Emerging Trends in Digital Citizenship & Web 2.0 in Pre-Service Teacher Education

1. Emerging Trends in Digital Citizenship & Web 2.0 in Pre-Service Teacher Education Gayle Y. Thieman, Ed. D. Portland State University NCSS-CUFA 11/11/09

2. Purpose • How do pre-service teachers in a graduate teacher education program engage secondary students in digital citizenship to support critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creative problem solving? • Seven year study of student teaching work samples • Examined lessons through lens of National Educational Technology Standards-Students (ISTE, 2007) Partnership for 21st Century Skills (2007), and Civic Mission of Schools (2003)

3. Digital Divide vs. Digital Disconnect • Teachers cite K-12 students’ lack of technology at home or schools as a barrier to incorporating technology into their lessons • Yet more students are coming to school with cell phones, media players, game devices, and laptops Students need to learn how to use multiple technologies as tools for learning, communication, and participation, both locally and globally.

4. NCSS Members Support • More attention to studying controversial issues, multicultural and global issues • Greater emphasis on integrating technology into the curriculum • Stronger linkages of social studies learning to social responsibility and civic action (NCSS Curriculum Standards Revision Committee hearings, NCSS, Houston, 2008) “Social studies educators must provide young people with the awareness and abilities to critically question and create new media and technology, as well as the digital, democratic experiences, necessary to become active participants in the shaping of democracy”. NCSS Position Statement on Media Literacy (NCSS, 2009)

5. Methodology • Initial study of 223 elementary and secondary pre-service teachers in graduate teacher education program (2002-2007) • Follow up study of 35 secondary social studies pre-service teachers (2008-2009) • All pre-service teachers took Instruction/Technology course prior to Student Teaching

6. Initial Findings: K-12 students’ use of technology • 50% of work samples and reflections documented K-12 students’ use of technology in creativity and innovation, communication and collaboration, and research and information fluency. (2002-2007) • Little evidence that K-12 students used technology to support critical thinking, problem solving, and decision-making. • Richest examples of digital citizenship were seen in social studies work samples (N=42)

7. Follow-up Study Examines Social Studies Work Samples for Secondary Students’ Demonstration of Digital Citizenship (2008-2009) 1) Responsible citizens are informed; they are able to access, research, manage, evaluate and use information. 2) Informed citizens understand complex public issues and diverse perspectives. 3) Competent citizens think critically and creatively, evaluate and make informed decisions. 4) Effective citizens communicate with diverse audiences. 5) Committed citizens work collaboratively to solve problems.

8. Findings from Secondary Social Studies Work Samples (N=47) 1. Responsible citizens are informed: able to access, research, manage, evaluate & use information • Online primary sources • role of women in ancient Rome • Socratic Seminar on revolutions • Historical data on lynchings • Electoral college maps

9. 1. Responsible citizens are informed: able to access, research, manage, evaluate, and use information • Music and Video Clips • Analyze lyrics from 1920’s, 1960’s, contemporary rap • Access online digital video libraries: Kennedy-Nixon debates, Harlem Renaissance, New deal, election campaigns of 1964-2004. • Podcast on 19th century reform movements • Images • Digital photos of U.S. southwest, Central American cultures; political and historical cartoons, consumer ads, interactive map activities—Google Earth

10. 2. Informed citizens understand complex public issues and diverse perspectives • Comparison and contrast, multiple perspectives • Obama economic stimulus plan & New Deal policies • U.S. & U.S.S.R. Cold War propaganda • Axis versus Allied perspectives during World War II • MLK “I Have a Dream Speech” & Obama speech on race • Northern and southern perspectives prior to Civil War—quotes from former slaves, historic figures & legislation • Porta Portal accounts to organize digital resources & facilitate students’ research • Web-Quests on abolitionist movement & contemporary social justice issues

11. 3. Competent citizens think critically & creatively, evaluate & make informed decisions • Graph Chinese government policy over time to illustrate ideological vs. pragmatic orientations • Write “I am from” poems from African American perspective—GI returning home to Jim Crow and racism; female Liberty Ship worker fired to make way for returning soldiers • Examined digital photos of historic sites & created dough art replicas • Created newsletter, artwork, poetry from perspective of Japanese internees • Created civil war personality and “My America Facepage” from avatar’s perspective

12. 4. Effective Citizens Communicate with Diverse Audiences • From interviews and traditional letters to digital emails & wiki postings • Interviewed family members about reform movements • Wrote letters to Presidents Bush & Fox re: problems in Mexico • Wrote letters to Senators re: US immigration policy; Representatives re: Economic Stimulus Act • Teachers created wikis

13. 5. Committed citizens work collaboratively to solve problems. • Cooperative learning groups on a variety of topics • Shared their knowledge through role plays, skits, simulations, multimedia presentations, web-quests. • No students used collaborative digital tools, e.g., Google docs or international projects, I-Earn • Teachers selected problems or issues to reflect state or district curriculum standards • Students’ conclusions communicated only to the teacher or fellow classmates.

14. Continuing Challenges • Students more adept at social use of emerging technologies than for academic or civic purposes • Digital divide between technologically rich and poor schools and students • Digital disconnect between tech savvy students and tech phobic teachers (Friedman and Hicks, 2006) • Students required to “power down” when they enter the classroom (O’Brien 2008) • Few connections between students’ online activity and civic matters • Need to better integrate social and public worlds of young people online (Bennett, 2008)