Joyce Valenza’s Neverending Search

I am back from Texas, from the UNT hooding ceremony and from visiting family in Houston. (Those of you who are already groaning, please keep reading, this post moves beyond the personal.)

First, let me say that I am grateful to the UNT SLIS faculty for offering me a precious gift–the chance to pursue the degree that eluded me through so many years of kids and work. I was able to graduate with two members of my wonderful cohort: Michael Stephens and Stacy Creel. And I am grateful to my committee: Carol Simpson, Brian O’Connor, Sam Hastings, and Marjorie Pappas for guiding me through an arduous process.

As I sat in the audience watching 72 doctoral candidates get hooded before it was my turn, I considered that arduous process.

I considered it in light of my recent post on databases in SLJ, the argument I’ve been following in Chronicle of Higher Education, Britannica’s Web 2.0 Forum, Prensky’s motto: “Engage me or enrage me,” our/my very honest passion for all things 2.0. And then Chris Sessums pointed to YouTube video based on an Alan Watts talk: Music and Life, fairly scornful of the arduous (empty) process.

I suspect the truth lies somewhere in between a scorn for the worn and the thrill of the new. Can we engage our learners without throwing out some of the 1.0 bathwater?

I grew up “paper trained.” But nearly every time I opened the bag I received (see that video), though I had to wait a bit, it actually did contain riches that allowed me to do the things I wanted to do and to grow as I did them. No one ever told me to sell insurance or wear a gray suit. Along the way there was time for music and dance and wine and friends.

Back in high school, I wrote carefully scrutinized papers, that were scanned for the quality of my argument and the quality of my evidence. I also worked on authentic projects; I tried to save the world; I created media (albeit primitive).

I am so impressed with Marco Torres’ students’ work. I want my students to create work like that, work is powerful and relevant and intelligent. I truly get the problems Marco’s students describe in Digital Students @ Analog Schools. I want my students to encounter university programs that allow them to continue to learn, to create in multiple media, to contribute.

But I want them also to learn to write a formal paper. I want them to develop the patience required to read serious nonfiction and journal articles. I want them to be able to carefully evaluate media and sources in any format. I want them to be ready and able to write an academic argument, an annual report, a carefully considered business plan.

As I work to engage them, as I look for projects that allow them to explore the power of media, to communicate effectively with expanded audiences, I want want them also to strive for quality. I want them to develop some more traditional skills.

I want them to have some level of academic patience. This work might take energy.

Though I want to make those databases I love way easier to find and use, I also don’t think asking students to go one more click beyond Google is too much to ask.

If you don’t yet have administrative or board blessing for curricular use of social networking, you might want to download the new NSBA (National School Board Association) study funded by Microsoft, News Corporation, and Verizon.

You may have already guessed it: the Internet is not always as dangerous as some people say.  Students use it in their work as learners:

Students report that one of the most common topics of conversation on the social networking scene is education. Almost 60 percent of students who use social networking talk about education topics online and, surprisingly, more than 50 percent talk specifically about schoolwork.

The report argues for the positive influence of social networking tools and urges districts to reexamine policies that limit educational opportunities:

. . . the vast majority of school districts have stringent rules against nearly all forms of social networking during the school day–even though students and parents report few problem behaviors online. Indeed, both district leaders and parents believe that social networking could play a positive role in students’ lives and they recognize opportunities for using it in education–at a time when teachers now routinely assign homework that requires the Internet to complete. In light of the study findings, school districts may want to consider reexamining their policies and practices and explore ways in which they could use social networking for educational purposes.

One of my favorite quotes:

Safety policies remain important, as does teaching student about online safety and responsible online expression, but students may learn these lessons while they’re actually using social networking tools.

The study concludes with some very reasonable recommendations for school board members (you may want to share these at meetings):

• Consider using social networking for staff communication and professional development
• Find ways to harness the educational value of social networking
• Ensure equitable access
• Pay attention to the nonconformists (as an influential leadership cadre among their peers and to improve their motivation and achievement)
• Reexamine social networking policies
• Encourage social networking companies to increase educational value

Quick note: Yesterday the New York Times celebrated Wikipedia’s move past the two million article mark by interviewing Jimmy Wales.