'All she does is scroll.'

Oh, dude, so do I! But think about it for a moment, what is she scrolling? We may purport that young people are engaging in a ‘mindless’ pastime but when I am just ‘scrolling’ I am often in a research rabbit hole after seeing an interesting book on Instagram. I search how much the book costs to buy, whether my local library has it in stock, or whether I should use a precious Audible credit and listen to it instead, but then I think…maybe I shouldn’t have Audible, because I read on Twitter that Amazon doesn’t treat its employees very well and then I wonder if there is an alternate platform for audiobooks and do some research there. And then, I think… what about GoodReads… that is also an Amazon product… but if I delete GoodReads how will I remember what I read and what will happen to my reading challenge!?

I digress. But, let’s take stock – this is recount of my social media usage and how I find myself learning many interesting things (and wasting a bit of time, but that’s neither here nor there…unless I have an assignment to do!) but I bet it is different to how you use social media, and it is most definitely different to how young (individual) people use social media (young people are not a homogenous group). They have a range of interests, engage in a range of offline and online communities, and these factors influence the myriad meaningful ways in which they engage in the online world (Jenkins et al., 2016, p. 24).

Social Media Mix 3D Icons - Mix #2 by Visual Content available under a CC 2.0

So, scrolling. It is a relatively new term and according to Merriam Webster, (n.d. para. 4), is it the habit of moving through digital content as if one is ‘unrolling a scroll’ – pretty cool, right (did you know that the representation of a real-world item in another form is known as skeuomorphism?)! What might a young person be ‘scrolling’? Let’s be honest, it could be anything, but at some point, (and for the purpose of this discussion), it is likely social media accounts to see who has made a new post, appreciating the aesthetic content of a favourite Instagram influencer, seeing what is new on a video hosting and making app like Snapchat or TikTok, or maybe they are online to create their own content – posts, photographs, images, videos in what is an expression of their identity (which may or may not be the one they embody in offline life) (Jenkins, et al., 2016, p. 27; Dowdall, 2009, p. 45). It is an entire world, and just as complex and diverse as the offline spaces young people inhabit, and just as important (Jenkins et al., 2016, p. 24). The discourse around social media has become more complex over time but alongside the elements that may make us grown-ups feel a little uneasy (we were young once, right, we know what young people get up to – look how many letter boxes were blown up in days gone by!) there are aspects worth considering and a blanket ban, if a problem happens to arise, is not the answer when there is so much to positivity that will be lost in the process (Jenkins et al., 2016, p. 26).

Jenkins et al., (2016, pp. 28-29) explores where this feeling of uneasiness may arise – in the depth of the knowing that social media allows. Adults expect the worst because there is a link that happens in our minds between the activities we engaged in (which may or may not have involved the explosion of letterboxes), with the unknown entity of online spaces (Jenkins et al., 2016, pp. 30-31; Buckingham, 2014, p. 94). There is a bit of a sense of well, we know what we got up to without all that online stuff, so the moral panic gains traction (Jenkins et al., 2016, pp. 30-31; Buckingham, 2014, p. 94). The public nature of online spaces allows parents to see their child engaging in social interactions more than ever before and henceforth there is now an idea that good parenting is synonymous with a surveillance exercise that would rival the ASIO (Jenkins et al., 2016, pp. 30-31; Buckingham, 2014, p. 94). Perhaps the real issue is that we, and our young people, have difficulty navigating the complexity of social interactions offline and as well as on and that our collective resilience at dealing with difficult situations needs some work (Jenkins et al., 2016, pp. 30-31). 

The controversy around social media, especially during the pandemic has been ferocious. Beyond the usual spate of news articles concerning the safety of teenagers, accounts of and instances of bullying, and the impact on body image and the like, the debate around the safety, the veracity of what is hosted on social media platforms, and the impact social media has had upon public health has thrown another spanner into the public discourse on social media (Snowden, 2016, para. 6). Let’s go back to youth and social media though. Parents and teachers have valid concerns about social media usage as far as safety, negative social interactions, and the possibility of predators (and the threat of this alone is enough to keep us up at night), but there is heartening evidence in the research that it is simply not happening at the rate we would be led to believe by the media and the amount of ‘how to spot a bully’ seminars kids are required to attend (Jenkins et al., 2016, p. 30). We need to be mindful of these things, of course, so let’s expand the conversation to teach about safety in both online and offline spaces, provide support to young people navigating difficult situations online and consider how we can best help our young people to mindful of their digital footprint (Buckingham, 2013, p. 94).

