research & practice
Fostering Media Savvy STEM Learners
Summary of Roundtable Discussion
USCT students create their own River Watch website
To explore the connections between STEM learning and new literacy as it relates to the consumption and creation of multimedia products, the ITEST LRC hosted a roundtable discussion with experts from ITEST projects and the field of media studies. ITEST project staff who participated in the roundtable include Patricia Cogley and Ken Ikeda of YouthLink/BAVC, and Joe Courneya and Randy Wald with Understanding the Science Connected to Technology (USCT). Also joining the discussion were Rhea Mokund of Listen Up! and Kathleen Tyner from The University of Texas at Austin. Tony Streit, Co-PI of the ITEST LRC and YouthLearn Director, facilitated the conversation. Haejung Chung and Wendy Rivenburgh, both ITEST LRC staff and members of the YouthLearn team, produced this publication.
A summary of the discussion follows, with links to separate pages that document the key points and themes addressed, and include samples of media works as well as other resources. The media works were contributed by four ITEST projects: USCT, YouthLink, Physical Computing for Students and Teachers, and Technology at the Crossroads.
Part 1: What is Youth Media? | Part 2: Media Making Skills | Part 3: Educators Need to Know | Part 4: Tech Skills/Literacy | Resources, Media Samples & Bios
Summary of Discussion
TIPS for educators on integrating media
- Create a supportive learning environment, encouraging experimentation and exploration
- Place emphasis on high quality products and set high expectations
- Ensure that the media has relevance (i.e., an audience and purpose)
- Cultivate student ownership of learning process and embrace power-sharing
- Strive for more authentic assessment (i.e., assess applied learning)
- Solicit administration buy-in and involvement
- Seek out information on model programs and other resources such as evaluation tools
What is youth media and what's happening in the youth media field?
- Rooted in community media, typically with a focus on social justice issues
- Youth represent themselves within a larger social context
- Wide range of formats, from traditional media such as video to music and cutting-edge gaming technologies
- Advent of new tools and new elements like interactivity and online community
- Need more research to identify best practices and provide evidence for value of youth media work – ITEST and other new initiatives are beginning to meet that need
What are the skills that young people need for media making?
- Soft skills (i.e., collaboration, teamwork, decision-making, leadership, problem-solving)
- Production skills, computer and technical skills
- Writing, public speaking, and presentation skills
- Focus on audience engagement/impact
- Critical thinking skills, research skills, and media literacy
What do educators need to know about working with youth and media?
- It is key to show how media making activities are relevant to youth
- Settings where youth have the opportunity to freely explore technologies within certain parameters can be the most successful
- Create and seize opportunities for authentic assessment
- Become familiar with and understand the models of innovation and commerce represented on the Internet
- Facilitate careful evaluation of online sources and responsible use
- Media allows people to re-imagine their lives
- The employability of these skills, supporting career exploration and career chances
How do you balance technical skills vs. critical analysis and self-expression?
- Emphasize media literacy at outset and throughout process
- Integrate media production into content area
- Facilitate strong process and strong critique for high quality products; critique products from consumer perspective
- Professionalize work by submitting products to review by peers, experts and use them as teaching tools – also, present in public forum
