Using media

In discussing how we can incorporate play and media into our classrooms, the overarching themes seem to be how we can best organize and simplify directions, so as to avoid distractions and remain on task. 

            In the MacArthur Foundation Report on Digital Media and Learning, they mention the fact that digital media has truly restructured the way that our students play.  Their socialization has increased two-fold, and it seems imperative that we find a way to incorporate aspects of the peer to peer social networking they do on a daily basis into our classrooms.  If we utilize the new gaming technology in an educational format, then our children will be excited to learn new information in an informative and relatable setting.

            Furthermore, in assessing the peer to peer learning that occurs through new media or technology, Will Richardson comments on the fact that students seem motivated to learn through each other’s autonomy, sometimes to a greater extent than through the teacher’s lessons.  He says, “Kids respect other’s knowledge online because their knowledge and expertise is transparent in ways they haven’t been in the past.”  In this way, kids can relate to each other’s interests and connect around shared passions.  If we, as teachers, can find a way to incorporate this sense of autonomy and exploration into our classrooms, than we will truly be making the most out of the ever-expanding technological world that we live in.