Automotive Social Media Marketing by socialautomotive available under a CC 2.0

No one wants to deprive a young person of a rich and fulfilling life ‘off screen’ but what are young people gaining from their time online, and what is it that they are doing? It is likely that they are having a lot of fun, and that is no mean feat, being a teenager can be a drag (you remember this too, right?) so a creative outlet that allows self-expression, an exploration of identity during a formative period, and the building of new or maintenance of existing communities is likely the reason why social media is where many young people spend their time (Fiske, 2010, p. 44). There are spaces for every kind of subculture and hobby and interest online—writing fan-fiction, fashion, drawing, video games, sport—anything, which is bolstering for young people exploring their identity and engaging in activities that bring them joy (Fiske, 2010, p. 44; Jenkins et al., 2016, p. 27). Online spaces offer respite for those who may not be able to find their people in their offline lives and this is where this is another worthwhile consideration, a lack of access to online spaces it is another way that class plays out in real time reducing the autonomy and space a young person is able to inhabit and cutting them off from the world (Jenkins et al., 2016, p. 27; Buckingham, 2013, pp. 33-34).

The social interaction of social media is a key aspect that makes the various apps and platforms so appealing to young people but whether it is Instagram, TikTok, or Snapchat or any number of social media platforms, (but likely not Twitter or Facebook, because they’re for ‘old people’, apparently*) there are a range of skills required to use the apps to their full potential (Johnson, 2005, p. 9; Dowdall, 2009, p. 45). Johnson (2005, p. 11) espouses the value of the intellectually complex task of engaging in online spaces to present an online version of oneself, write for a particular audience and purpose, and construct images or videos that fit within the particular aesthetic style preferred by the creator. Consider the choreography, rehearsals, recording, and timing required to film a dance video to upload to TikTok or as a reel on Instagram as well as the video editing, not to mention live streaming (Johnson, 2005, p. 11; Dowdall, 2009, p. 44). Considering this is the way that many small businesses market their products, there is definitely value in the skills of using social media well (Johnson, 2005, p. 11; Dowdall, 2009, p. 44).

*Anecdotal - lots of young people in my classes have told me this, highlighting the fact that I know absolutely nothing.

The media consumption of young people has always been a contention—are they doing what they ‘should’ be doing? Which is, what exactly? Do we want them to do what we used to do – chat to friends, play handball, eat lunch? We needn’t worry because all these things are still happening, there’s just a few more options now (Jenkins et al., 2016, p. 24; Buckingham, 2013, pp. 78-79).

Here are some articles on social media that might be of interest:

Social media apps are ‘deliberately’ addictive to users

How parents and teens can reduce the impact of social media on youth well-being

When it comes to kids and social media, it’s not all bad news

Snapchat has its risks but it’s a powerful tool for youth creativity and socialisation

Teenagers need our support, not criticism, as they navigate life online

Blocking kids from social media won’t solve the problem of cyberbullying

Here are some questions you could ask to generate conversation about social media:

1. What are your top three favourite social media apps?
2. Do you spend an equal amount of time on each of the three?
3. Are you friends with the same people on each of the apps? Why/why not?
4. Summarise the purpose of each app in a few words for each.
5. Do you think social media has a positive impact upon society? Why/why not?
6. If you were unable to use social media ever again, what would you miss the most?
7. What is a day where you spent the longest time of social media?
8. What happened on the day you spent the least amount of time on social media?
9. Can friendships survive without social media?
10. Do you follow accounts of people who aren’t friends? Which is your favourite, and why?
11. Does social media make you more aware of issues in the world?
12. Are your social media tastes the same as your friends?
13. What is the most annoying thing about social media?
14. What is the best thing about social media?
15. If you could change one thing about social media, what would it be?

Reference List

Buckingham, D. (2013). Beyond technology: Children's learning in the age of digital culture. Polity Press.

