Goals for ‘Online Sharing’: Community, Visibility, & Authenticity

Tags

authenticity, autobiography, blogging, community, digital citizenship, digital footprint, education, online sharing, teaching, Twitter

It’s an enlightening activity to sit back and review your ‘online sharing’ for a two-month period.  I did this last week over a couple of days instead of posting to this blog, in an effort to evaluate whether my contributions to the Twitterverse and Blogosphere were really bearing fruit, were really moving me closer to the goals that initially prompted my participation.

I am acutely aware that this task proved much easier for me than it would for many friends, colleagues, and fellow ‘tweeps’.  For one, I don’t have a Facebook account (never have!)  My ‘sharing’ since August 15th–when I posted my first tweet–has consisted of six (lengthy) blog posts, almost three hundred tweets, and a dozen or so photos on Instagram.  Content I shared spanned topics such as education, movies, music, sports, my kids, coffee, and my affection for Apple products, among other things.  In a mere two months, my online sharing increased by about 5000% (a made up number, perhaps, but I’d only ever helped my wife post pics of our family to Facebook, so that hardly counts!)

If you google ‘trends in online sharing’, you’ll no doubt come up with many reliable statistics surrounding the exponential growth in the frequency and amount of content individuals share online.  The term ‘digital citizenship’ resonates with us because we have a growing sense that we are inhabitants of a digital world wherein we are increasingly living our lives online.  When I signed up for Twitter and began blogging, I was very deliberate about how much of my life would be available online for public scrutiny, and the practical purposes and goals I had for broadening my ‘digital footprint’.  It turns out that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my entrance into the world of social media–more so than I ever expected–but have I stayed true to my self-imposed goals and limitations?

Goal #1: Join an Active Community

I am convinced that Twitter is, at present, the most powerful tool for connecting with talented, like-minded educators from around the world!  I am reminded daily how extraordinary it is to be listening in on, and at times interacting with, educators from places as far away as Indonesia (@intrepidteacher) and Australia, and all throughout the United States and Canada!  What keeps me coming back is the feeling of fellowship–of camaraderie even–that emerges due to the common interests and values held by those involved.  Of course, the members of this community will question and challenge one another, and they won’t always agree, but a welcoming atmosphere and attitude of mutual respect supersede any significant differences that may be present.

I grossly underestimated the strength and maturity of such a community.  I never dreamed that there was a 24/7 Professional Development conference going on via Twitter.  I thought this medium was for superstars and the kids who adored them.  Now I wouldn’t want to live without it, and as I get further into my career and my teaching responsibilities increase, I know that growing a strong Personal Learning Network will sustain me in ways that co-workers and administration are, at times, unable to.

Fortunately, this well-meaning community is even bigger than a bunch of educators sharing resources and best practices.  It extends into almost any arena imaginable.  Of course, forums and chat rooms based around particular special interests have been around for decades now, but Twitter takes these platforms to an entirely different level.  You may comment on the characterization of a particular villain in a television series, then receive a message from the actor who plays that part!  A few weeks backs, one of my posts that merged education-related discussion with film criticism was referenced and quoted by a film blogger whose work I’ve enjoyed for years.  A wealth of ideas coupled with the ease of dissemination fuel the creative energy of an ever-growing community of which I’m thrilled to now be a part!

Goal #2: Increase My Visibility

In his introduction to The Facts: A Novelist’s Autobiography, Philip Roth wrote that, “the person I’ve intended to make myself visible to here is myself, primarily”.  The irony is that despite this stated purpose, Roth eventually submitted the book for publication and exposed the details of his modest upbringing, failed relationships, and early days as a writer, to readers around the world.  Likewise, I had no illusions that I was blogging merely for myself, though I have relished the opportunity to document and reflect upon precious thoughts and happenings over the past couple of months.  I have enjoyed journalling in the past, but have only disciplined myself to journal regularly while on significant trips or before major life events such as marriage or the birth of my first child.  While those events are certainly worth contemplating and writing about, so are many other smaller ones in-between, for as much as we believe that the huge, life-altering events are what shape us, the day-to-day happenings have just as much impact on our ongoing development.  In education, we talk a lot about reflecting on our practice, and like Roth, I believe that a record of thoughts, feelings, and events is invaluable if we are ever to “[use] the past as a basis for transformation”.

I am also certain that one of our primary roles as educators is to educate our students about monitoring and maintaining a positive Digital Footprint.  My aim to increase my visibility stemmed from the fact that my ‘footprint’ was nearly non-existent, and I was convicted about failing to practice what I preach.  I quickly went about updating my LinkedIn profile, and took great pains to establish a blog I could be proud of and a Twitter stream that reflected my personality and interests.  I realized quickly that I need not be concerned about feeling exposed or losing my privacy even if I tweeted about things going on in my personal life.  As I watched others interact on Twitter, I recognized that revealing little tidbits about who I am and how I think and what I do with my time allows others to connect the arguments and opinions I express so passionately with the life of a real person.  By sharing the personal elements we do, it allows all of us to subscribe to and follow PEOPLE, rather than just nicknames and thumbnail images.

As educators, we are called by our society to a higher standard of morality and conduct than members of most other professions; however, we are not required to be invisible.  The integrity and ethics that determine our conduct on a daily basis are directly applicable to where and how we participate in the digital realm.  Going forward, I will model what it means have a vital and visible online presence.

