Gayle Y. Thieman, Ed. D. Portland State University

NCSS-CUFA 11/11/09

PurposeHow do pre-service teachers in a graduate

teacher education program engage secondary students in digital citizenship to support critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creative problem solving?

Seven year study of student teaching work samples

Examined lessons through lens of National Educational Technology Standards-Students (ISTE, 2007) Partnership for 21st Century Skills (2007), and Civic Mission of Schools (2003)

Digital Divide vs. Digital Disconnect• Teachers cite K-12

students’ lack of technology at home or schools as a barrier to incorporating technology into their lessons

Yet more students are coming to school with cell phones, media players, game devices, and laptops

Students need to learn how to use multiple technologies as tools for learning, communication, and participation, both locally and globally.

NCSS Members Support• More attention to studying controversial issues,

multicultural and global issues• Greater emphasis on integrating technology into

the curriculum• Stronger linkages of social studies learning to

social responsibility and civic action(NCSS Curriculum Standards Revision Committee hearings, NCSS, Houston, 2008)

“Social studies educators must provide young people with the awareness and abilities to critically question and create new media and technology, as well as the digital, democratic experiences, necessary to become active participants in the shaping of democracy”. NCSS Position Statement on Media Literacy (NCSS, 2009)

MethodologyInitial study of 223

elementary and secondary pre-service teachers in graduate teacher education program (2002-2007)

Follow up study of 35 secondary social studies pre-service teachers (2008-2009)

All pre-service teachers took Instruction/Technology course prior to Student Teaching

Initial Findings: K-12 students’ use of technology 50% of work samples and

reflections documented K-12 students’ use of technology in creativity and innovation, communication and collaboration, and research and information fluency. (2002-2007)

Little evidence that K-12 students used technology to support critical thinking, problem solving, and decision-making.

Richest examples of digital citizenship were seen in social studies work samples (N=42)

Follow-up Study Examines Social Studies Work Samples for Secondary Students’ Demonstration of Digital Citizenship (2008-2009)1) Responsible citizens are informed; they are

able to access, research, manage, evaluate and use information.

2) Informed citizens understand complex public issues and diverse perspectives.

3) Competent citizens think critically and creatively, evaluate and make informed decisions.

4) Effective citizens communicate with diverse audiences.

5) Committed citizens work collaboratively to solve problems.

Findings from Secondary Social Studies Work Samples (N=47)

1. Responsible citizens are informed: able to access, research, manage, evaluate & use information

Online primary sourcesrole of women in ancient RomeSocratic Seminar on revolutionsHistorical data on lynchingsElectoral college maps

Music and Video ClipsAnalyze lyrics from 1920’s, 1960’s, contemporary

rapAccess online digital video libraries: Kennedy-Nixon

debates, Harlem Renaissance, New deal, election campaigns of 1964-2004.

Podcast on 19th century reform movementsImages

Digital photos of U.S. southwest, Central American cultures; political and historical cartoons, consumer ads, interactive map activities—Google Earth

1. Responsible citizens are informed: able to access, research, manage, evaluate, and use information

2. Informed citizens understand complex public issues and diverse perspectivesComparison and contrast, multiple perspectives

Obama economic stimulus plan & New Deal policiesU.S. & U.S.S.R. Cold War propagandaAxis versus Allied perspectives during World War IIMLK “I Have a Dream Speech” & Obama speech on

raceNorthern and southern perspectives prior to Civil

War—quotes from former slaves, historic figures & legislation

Porta Portal accounts to organize digital resources & facilitate students’ research

Web-Quests on abolitionist movement & contemporary social justice issues

3. Competent citizens think critically & creatively, evaluate & make informed decisionsGraph Chinese government policy over time to

illustrate ideological vs. pragmatic orientationsWrite “I am from” poems from African American

perspective—GI returning home to Jim Crow and racism; female Liberty Ship worker fired to make way for returning soldiers

Examined digital photos of historic sites & created dough art replicas

Created newsletter, artwork, poetry from perspective of Japanese internees

Created civil war personality and “My America Facepage” from avatar’s perspective

4. Effective Citizens Communicate with Diverse AudiencesFrom interviews and traditional letters to

digital emails & wiki postingsInterviewed family members about reform

movements Wrote letters to Presidents Bush & Fox re:

problems in MexicoWrote letters to Senators re: US immigration

policy; Representatives re: Economic Stimulus Act

Teachers created wikis

5. Committed citizens work collaboratively to solve problems.Cooperative learning groups on a variety of

topicsShared their knowledge through role plays,

skits, simulations, multimedia presentations, web-quests.

No students used collaborative digital tools, e.g., Google docs or international projects, I-Earn

Teachers selected problems or issues to reflect state or district curriculum standards

Students’ conclusions communicated only to the teacher or fellow classmates.

Continuing Challenges

Students more adept at social use of emerging technologies than for academic or civic purposes

Digital divide between technologically rich and poor schools and students

Digital disconnect between tech savvy students and tech phobic teachers (Friedman and Hicks, 2006)

Students required to “power down” when they enter the classroom (O’Brien 2008)

Few connections between students’ online activity and civic matters

Need to better integrate social and public worlds of young people online (Bennett, 2008)