Dowdall, C. (2009). Masters and critics: Children as producers of online digital texts. In V. Carrington & M. Robinson (Eds.), Digital Literacies: Social learning and classroom practices (pp. 43-61). Sage.

Fiske, J. (2010). Understanding Popular Culture. Routledge.

Jenkins, H., Ito, M., & boyd, d. (2016). Participatory Culture in a Networked Era: A Conversation on Youth, Learning, Commerce, and Politics. Polity Press.

Johnson, S. (2005). Everything Bad Is Good For You: How Today’s Popular Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarter. Riverhead Books.

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Scroll. Merriam-Webster. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scroll

Snowden, C. (2016). I’m right, you’re wrong, and here’s a link to prove it: how social media shapes public debate. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/im-right-youre-wrong-and-heres-a-link-to-prove-it-how-social-media-shapes-public-debate-65723

Automotive Social Media Marketing by socialautomotive available under a CC 2.0

Reflections on Term 3, 2020

Busy, busy, busy! 

I was fortunate to get called up for an interview early in Week 1 and I found out, several weeks later (due to several mix ups with staffing - even though I foresaw that there would be problems with my qualifications and called ahead to ask all of the questions!) that I was selected for the position of Teacher Librarian! All the study and thinking stopped being a 'one day' and became a reality - I was to start Week 2, Term 4. Initially the role was something I decided to pursue when I had some extra time while working a corporate position as I could get my work completed most days in the office and my take home work load was significantly reduced. I didn't want to squander such an opportunity so undertook further study. When I saw the TL position advertised it came after a few difficult interactions with colleagues that really made me question what I was doing and whether I had made the right decision to return to the Head Teacher role. I mulled over what to do for quite some time - going backwards and forwards until I simply had to make my mind up, inform my supervisor, and write the application. I got to the point where I felt okay to leave the decision in the hands of the universe - put my best foot forward and wait to see what happened. If it was the right door then it would open up and it did. 

After I accepted the position I really had to get serious about what needed to be completed on my faculty Head Teacher 'to do' list in what remained of the term. Many of the items were additions to the faculty and not necessarily things that someone else would like to take on so they came off the list straight away. I had three good terms of 'a poem a day' and writing workshop but I can't mandate things when I am no longer the Head Teacher so they came off the list. I ordered the last few things needed for the faculty - enough A6 notebooks for the incoming Year 12 cohort to complete the Writer's Notebook activity, a little bit more stationery, and some desk top drawers so I could recycle the cardboard shelves I bought years and years ago that became awful dust collectors and a filler of valuable real estate in the staffroom. Everything needed a tidy. My aim was to leave things in a nicer state than I found them and I think I succeeded in this small goal. 

Overall I returned all of the books to the Seminar Room, finished off updates to the Scope and Sequence filed assessment paperwork and faculty paperwork in a folder and popped it on the faculty shelf. I threw out superfluous junk sitting around the place, took lost property to the Front Office, bought a few more packets of biscuits for the faculty cookie jar, and scanned all of my resources (I still have about 10 folders to go but I will get to those a bit later in the term - hopefully I will have them completed by the end of the year). Early in the term I had some posters laminated to decorate my classroom so I spent a few hours putting it all together to leave as a temporal legacy. I put everything away in the Seminar Room and did a quick tidy of the Book Room. The Book Room really needed another 12+ hours but I just didn't have any extra time. It was workable when I left it - everything hanging around was returned to its place. The Book Boxes stared at me sadly during the clean - they will likely sit there indefinitely but there is nothing I can do about that now. That is one thing that is difficult about leaving - half completed projects or grand ideas that I didn't have time to implement.

With a new position in a workplace outside the suburb I live I knew the routines on the home front would have to change. This was nearly the clincher for me. I am 35-minutes further away from my child and not being there to get him ready in the morning and to drop him off is something I have had to grapple with - do I miss these little moments to have more time generally? It of course it seems like a no-brainer but I am still anxious about daycare and not being able to be there immediately if I am needed. If I am honest, though, the times I was needed I still had a class of 30-students so couldn't leave school for 30-45 minutes anyway so I am likely in a better position now with a reduced face to face teaching load. 

