. This helps teach the collaborative nature of of the Internet. It is also wonderful for teaching editing skills and online citation. The current form of the wiki (very early) is available at http://williamsonscience.pbwiki.com

Posted by Todd Williamson, 8:05AM 10/17/08

�Technology dramatically alters teaching styles pedagogy comes from Greek verb meaning to lead and education itself comes from the Latin word to lead forth both imply the active leader herding a flock of passive followers. But the essence of the coming integrated, universal multimedia, digital network is discovery-the empowerment of human minds to learn spontaneously without coercion, both independently and cooperatively. The focus is on learning as an action that is done by and not done to the actor�.

This quote, by Lewis Perelman, best describes the necessary shift from a compliant, externally stimulated learning environment which is based primarily on directed instruction, to a more constructivist model which provides interactive activities where students work together using higher level thinking skills as they attempt to solve complex problems. While studying community, technology as a tool has allowed students to develop basic literacy skills as well as create projects that exhibit a deep understanding of historical concepts.
At the Skowhegan Area Middle school our students have created a multitude of media projects using both iMovie and Garage Band. They have documented history in rich and exciting ways. Here is the URL for their historical podcasts and documentaries. LINK=http://www.msad54.org/sams/ There are many examples of kids creating great media projects.

Posted by Laura Richter, 11:55AM 10/18/08

Our seventh and eighth grade students in Maine are lucky ducks because of a program which places a laptop with each student for the entire year AND teachers as well. It’s in its 4th year and what a tremendous learning experience and opportunity it’s been for all involved. Communication and presentation of ideas has been the biggest impact. Digital storytelling has to be the number pick for me when asked about a successful media project. Two years in a row eighth grade student have created these short multi media presentation. Last year the projects were presented at the promotion ceremony and what an applause they received.

Posted by Jacquie, 8:11AM 10/19/08

Rebecca,

My district in Illinois encourages and supports the use of technology with a department of 5 very creative and dedicated individuals. That has not only enriched the instruction that I am able to deliver to my students but also helped develop my own use of technology.

Take for example a unit that I have just completed with my 8th grade language arts students. Toward the end of September I decided to capitalize on the current election to introduce my students to the process of research and the use of language to persuade. So, I decided to ask my students to make a political ad for their favorite candidate.

These were my general objectives:
To introduce the need to support one’s perspective with facts; to explore how language can be used to convey or distort the truth or promote lies;to discover how to research information for the truth and check facts; to use language to persuade; to use music to communicate mood; to respect the views of others and to discuss alternative views respectfully; to introduce citing sources; to introduce the software PhotoStory.

I began the unit by asking my students to share their thoughts on the current campaign for president. As expected, there was a great deal of passion for their chosen candidate and not a great deal of substance or knowledge to back it up. Much of what was shared as evidence to support their particular point of view were the accusations hurled by both candidates at one another. It was less about what their chosen candidate stood for and more about what the opposing candidate was accused of saying or doing.

So, we decided to take a look at the strategies that campaigns use in producing their advertisements for their candidates. We looked at political campaigns from 1962 to the present and identified the strategies used to persuade: fear, children, patriotism, biography, etc., using the information found at this website: http://www.livingroomcandidate.org. We collectively generated a list of what we had heard about each of the candidates (regardless of the accuracy of the claim) and then set off to discover if those claims were true. They soon discovered that many were not or were distortions of the truth. We explored how taking a statement out of context can change what was actually said, a strategy often used to persuade. All of my young students could relate to this technique as almost all of them had experienced this to some degree in their own lives. It also lead to a discussion about how it is hard, once a lie is out there, to convince people of the truth. We used the following website for assistance with fact checking: http://www.factcheck.org.

Each student was then asked to select a candidate of their choice and research where that candidate stood on the important issues of this campaign. This is where the nuances of differences were discovered - also very eye opening. The primary website we used to gather this information was http://www.glassbooth.org. The students were to do this with the intent of generating a 30-60 second advertisement promoting the candidate of their choice - with one caveat: the commercial had to be positive, focused on their chosen candidate only, and completely accurate in its claims. They were asked to use as many positive words from Newt Gingrich’s “Language: A Key Mechanism of Control” (1990), a list of both positive and negative words the Republican party generated in 1990, the democratic party expressed great outrage over - and then immediately adopted! Ah, you’ve got to love politics!

