Mission US: A game to understand American history on a deeper level

Mission US is a game developed by WNET THIRTEEN, and is geared towards middle and high school students. Players can pick one of four scenarios, all at transformative moments in US history, and play as an avatar living during that time. I chose to play Mission 4: City of Immigrants in which you play as a 14 year old Jewish immigrant from Russia who is making her way in NYC, but you can also play as characters during the American Revolution, Antebellum South, and American expansion west. The simulations provide an interactive and engaging lens through which to examine history, while also challenging students to think critically every step of the way by recreating life during those eras. 

I really enjoyed playing this game and spent more time than I probably needed to with it. It takes the form of a role playing game, and allows you to put yourself in the shoes of your avatar. While playing as Lena Brodsky, a 14 year old Jewish immigrant from Russia, I was able to gain a new perspective on the time period. Specifically, I was able to feel how disorienting it must have been for someone in Lena's shoes to navigate a city in which she doesn't speak the language, or know barely anyone. This is invaluable for students of history as a textbook can only go so far in creating a relatable experience. The game puts students in the shoes of someone from the time period allowing them to make decisions and truly empathize with people of the era.

http://www.mission-us.org/

Interview with X

For this assignment I chose to interview X, my next door neighbor. X is in 10th grade, and he and I have known each other for the past four years. I met X after he and his family moved into the house next to mine. Our backyards border each other, and there is no fence to separate them. Being X and I are on the same schedule, I often see him a lot during the summer, and we sometimes toss a frisbee in the backyard. While we still remain friendly, as he has gotten older and more concerned with friends, X and I have seen each other less. One thing that I have noticed in recent years is when he and his family are out in the yard, he is often glued to his iPhone. Despite it being totally commonplace, it is a bizarre scene to gaze upon... X's dad is a professional cellist, and the family often sits outside during the twilight hours as dad plays, but almost without exception X is zeroed in on his phone not listening to, or paying attention to his parents.

When I first knocked on X's door to ask to interview him, he was reluctant. It wasn't that he didn't want to talk, but was concerned that his friends would find out and he would somehow be perceived as less cool. Once I quelled his anxieties, and told him none of his friends would have any idea about the interview, he agreed. We spoke at length two times over the past week, once at his house, and once on my front stoop. Our conversations were insightful for me, but it seemed that X  did not have many self-reflective moments as a result of articulating his social media and technology habits. One conclusion that I drew from our conversation is how challenging it is for young people to even recognize tech dependence for those who grew up in an era where there was never any other reality. Throughout this course I have often remarked on my own experience as what I feel is the last generation to not experience a 24/7 connected life. I did not have a smart phone until after college, which I think is very important in terms of being conscious of tech use. I remember the time before people had instant access to everything, and am nostalgic for it. Because I have experience in that world, it is easier for me to try and replicate that way of life for myself and my family. I don't think the same is true of the generation that X belongs to. The only reality they know is having a smartphone and being connected 24/7. They have never had to wait on a line, or stand on the subway without a computer in their pocket. They never had to pick up the phone to call someone because texting wasn't an option. They never had to meet someone face to face for the first time without first connecting on social media. To be honest, the more I reflected on the interview, the sadder I became. I am concerned with the direction the human experience is going and I place much of the blame on the unconscious use of things like social media. Don't get me wrong, I am in no way anti-technology. I certainly recognize the power of digital literacies, and the huge benefits the new landscape brings to society. It just feels that there are not enough conversations about responsible use, especially as it pertains to young folks. Highlights from the interview below.


Time spent on social media: X reported that he is on Instagram most, but also uses Facebook, Vine, Snap Chat and Twitter. When I asked to him to estimate how many hours per day he used all of these sights combined, he said 4 hours sounded right for school days, and maybe 5 on weekends. X reported that he felt this was reflective of his friends and most high schoolers, too. When I asked him if he thought that was excessive, he told me "no" without hesitation.

