Fremont High School

On this episode of TTT we discuss social media in education with several high school students. We are joined by:

• Paige Woodard @paige_woodard http://paigeawoodard.wordpress.com Paige Woodard
• Johanna Paraiso https://sites.google.com/site/paraisoenglishclass/ and three of her students at Fremont High School in Oakland, California http://youthvoices.net/Fremont
  Johanna Paraiso bassam taleb Katia Navidad jorge espinoza

Paige is on a mission, and we learn a lot by when Joanna's students who are working on http://youthvoices.net join her in this conversation.

Here's what Paige wrote recently on Shane Haggerty's blog http://publicassemblypr.com/2013/10/31/what-i-learned-one-students-mission/:

Changing the education system is difficult, but tangible.

For the past three months I have focused on integrating social media into the education system and, surprisingly, have found countless administrators, teachers, and social media gurus alike that are passionate about assisting me in my mission.

My social media education mission began with a simple Twitter account and blog on WordPress, yet my ultimate goal is to film a DVD to sell to school administrators that will explain why social media is beneficial in the classroom and how it can be incorporated into the curriculum.

Paige also writes (in an email):

I am really interested in students' responsibility on social media and why they should monitor what they share, as college admissions and future employers alike research you on social media before accepting you into their college/university or allow you to represent their business.

I am also advocating for social media usage in the classroom because it exposes students to countless opportunities unavailable to them in their school district. As an example, without the use of social media and networking, I would not have made a presentation to Howard Rheingold's class at Stanford University.

I am happy to brainstorm any other ideas as well.

Want more? Here's Howard Rheingold's interview with Paige and and her teacher, Don Wettrick, "Freedom, Autonomy, and Digital Media at an Indiana High School" http://dmlcentral.net/blog/howard-rheingold/freedom-autonomy-and-digital-media-indiana-high-school

This is a special episode of TTT, edited from a recording of a session at the National Writing Project's Annual Meeting in Boston on November 21, 2013. In addition to the presenters, listed below, we are joined by Johanna's amazing students and the thoughtful participants in this session.

Here's how we described this session:

B7: Educating for Democracy in the Digital Age

1:30pm - 3:00pm Hynes, Level 1, 104

How do we help youth understand the potential for writing to have impact, leveraging authentic purposes and today’s online platforms? How do we prepare youth to be informed, engaged civic actors—community ready, in other words—and not simply college and career ready? The National Writing Project is partnering with the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) and the Civic Engagement Research Group at Mills College to undertake a district-wide effort called, "Educating for Democracy in the Digital Age." Join Paul Allison of the New York City Writing Project, and Jo Paraiso and Young Whan Choi of the OUSD, as they discuss—in person and virtually—a working partnership that leverages the Youth Voices platform as a means to support civic engagement in schools.

Presenter(s):
Paul Allison, New York City Writing Project 
Paul Oh, National Writing Project 
Johanna Paraiso, Oakland Unified School District 
Young Whan Choi, Oakland Unified School District 

On March 29, 2013 Paul Oh blogged in dComposing

What’s significant to me about the Educating for Democracy in the Digital Age effort, beyond its mission of youth civic engagement, is that OUSD teachers have taken on a great deal of the leadership – so there’s a grassroots, locally informed relevance to the work- and that it joins together in-school and out-of-school educational opportunities. Youth have gotten to work with nearby partners like KQED http://blogs.kqed.org/lowdown/ and far-flung partners like Youth Voices http://youthvoices.net. Ultimately, the hope is that all HS youth before they graduate will be able to engage in a capstone project that demonstrates the skill of issue analysis, the ability to take action, and a reflective stance. As one of my EDDA colleagues from OUSD, Young-Whan Choi, has said, we want our youth to come away from this educational opportunity – and their entire school career – not just college and career ready, but community ready. http://dcomposing.com/2013/03/29/educating-for-democracy-in-the-digital-age/

We are planning a follow-up TTT webcast with Young Whan Choi, Paul Oh, and teachers involved in "Educating for Democracy in the Digital Age" at 9PM Eastern/6PM Pacific on Wednesday, January 22, 2014. Please plan to join us at EdTechTalk/ttt http://edtechtalk.com/ttt

.