So a week and a half into the role I am driving for a lot longer each day - I have to leave around 7am and I get home at about 4.05pm so my partner is doing daycare drop off and I pick baby up in the afternoon. Overall, because I have less managerial responsibility I can get my work done during the work day and I tinker for a little bit in the afternoon and leave at 3.30pm. Even with the travel, though, I am getting to daycare for pick up earlier than I have all year. I have gained some time because I am not required to attend Executive Meetings and I am not preparing for Faculty Meetings or composing Faculty Memos in lieu of Faculty Meetings. I have some space in my work day now to get things completed because I am not part of the hierarchical structure that I once was - I am no longer instructing staff on how to respond to classroom management issues nor am I collecting students who are misbehaving. I don't have to patrol areas of the school. There are so many things that I am no longer responsible for and to be quite honest, it is such a relief. Some people really enjoy these parts of the role or can be indifferent to the process to a point because there are many other parts of the role they enjoy. I found the managerial elements so very wearing. Establishing myself as an 'authority' whose instructions must be followed or else? Well, I can say, it isn't for me, I don't want to expend energy that way. My days of being a big stick are over. 

Having 'extra' time takes a bit of adjustment. Without the pressure of due dates and letting people down the things I want to do—hobbies just don't get done. I almost need to schedule my 'want to do' list like I would do work tasks - is that a bad thing? Do other people need to do this? I am not sure. I just get so distracted and I lose focus and it is only upon reflection that I realise it has been a year since I have picked up a paintbrush, that my watercolours have been sitting for four months, I haven't been for a walk since before the school holidays, I have read only seven books this whole year and I haven't opened my writer's notebook since I don't know when. I know that I have been doing a lot but the realisation that things that fill me with joy are not completed with any regularity is sobering. I do have a few health things to sort and I have to bear a nightmare from my childhood that is lingering in the wings but I need to make some organisational changes to honour the time I have clawed back. It is sometimes a bit tough to start a new gig in Term 4 but what is great is that I am getting used to how everything works and by the time the new year rolls around I am going to be raring to go.

Reflections on Week 11, Term 1, 2020

It has been another enormous week, and I guess just like the world over, I am sitting here incredulous about the situation we are all facing.

Going to the grocery store is a strange juxtaposition of a familiar environment with strict rules - hand sanitiser on entry, a security guard passing patrons a trolley after it has been wiped down, tape on the floor everywhere to ensure customers are maintaining social distancing requirements, cordons funnelling shoppers into the store to prevent too many from entering at once, signs everywhere listing product restrictions - toilet paper x 1, baby wipes x 1, hand towel x 1, tissues x 2, canned goods a total of 2, pasta x 2 (if you can get any). There's no limit on fresh fruit and vegetables, eggs are usually in stock, there is more meat lately, dairy has maintained a constant supply. Baby formula keeps me on my toes. Baby became unwell and became lactose intolerant, we tried introducing regular formula three times and three times we switched back to lactose free. We are coming up to the time when we should introduce regular again and I just don't know what to buy - it is often in short supply so I am trying to buy one as we use one, and then I have two cans in the cupboard - two weeks stock just in case. I buy a few packets of pear and prune whenever I see it in the store because we go through that very quickly. It is an unfamiliar way to exist in a land of plenty and relative safety a layer of unease has been added to existence.

Week 11 was a continuing adjustment. Staff worked from home and went to school to collect things and do a bit of work here and there. The focus has been on establishing online learning and supporting senior students. Keeping abreast of social media during this time has been very useful and the sense of camaraderie offered by my online staffroom has been extraordinarily helpful and heartening. In response to a post online my colleague approached me about revisioning our approach to English online and then we met with the 2IC and came up with a plan for Term 2.

As all junior assessment was paused at the end of term. I have been given permission to organise a new due date to collect submissions for all the students who were unable to complete the first task. We will not be assigning another assessment task in Term 2 because it seems a bit silly to put that pressure on staff and students when we have no idea what the future looks like. If we focus on collecting the first task then we will have something and as many students managed to submit the task it will mean their work will still count.