Uses for social media: X told  me that Instagram was used to show "cool stuff." to your friends. When I asked him to elaborate, he told me you could post pics of cool stuff you see around the city, or memes. He told me that his parents did not want him posting pictures of himself, but that he didn't always listen. X told me that he has over 500 followers on Instagram, and he and his friends compete to see who can get more likes on the same photo. I asked him how many of his 500+ followers he knew personally, to which he replied, "maybe 70." X showed me his account, which often utilized the geotag feature, which drops a pin to the spot where the photo was posted. I asked him if he ever thought about the fact the is advertising where he is to over 400 strangers. He did not seem too concerned by my question, and seemingly did not make the connection to why that could be dangerous.
X reported that Facebook was mostly to talk to girls. He said that it's much easier to talk to girls online because you can think about what you want to say before sending it, so you sound cool and smart. I asked if he used FB to meet girls he did not know, and he said yes, but that they all went to his school, or were friends of friends. He told me he didn't think he would be as "successful" with girls if he had to do it all without FB.

Texting: X said that he often sends over one hundred texts per day. When I asked him why he texted so much, he said that he is involved in a number of group texts, so he doesn't get bored. I let him know I have often observed he and his family outside on summer nights and how he is always on his phone. He was kind of taken aback that I took note of this, and said, "what else am I supposed to do?" The notion of just being had clearly not occurred to him.

Using his phone as a tool: I asked if X used his phone as a tool to help with school, and he said not really. Sometimes he will use the calculator app, or will rush to do HW and email it on his way to school if he forgot the night before. He doesn't use it for the calendar function, or to set reminders, though.

Annotated Bibliography

For my final paper I am interested in examining social media’s effect on politics. As a political science undergraduate student in the late mid to late 2000’s, I experienced first hand the growing role of social media in the political sphere, and it’s enormous impact. I would argue that a large part of then candidate Obama’s success in 2008 was due to the brilliant social media presence his team created, successfully mobilizing millions of young people. Further, in Iran during the Green revolution and during the Arab spring in Egypt we saw more examples of how social media could be used as a tool to mobilize people for political purposes in different ways. One measure of success in the recent presidential debates has been how many times a candidate’s name has been tweeted during the debate further proving the importance of social media as it relates to the political process. As a History teacher I find it to be extremely important to incorporate the most relevant media into my instruction. This will help prepare my students for the world, and will hopefully increase their awareness as it pertains to the issues. I think a paper such as this will allow me to further my own understanding of social media's impact on politics, thus allowing me to better teach and inform my students. 

Annotated Bibliography:

Jonathan A. Obar, Paul Zube, & Clifford Lampe. (2012). Advocacy 2.0: An Analysis of How Advocacy Groups in the United States Perceive and Use Social Media as Tools for Facilitating Civic Engagement and Collective Action. Journal of Information Policy, 2, 1–25. http://doi.org/10.5325/jinfopoli.2.2012.0001

In this article the authors ask whether or not social media can promote civic engagement and collective action in the United States. Their research looks at over 50 diverse advocacy groups throughout the country and finds a revealing trend. All of the groups report using social media to engage with participants on a daily basis. Further, all of the organizations agreed that social media enabled them to accomplish their goals for a diverse number of initiatives. The authors argue that more research needs to be done when determining social media’s effect on real political and ideological change.

Carlisle, J. E., & Patton, R. C.. (2013). Is Social Media Changing How We Understand Political Engagement? An Analysis of Facebook and the 2008 Presidential Election.Political Research Quarterly, 66(4), 883–895. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/23612065

This article creates a concept of political engagement and then examines political activity of Facebook users during both the 2008 primary and general elections in the United States. They create a model to help understand offline political engament and the factors influencing people to engage politically on Facebook.  Socio/economic factors, as well as political interest also play into their analysis.

Zeitzoff, T.. (2011). Using Social Media to Measure Conflict Dynamics: An Application to the 2008-2009 Gaza Conflict. The Journal of Conflict Resolution, 55(6), 938–969. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/23208011

In this article the author examines social media’s ability to measure the dynamics of the Gaza conflict between Hamas and Israel from 2008-2009. He creates and utilizes a model of measuring the intensity of the conflict on an hourly basis as reported through Twitter posts. The author also creates a template for researches to employ social media as a tool to capture the micro dynamics of a political conflict.

