"Find someone under the age of 20 and ask them about the texts they like to read and engage with." (McGraw, 2014)
I may have been a bit harsh with my title. My interviewee, lets call him Jack, assures me that he does actually go outside occasionally and it's not just because the wi-fi connection reaches. But when talking to Jack he makes little mention of out door pursuits "Oh but I go to the gym" he says... something which I don't state is the fact that most gyms are indoors... I'll give him a break.
So what does Jack do? Before approaching him for an interview I knew a bit about Jack. He's a library regular, I mean I can't actually remember lending him a book though I'm sure he reads, but Jack visits and chats daily. He's a nice kid, popular and in every 'club' the library throws at him. Presently he is part of our Photography Club and Film Club... Book Club clashes with SRC but he'll come on library excursions. Jack is an all rounder, 'of all trades' if you must. I have often wondered how he fits classes into this busy schedule.
According to Jack he likes Sci-fi (books, TV and films) and Comedy. He busies himself with Facebook (FB), Instagram, Reddit, Twitter, Youtube and Snapchat. When I asked why he engages with texts in these formats he went through his feelings about each platform, it's uses and how it fits into his life.
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| photo credit: JD Hancock via photopin cc |
Facebook & Instagram
Jack actually doesn't know why he uses FB anymore. He says that when he goes on the Internet that he'll automatically login to FB without thinking. He checks updates, leaves a few 'smart' comments on friends' photos and maybe links things from his Instagram account. Jack loves Instagram, he likes to share the photos he takes with everyone (his account is set to public). When I asked about his public audience he told me that he doesn't post anything silly or inappropriate, just the photos he takes and is proud of. In response to my standard advice of "Don't post anything you'd be ashamed for your Grandma to see" he replied that she actually follows his Instragram account!"If I want to share my photography I'll post it on instagram and link it to facebook from my instagram account" Jack aged 15.
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| photo credit: beta75.se via photopin cc |
Twitter, Reddit & Snapchat
Jack gets his news from Twitter and Reddit in small doses. We talked about how the news you get through these avenues isn't always wide and varied as it depends on who you follow. Jack also watches the news every night with his parents (a fact that made my maternal heart sing a little), at an age where kids are usually desperate to get away from their parents this is really quite impressive. Snapchat is Jack's weapon of choice when talking to friends although it's mostly selfies and pictures of his dog. He likes how the app allows his friends to see his snaps and chats briefly without clogging up his phone.
"I only really use reddit to find funny and embarrassing stories about people... I love that cringeworthy type of comedy" Jack aged 15.
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| source: Wikipedia, 2014 |
Youtube
The most interesting aspect of our conversation came up when Jack spoke about Youtube. He both produces and consumes content... he likes to share the short films he makes. His consumption of Youtube revolves around learning. Like many (myself included), Jack finds it easier to learn by watching demonstrations. He uses Youtube to effectively fill the gaps in his knowledge, if he wants to know how to do something he looks it up, this is how he learnt to use his film editing software. The skills he learns from Youtube help him with his schooling, although he admits that the only classes where he is encouraged to use technology outside of word processing are specific elective classes such as digital photography. This is especially concerning in a 1:1 netbook school.
Talking to Jack has given me a little insight into one adolescent brain, I feel the need to have this same conversation with others now. The issue of low ICT use in classes was not a surprise to me, but it did highlight the need to fix the situation. We are lucky that the digital deficit is not hindering Jack's creativity with new media as he goes out at takes what he needs from the Internet, but I fear that not all kids are so savvy and we are really doing them a disservice.
Special thanks to 'Jack' who took time out from his busy schedule to chat to an almost old Librarian.
- References
- McGraw, K. (2014, August 17). What to write about on your blog [web log post]. Retrieved from http://crn6002014.wordpress.com/2014/08/17/what-to-write-about-on-your-blog/
3 comments:
I think chatting with youth about the texts they like to read and engage with is something every teacher should do. In my instance, I felt like the vampire interviewee - I didn't have to leave the house to find my subjects. I was surprised that chatting to them specifically about texts provided me with greater insights into my own children. There are distinct similarities between your 'Jack Chat' (that could be a new social media platform) and the chat I had with my children. This has me thinking what a fascinating study it would be to interview a lot of teens about this topic.
What I found interesting was Jack's Facebook automaticity. I too could be described as an 'almost old librarian' yet I suffer the same condition as Jack. Notification flags are a beacon to connect and as a social being it is difficult to resist. The affliction seems widespread, in young and old alike.
The use of Youtube as a self-sourced teaching tool was also common ground, as was the connecting Instagram and Facebook posts and reliance on Snapchat to connect with peers. My subjects had an aversion to Twitter, which as a fan I'm pleased Jack uses. How refreshing that Jack watches the news - with his parents!
I spoke to a group of third year pre-service teachers recently about ICT integration in learning and I was quite shocked about the general lack of ICT knowledge. My first wondering was about how much ICT is included in the pre-service training and then I realised that most of these young people were only three years out of school, which indicated to me that there hadn't been a high use of ICT in their secondary schooling. I share your fear about those students who are not as tech-savvy as Jack, who may be missing the boat.
Thanks for sharing your chat. It is a reflection on you in your role as the teacher-librarian that Jack was comfortable enough to chat with you so openly.
LOL- this post literally made me laugh out loud Emma! The reason for this is that I could really identify with your interviewee Jack, as we also have a 'Jack' that visits our library on a daily basis- before school, lunchtimes and after school. Plus we get the pleasure of his company when his class has lessons in the library! Some of the conversations we have are most amusing and there are definite similar character traits between the two boys from the descriptions you provided. What’s great is that ‘Jack’ is so comfortable in his surroundings and has a sense of identity in ‘his’ library space. The Jack at our school is a keen reader though and although he wasn’t my subject for the interview, I noticed some of his reading habits. He would borrow and return books almost everyday and was really into series.
On a side note, after reading and commenting on other blogs about their Interview with a youth from members within our group [Louise and Damien], I thought it would be interesting to compare and contrast the responses with the interview of my 14 year old niece. Like loucullen said, I also think it would be fascinating to survey a wider range of students to find out more about their reading habits. My niece’s responses couldn’t be further from ‘Jack’s.’ Maybe we could collate all of our cohort’s responses and put on the Google+ site?
Loved this interview Emma. I learnt quit a bit throughout your discussion. It's interesting to look across a number of people's blogs to see comparisons and contrasts with trends of teenage usage. Your subject, Jack, certainly has a busy life with so many connections and avenues of information. I smiled when you revealed Jack liked Sci-fi and comedy in book and film genres. I found in my own examination that the boys enjoyed these too but primarily in film.
Being a traditional techno phobe, I was a little surprised about his use of Facebook. I thought it was still the thing to do. Was there a reason for this do you think? Simply replaced by Instagram? A quicker approach to communicate? I am not all that familiar with Instagram but have certainly heard about its use among the students. Do you feel that there is as much participation evident through Instagram and the other forms of social media?
YouTube is no surprise even to me. I too find myself choosing to use YouTube in order to find information. It does raise the issue of developing an inquiring and discerning mind. With so much information of YouTube our children need to develop the ability to question the material they find.
I feel Lou makes a pertinent point as to you regarding the ITC skills of the teachers who are designing the engaging lessons of this generation. If I was not studying this course I must question whether I would be capable of providing the necessary digital engagement needed. Constant up skilling is needed in order for teachers to keep abreast of trends. This of course requires funding.
Jack sounds like he is quite an amazing young man. I found this blog enjoyable and clearly will need to broaden my experience with media such as Reddit.
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