Kevin Hodgson’s Reviews > Hanging Out, Messing Around, and Geeking Out: Kids Living and Learning With New Media > Status Update

I'm in the midst of an interesting profile of a young webcomic artist, who got hooked by Penny Arcade and then taught himself HTML to launch his own (successful) webcomic site. He notes that school was valuable only in that it gave him time (from the real world) to work on his art and media and technology. He also found college as a place to connect with fans. It worries me -- this theme of disconnect from schools.

Now entering a chapter on "work" and I can't help but frame the findings within the context of the Common Core and its push for college/job-ready students. It's again interesting how much of the opportunity to use digital media, which could open the door to jobs of the coming years, are mostly out of school. Or school-based learning with media/tech is severely limited, and not driven by youth interest.

It's interesting how environments where kids "messed around" w/technology before moving into "geeking out" w/production of media is key component. And I can't help but notice that classrooms & teachers were low on the list of people/place they turned to. Mostly, it was after-school clubs, friends and social networks, and in a few cases, parents who provided access and encouragement to technology. Why not teachers?

Now in chapter about Media Production. This year, I had more students wanting to show me their YouTube account than ever before -- most of skateboarding and scootering videos (and mostly boys). I can't say their videos are works of art, but a few of them are starting to use editing tools and camera angles that go beyond a single shot. High interest, plus audience, equals motivation. But is it composition?

I am always fascinated by the conflicting views of "cheat codes" and other online "help" tools that gamers turn to. Is it cheating or not? The insights from the young gamers indicate that this is part of gaming now. We cheat. The authors indicate that cheat codes are a sort of "gaming currency" that is part of the thread of the social network. Sharing indicates expertise. How do we teach "cheat codes," though?

"The players often play for the people." -- a quote that captures the social element of online multi-player gaming worlds. The research shows that while the video game itself is an initial draw, it is the gathering of like-minded players, and the online/offline communities, that spring up around the game that keeps the players coming back. The community is crucial.

In the section on gaming now: One thing that jumps out to me is the conflict the researchers raise between educators seeing learning value in video gaming and kids seeing it merely as a way "to kill time." -- ie, filling the space of their days and relieving boredom, not pushing their skills in new directions. Reading kids' "voices" in these sections is incredibly valuable.

I am struck by gender issues around family & technology: mother as the one who is uncertain about technology (and puts strict rules on use); father as one who joins the kids in "messing around" (mostly, w/gaming). I wish I didn't see those stereotypes in real life, & yet ... I do. And it makes me wonder then about our teaching force (mostly white middle age women) and how that plays out in classrooms & tech use.

The section on family rings true to me, as a dad. We are often feeling tension between allowing our boys to explore tech/media, and wanting to have some control over their access (losing battle?). It's interesting how many kids become the techno-mentors for their parents, and I wonder how that inverted expertise affects family dynamics. In our house, I am still one step ahead of my oldest son. But for how long?

"Sharing a password both denotes intimacy ..." -- now that it something I had not thought of before. You give access, and they have a certain amount of control, right? Wearing your girl/boyfriend's password is like having a key to their public persona. Very interesting ...