Lynch, M.. (2011). After Egypt: The Limits and Promise of Online Challenges to the Authoritarian Arab State. Perspectives on Politics, 9(2), 301–310. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/41479654

Here the author examines social media’s impact on the uprisings that occurred throughout the Arab world in 2010. He asserts that social media’s effect on contentious politics will need to be thought about differently moving forward by discussing it’s achievements and failures. Further, he discusses the changing information environment over the past ten years and how it has led to increased individual competencies, and the ability to organize on a large scale, as well as the transmission of information in regions where it is usually suppressed.

Allan, D., & Brown, C.. (2010). The Mavi Marmara At The Frontlines Of Web 2.0.Journal of Palestine Studies, 40 (1), 63–77. http://doi.org/10.1525/jps.2010.xl.1.063

This article’s is centered on the Gaza flotilla raid of 2010 and Israel’s attempt to utilize social media to change public perception over the outcomes. Israel employed YouTube to post a wide array of videos and images to bolster their position as the justified actor in the situation. The authors argue that this was an ineffective use of social media to win hearts and minds, and overall was a disaster for the Israeli government. They go further to critique claims that Web 2.0 in general has leveled the playing field in information wars such as the one between Israel and Palestine.

Blogging and Other Social Media in the Classroom

I feel as though blogging is a terrific tool for teachers, especially writing teachers, to utilize in their classroom. It provides an opportunity for students to write without the constraints of academic formality while developing important skills. In addition, typing allows students to more quickly get their thoughts on the page and reference material. "I notice that I have more good thoughts when I'm on the internet, clicking on stuff is more efficient than writing. I can get to everything I want on the Internet. If I click on WikipediaI can get to what I want." (p.30). Blogging also promotes the intellectual curiosity that is referenced in this excerpt. While online, information is just one click away, thus opening a portal to a vast amount of knowledge. I've personally found that blogging is less daunting for students, as well. The thought of writing a formal paper is hard for students to digest, but often times when asked to write the same amount, or more, on a blog there is less pushback. 

Where I found myself disagreeing with some of the methodology in the reading was the inclusion of social media in the classroom. I think student/teacher communication through social media sets a dangerous precedent, and is unprofessional at best. In my experience I've found no academic benefit from bringing it into the classroom, and any communication that can be achieved through social media, can be channeled through email, google docs, or blogs. "... I'll text you  Ms. DJ, we can talk more when I get home." (p.30). In this instance I feel as though the teacher is walking a dangerous line between what is professional, and what isn't. In recent years we have seen an explosion of inappropriate relationships between teacher and student, and most begin on social media. The fact that this interaction lives online forever, and can be misconstrued by any number of people who chose to visit your page is very scary. We as teachers must remember that as valuable as technology and new media is to our practice, there is still a level of professionalism that we must uphold and must be sensitive to. I would argue that texting and social media messaging blurs that line, and can lead to some dangerous stuff. The intent of the teacher can be totally genuine and innocent, but all it takes is one person to misinterpret something, and there can be great legal ramifications or consequences. I often cringe when I see my coworkers communicating with our students via text, or social media. In the rapidly changing world of new media, we must be careful who we grant access to our social media profiles. I feel as though there is nothing that cannot be accomplished through other technological means, that would invite the inclusion of social media in the classroom. I understand the effort to connect with kids on a more personal level, I just feel the potential negatives outweigh the positives. 

Lankshear, C., & Knobel, M. (Eds.). (2013). New Literacies Reader: Educational Perspectives (pp. 23- 56). United States: Peter Lang Publishing.

What Counts as Literacy?