My tech person contacted Associated Press and secured approval to use their images for educational use. She selected copyrighted music and placed that in a folder for the kids to access. She came in and taught the PhotoStory software, how to access the AP photos, etc. and designed the rubric for the technology piece. I designed the one for the content of the ads. The entire process took 2 weeks to complete and 2 days to assess. The results were AMAZING!

Posted by Lynn Bruno, 11:07AM 10/19/08

Greetings, Everone. There are standards that address information, media, and visual literacies. These are the standards of library media specialists. They can be accessed at http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/aaslproftools/learningstandards/AASL_Learning_Standards_2007.pdf I agree with Jacquie that digital storytelling is a powerful tool in the classroom. At our school, we currently have 8th graders working on a choice of digital storytelling or movie project and a 7th grade class has almost completed a wiki on web 2.0 tools. We are preparing to create individual student blogs to represent opposing viewpoints on controversial topics. Not long ago I collaborated with another media specialist to hold a book discussion via Skype. Students are engaged because these types of activities are geared toward the brains of digital natives and they make connections to their own lives. The student run morning news station creates a podcast each week to inform parents what announcements students hear throughout the week. This is a simple way to delve into new territory if you haven’t yet done so. It can be accessed at http://bjordan.podbean.com For those who have yet to attempt some of these tools that have been mentioned throughout the comments, I highly recommend that you become a member (free) of a ning such as Classroom 2.0 http://www.classroom20.com/ And, if you need information in plain English about what these tools are visit http://www.commoncraft.com/show One thing I don’t believe I have seen addressed thus far is ethics. Information ethics is a vital part of our current and future society and should always be addressed with students. I apologize for the length of this comment. As you can tell, I am very much excited about this topic and the possibilities.

Posted by Betty Jordan, 3:10PM 10/19/08

Hi Rebecca,
This past weekend I attended a social studies conference in Banff, Alberta. One of the keynote speakers (Nikos Theodosakis) was quiet spectacular and talked about the use of film in the classroom- or how filmmaking inspired learning.
I loved what he said about the place film making has in the classroom:
“We need filmmaking in the classroom, not to graduate filmmakers, but to graduate probelm solvers, critical thinkers and passionate people who can work with others to make that which does not yet exist, real.”
Nikos also looks at a topic many of us are wondering about. How do we engage 21st century learners in learning- how do we harness student passion to the learning process? Or as Niko puts it:
“Given a choice between a school and a studio, where would you rather wake up and go to in the morning?”
To find out how truly eclectic this speaker is, go to his web site:
http://www.nikostheodosakis.com/
Here is one of Nikos’ resources that you might find interesting: http://www.thedirectorintheclassroom.com/tdicpresentation.pdf

~ Brenda Dyck
instructor, University of Alberta
Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Posted by Brenda Dyck, 5:31PM 10/20/08

What great comments and resources! We are fortunate that those who “Walk the Talk” have taken time to share with us. Be sure to follow the links they have posted and add some of your own.

Posted by Rebecca Lawson, 11:07PM 10/20/08

Hi Rebecca,

What a great job you are doing as this month’s expert for Media Infusion. I would like to take this opportunity to share my stock market unit. Over the years my students have really enjoyed gaining a basic introduction to how the stock market works as they use their technology skills. Considering the recent turmoil in the economy, this is an excellent time to introduce this to students. You can access this lesson at http://www.rock-hill.k12.sc.us/teachers/rhhs/ppoag/Money-2/money1.htm. The link to Edustock is not currently working, but I have included an alternate introductory assignment.

Posted by Pam Poag, 10:37AM 10/28/08

Pam, you are so right about the stock market unit. The students say this is one of the most important things they learn in my class because it directly impact their lives. We watched the day Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac began to fall. They were amazed. This led to students reading the newspaper and watching the news so they could bring information to share the next day. (This was not an assignment. It was natural.)
For those who have not used the EduStock unit, it is a ThinkQuest project created by students. It is again working.
If any of you teach keyboarding, I recommend your checking out Pam’s video on proper keyboarding techniques. The first time I showed it to a class, they immediately - without being prompted - started doing everything she said. This “miracle” happens every time I show it. You may find it at http://www.rock-hill.k12.sc.us/teachers/rhhs/ppoag/Lessons.htm Clcik on “Strike it Right.”

