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For months, I’ve been trying to connect my wired educator network with ideas from critical pedagogy while looking to traditional academics (specialising in critical pedagogy, social justice and anti-oppression education) to share the key questions that might inform a meaningful assessment of web2.0 tools in relation to social justice, equity and diversity.

Here are a few of the questions, challenges and priorities as I see them.

Continue reading Putting the social (justice) in social media pedagogy

“Every gram – sorry, byte – of personal information these feckless data-packrats collect on us should be as carefully accounted for as our weapons-grade radioisotopes, because once the seals have cracked, there is no going back.” – Cory Doctorow

Every day, all around the world, people are sharing enormous amounts of personal information and data via social networking tools. From photos, locations, interests and activities to the names, locations and relationships of those in our lives. While this sharing revolution has great benefits it also presents many challenges in relation to personal boundaries and privacy online. Increasingly, those who choose not to share – or to limit their sharing on their own terms – entreated to hostility, mischaracterisation or coercive admonishments to which they are rarely equipped to respond.

Continue reading Privacy is a digital literacy – and a right

I was recently solicited for my thoughts on the key priorities for 21st Century learning and surprised myself – and my client – with the answer. Prior to this query, I might have rhymed off the usual classroom2.0 mantra: blogging, social media, virtual worlds, mobile technology and, of course, multi-tasking. But the more I reflected on my teaching and client experiences these past few years, the more I realised these priorities aren’t especially technical at all.

This led me to the conclusion that few 21st century learning priorities are less about technical skills, tools, services, software or hardware but far more social, cultural and behavioural as they relate to states of being, thinking, feeling and acting with technology.

The basis for this post is the problematic notion among some educators that these “softer” skills are either already present or easily accessible to learners (or else constitute some sort of “giftedness” or intrinsic “aptitude” or need not be explicitly taught or modeled). Furthermore, I’d like to suggest that these priorities be socially, culturally and cognitively differentiated according to the unique needs of varied learners and learning communities.

Continue reading The hidden curriculum of 21st century learning

Remix music video for Pogo’s Alice

A few weeks ago I came across this most amazing collision of music, animation and technology via a tweet from Youtube ethnographer Mike Wesch. This led me to ‘Alice’ (above), which led me to Pogo.

Given my own recent explorations of remix culture, I was inspired to contact Pogo via his Youtube channel and ask for an interview. To my delight, he agreed.

The following is the first in a series of interviews with people who are changing the way we learn, think and engage via emergent technologies.

Continue reading Remixing Wonderland: An interview with Pogo