I would argue that anything that requires the ability to read and write should count as literacy, whether it be on the Internet, or in the more traditional sense with books. In the 21st century it is just as important to be literate in the new media landscape as it is to be proficient with books and other print mediums. In order to be a productive member of society you need to be literate in online communication such as email, as well as be able to access and understand digital content. As Zachary Sims pointed out in Rich's article, "the internet is more about a conversation, books are more one-way." I think this is a pretty profound statement for a high school student and it highlights the importance of the changes we are seeing in new literacies. While I am in no way diminishing the value of reading books, they cannot provide the same kind of interaction, or conversation that the Web can. To be literate with the Web means you are able to engage with peers, or scholars, on any number of topics allowing you to have a back and forth that is more conducive to learning than the traditional method of reading a book independently. To weigh other peoples opinion and analysis is an important skill for life, and one that the Web can help foster in young people. As critics like Donald J. Leu have pointed out "Web readers are persistently weak at judging whether information is trustworthy," which highlights the importance of teaching our students how to evaluate verifiable sources. I don't, however think that this negates the importance of the new media landscape and it's importance, but instead is an obstacle that can be overcome. 

As our world becomes more and more digital, we need to make sure that we are preparing our students with the tools necessary to be fluent in digital literacies. The value of such is integral to success, on both a social and professional level. Never before has so much been done on the Web in both realms of life, and the more proficient you are the more possibility for success. As a special ed teacher who works with Dyslexic students, I feel as though Shaywitz's piece about the importance of the web for struggling readers is especially important. As new forms of communication continue to emerge and evolve, the playing field becomes more level, and those who struggle with learning disabilities, especially language based ones, now can use the web as a tool to compensate for their difficulties. Never before has it been so easy to find information on the web, and if you are someone who would struggles to get through pages of text to find important information you can now find a way around that through key word searches in Google and other engines.

Finally, it is our job as educators to help our students be competent with the ever evolving world of new literacies. As Michael L. Kamil, professor of education as Stanford said, "students are going to grow up having to be highly competent on the internet. There's no reason to make them discover how to be highly competent if we can teach them." When used incorrectly the web can be a dangerous tool, but with the right guidance and education we can teach our students to tap into the infinite information and benefits that the web has to offer those on their academic journey. 

New literacies as a social practice 9/17/15

Having grown up at the beginning of the “internet era” I remember a time before instant gratification. While I certainly had access to online resources from about the time I was in middle school, the internet, and digital literacies were not engrained in education like it is today. For the most part, I remember using hard copies of text throughout high school, and no teacher expected that students utilize the internet to compile information, or even submit assignments. By the time I arrived at college in 2005 the paradigm had certainly began to shift and by the time I graduated in 2009, the Web 2.0 was becoming a staple of education at both the secondary, and post-secondary level. I mention this because I am grateful for the opportunity to have been able to live, at least part of my life, during the era before new literacies and technologic fluency began to dominate education. The experience allowed me to be more intentional and careful when learning, and I was not tempted by the instant gratification that seems to plague our society today. What strikes me most when working with my students, and trying to actively promote “Education 2.0” is how careless they can be with technology, and despite the internet being a hugely powerful tool, how often they use it incorrectly. I would argue that because they are not always careful, their misuse of the internet further inhibits their literacy on multiple levels. That said, I do recognize “that there can be different literacies in different domains of life” (Gillen and Barton, 2010, p. 9). While many of my students may have trouble accessing and utilizing online information correctly, they are certainly more literate when it comes to navigating new technology, and becoming familiar with operating systems.

“In a rapidly developing technological environment, it is often not possible for the teacher to be the possessor of all knowledge…run up against this issue common in an environment where technological development is fast-paced and initially at least, demands knowledge and skills beyond which all teachers have” (Gillen and Barton, 2010, p. 21). I find this to be a fascinating issue and one, which speaks to digital literacies in realms beyond the education model. As technology continues to exponentially improve, how do we has humans hope to understand it all when once we feel literate with one technology, another comes along rendering the former obsolete? The challenge for educators seems even more pertinent: how do we was teachers begin to shift from being masters to facilitators, and “what are the consequences for pedagogic practices when: (iii) well-tried approaches to assessment become less appropriate to digital literacies?” (Gillen and Barton, 2010, p. 20). I’m not sure exactly how to begin to answer these profound questions, but I believe if those of us who began our journey before digital literacies exploded in the Web 2.0 era have anything to contribute to the conversation it’s a reminder to slow down, be deliberate, and mindful that instant gratification is not always the best, or most logical approach.