The messaging around the term shifts regularly - a whole term online - maybe? Maybe not. To enact the plan I organised with my colleagues to come up with reading and writing activities. I drew on the 'Children's Writer's Notebook' for the range of activities for Year 7. The activities in the book are terrific and I modified a selected and developed an extension activity for most weeks - just for those who are able to work ahead. Students will be asked to hand in their best piece at the end of each week.

Hopefully this reduces the scores and scores of questions I have been fielding from students who 'don't know what to do' or are confused by a list of instructions and attached documents for the lesson. There have been continuous issues with accessing attached documents and websites - these queries are important, of course, and they must be answered, but I would prefer staff to have the time to give feedback on student writing, provide the teaching through their feedback - kind of like conferencing from a distance

Prior to Covid-19 I was in a great routine with my Year 7 group with Writing Workshop - writing off the page, draft #1, revising, draft #2, edit, teacher edits, and then publishing. I had an area in the classroom where students could collect notepaper and editing check sheets, I bought some staplers from Officeworks (they're pink!) and the writing was coming in. I could get through the scripts quickly, write some feedback, attached a sticker so the students knew everything was checked, and then have a brief conference during our double period. It was really starting to happen.

I really hope I am able to establish some of the same practises next term - a creative outlet is important in dark times.

Being an Intern at the Center for Teaching and Learning

Heart Mapping is a component of Atwell’s Writing Workshop Procedure that it just beautiful and seeing student heart maps on the walls at the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) was really powerful. At CTL, Atwell’s methods are utilised day in and day out, and they work. Students write confidently, they edit rigorously, and they confer regularly with their teachers and peers. 

 

I borrowed a few texts, including Georgia Heard's Heart Maps, at the end of my first day at CTL, just to truly inhabit my persona as ‘edugeek’ – I flew halfway around the world to learn from the students and teachers at the school so why not have a look at the Professional Library – these teachers are masters – I needed to know what they read!

Six Reasons for Heart Mapping: 

1.    Authentic writing comes from the heart. It gives writers a chance to connect with what is important to them, what they feel, think, and care deeply about.

2.    Heart mapping opens the door to literacy for all writers – including reluctant, struggling, and blocked writers. Those who feel unable to engage with conventional forms of writing, feel they haven’t the time, or confidence can reconnect through heart mapping.

3.    Heart maps can function as a practical touchstone for writers. A heart map provides the way back to what is essential in a writer’s life, breaking down blocks, and providing a concrete place to work from.

4.    Heart mapping taps into the power of visual learning. Visuals sing to the brain and the heart shape connects the writer to what is important to them on an emotional level.

5.    Heart mapping gives writers the freedom to explore and allows an idea or image room to grow. Using heart maps steers writers away from reductive and restrictive school genres (such as the five-paragraph essay). The map is about sparking joy in the writing process.

6.    Heart mapping connects us to our feelings and helps us empathise with others. Through writing our stories we learn that humans share experiences and ultimately our joys, pain, fear, and elation can be felt by those around us.

So how does Heard begin the process? By sharing her own. Thinking aloud whilst writing down what is most significant in the centre and then filling the heart with other things whilst sharing the stories with the writers about to go on their own heart mapping journey. 

‘Finding home is crucial to the act of writing. Begin here. With what you know. With the tales you’ve told a dozen times to friends or a spouse... With the map you’ve already made in your heart.’ Georgia Heard, 1995

A few extra ideas:

-      Use heart maps at the start of a genre study.

-      Writers can go back to their maps routinely to add extra topics, revise.

Heart Mapping Considerations:

What will the heart look like?

Where will the most significant inclusions be positioned?

What size font will be used and does this symbolise anything?

Will you draw, write, collage (letters/photographs/images etc.)?

What colours will be used and what do these symbolise?

Is one heart sufficient?

Will you include a key?

The book is filled with a range of templates for heart mapping exercises. See the 'Heart Mapping and Writing Presented by Georgia Heard' for an overview or visit Heinemann for a sample chapter. 

Further Reading:

Awakening the Heart: Exploring Poetry in Elementary and Middle School - Georgia Heard, 1999.

Publisher: Heinemann, Portsmouth

ISBN: 978-0-325-00093-0

My Map Book - Sara Fanelli, 2001

Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers, New York

ISBN: 978-0-060-26455-0