Posted by Rebecca Lawson, 12:34AM 10/30/08

Hello Rebecca,
Thank you for sharing all this wondeful information! My name is Jamie, and I am a sophomore at the University of Charleston in WV majoring in English Education. I am currently taking an educational technology course. What suggestions could you (and others!) provide me for using the Internet in my future classroom, considering what is realistic for a beginning teacher? Why is it important for secondary students to be skilled in Internet usage?

Posted by Jamie K., 6:15PM 10/31/08

Thank you Laura and Jacquie for posting about the great opportunities middle level students in Maine have because of the one-to-one initiative there. In addition to providing the equipment, Maine also provides outstanding professional development activities to help educators learn how to improve instruction with technology.

As example are the projects posted at the link Laura provided. In addition to the work on historical projects, the one about Internet safety is well done. It would be a nice addition to lessons about this topic and online etiquette.

Posted by Rebecca Lawson, 9:23PM 11/02/08

Posted by Rebecca , 9:29PM 11/02/08

Todd, thanks for posting the links to your students’ projects. To see more of Todd’s work, check out his wiki
http://edtechcheapskate.wikispaces.com/ Todd also created a ning for discussing middle level issues

Posted by Rebecca Lawson, 10:23PM 11/02/08

Jamie,
Thanks for your question. This blog will go to archive on Monday, November 3; therefore, we won’t be able to answer you here. Please email me and I’ll point you to some places where veteran teachers will talk with you about this topic. RLawson@rock-hill.k12.sc.us

Posted by Rebecca Lawson, 10:35PM 11/02/08

Dear Blog Readers,

Now it’s November and time for a new PBS MediaInfusion blog. It has been an honor to be the guest blogger during October and Month of the Young. Please accept my thanks to those of you who read and especially to those who posted.

The postings by Betty, Lynn, and Brenda show these ladies are thinking deeply and introducing students to the skills demonstrated during the 2008 NMSA Conference in Denver this week. Alan November, Will Richardson, and others challenged us to make school relevant to the lives of our students by allowing them to incorporate the technologies they use outside of school in their education.

To see videos about the events at the conference, read reviews of the keynotes, and learn about the 21st Century Classroom, visit both the National Middle School Association website and the conference ning.

Much of the information presented by Will Richardson may be accessed at his wiki. He pointed out that schools are preparing students well for today; however, schools are not preparing students for life in the future.

Just as Gen Y stays connected through social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace, we must provide opportunities for them to connect globablly through and about their academic work. Alan November demonstated this when he used video Skype (a free program) to have a video conference with an 11-year-old girl in Hong Kong.

NMSA has recently partnered with ePals and SchoolTube (both free programs) to help in your endeavors.

As we put the wraps on the live version of this blog, I’d like to thank PBS for its support. Jenny guided me every step of the way in writing and posting the blog. A highlight of the NMSA conference was getting to meet her while she demonstrated PBS Teachers. Be sure to add this site to your bookmarks to keep up-to-date on new resources. Also, to enhance your experience with PBS resources, join PBS Teachers Connect, a social networking site just for you.

If you would like to access the information here again, click on “all the authors” in the MediaInfusion bar at the top of current month’s blog.

Check back next week to read November’s blog and share the excitement as PBS reveals a new product.

Hoping to connect with you online or in person soon - perhaps November 5 - 7, 2009 in Indianapolis, when NMSA’s conference will be dedicated to “Making a World of Difference.”
Rebecca

Posted by Rebecca Lawson, 12:27AM 11/03/08

Thank you, Rebecca, and thanks to everyone who visited and commented this month. We hope you will join us in November when Gina Montefusco blogs about the exciting new PBS KIDS Island, a site full of games designed to help young children develop early literacy skills.

Sincerely,

Jenny Bradbury
PBS Teachers

Posted by Jenny Bradbury, 9:40AM 11/03/08

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