Goal #3: Maintain Authenticity

My greatest fear is that in the midst of all of this ‘sharing’ we risk surrendering our authenticity.  In her wonderful TED Talk, titled “How to Spot a Liar”, Pamela Meyer declares, “Oversharing? That’s not honesty!”  It can indeed get rather ‘noisy’ as everyone is ‘talking’ at once about whatever pops into their minds at a given moment, and the danger is that these lives we exhibit online become estranged from the true lives we lead.  For some, this disconnect between an ‘online persona’ and their ‘real life’ may be intentional, but I want to be authentic in any sphere!

Still, I can’t help but ask, do I unconsciously exaggerate to compose a more eye-catching tweet?  Is it difficult to resist the urge to dramatize the mundane?  Am I giving off the impression in my blog posts that I have more teaching experience or pedagogical wisdom than I really do?  I believe we should be mindful and concerned about these temptations, as I am.  Another ‘buzz term’ that we’re repeatedly confronted with these days is talk of our ‘personal brand’, but is it not a brand’s job to elevate itself in the minds of potential customers in order to increase profits?  I suppose I want to market my skills on some level, but I am wary of perceiving my identity in the same way that we recognize brands.  After all, we are not commodities.

Perhaps our online ‘lives’ do to some extent render us ‘walking texts’; the partial versions of ourselves that we lay bare for all to witness and judge can not approximate the whole.  We must choose what to share/write and what to omit, and whether we are motivated by inhibition or reluctance to expose too much, we are tempted–expected maybe–to present the most favourable ‘version’ of ourselves (not unlike Roth, or any autobiographer).  As I sift through my tweets and posts and pics, I can’t help but wonder if others looking in see the real me, or an idealized but heavily-edited version.  If we are unconsciously engaged in the maintenance of a personal brand (or the concealment of a ‘countertext’ that is less attractive but more authentic) then I can only guess at the long-term effects this behaviour will have on our self-image and the ways we interact both online and off.  My hope is that we don’t sacrifice honesty and truth in favour of online ‘followers’.  As Meyers rightly identifties, “character [and] integrity” are “still what matters!”

Without a doubt, remaining authentic is the most difficult objective of all, and as I forge ahead and fashion new goals for my participation in social media, I will continuously aspire to portray an image that others can trust.  

Why do YOU participate in social media?  Have you identified goals with regard to your online sharing/tweeting/blogging?  How do you evaluate the your own digital citizenship?  Whether you’re ‘experienced’ or not, please share!

**I would be remiss not to acknowledge the indelible influence that Claire Ortiz-Diaz’ wonderful book, Twitter for Good: Change the World One Tweet at a Time, has had on the thinking that prompted this post.  Though her book is directed at companies and not-for-profit organizations that seek to successfully employ the powers of social media to their desired ends, it also guided my thinking about personal goals with regard to online sharing and participation in social media.  I have also drawn substantially from the conclusion of Philip Roth’s autobiography as it applied to my analysis of maintaining authenticity in online sharing.  

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Everything I Know About Teaching, I Learned from the Movie “Moneyball”

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baseball, confidence, education, literacy, Moneyball, motivation, movie, reflective practice, risk-taking, student success

“It’s a metaphor!” declares one character to another as they pore over footage of minor league ball-players in the final moments of Bennett Miller’s new film, “Moneyball”.  A snicker spreads through the audience in the movie theatre because his statement is so obviously unnecessary.  I won’t spoil one of the most memorable sequences in this wonderful film, but suffice it to say that an underdog who rarely ‘goes for it’ takes a risk and seemingly makes a complete fool of himself, only to discover moments later that his success far exceeded his wildest imagination.  The footage serves as more than a metaphor–it’s a lesson for us as educators, and contains a truth we must acknowledge again and again.

For those of you who haven’t yet made it to the theatre, or read the reviews, or have simply dismissed the film as another ‘baseball movie’, “Moneyball” tells the story of Billy Beane, general manager for the Oakland Athletics in the early 2000’s.  It examines Beane’s radical strategy leading up to the 2002 season that led him to dismiss the ‘subjective’ wisdom of baseball scouts in favour of a system for selecting/rating players devised by a Yale Economics graduate.  After suffering the loss of three star players to wealthier teams, he successfully builds a team that would make the playoffs, break the Major League record for consecutive wins in a season (20), and win the same number of games as the New York Yankees with less than one third of the salary budget.  Though Oakland did not go on to win the World Series, Beane’s system has had a ripple-effect through the game and continues to influence how General Managers construct their baseball clubs today.

I admire the excellent filmmaking, acting, and writing that have combined to produce such a superb film, but as my family-members and close friends are aware, I am infinitely more interested in how the truth claims and ideas expressed in the film apply to my personal experience.  As a new teacher, I discovered much by way of application to our profession.  Here are five things I ‘learned’:

1. Change is difficult because the ‘game’ is unfair

When Beane first addresses a room full of seasoned baseball scouts about the ‘problem’ of replacing three star players on the roster, none of them can identify the real obstacle in their path to success–the fact that the game is simply unfair!  Wealthier teams will inevitably prosper due to seemingly unlimited resources, while poorer teams will pick up the leftovers.  I’m not suggesting that the education systems within which we practice our craft are ‘broken’ to the same extent, but I think it’s safe to say that often when we identify ‘problems’ we feel powerless to correct them.

As a highschool English teacher, my primary aim is to prepare students to be literate citizens of the 21st century global community, but sometimes it feels as though the greater emphasis is placed upon standardized tests and preparing students for these high-pressure exams.  I read a wealth of articles about iPod/iPad carts and LCD televisions on the walls and the possibilities that these tools afford teachers and students, but schools that can afford such things are few and far between.  Though teachers are increasingly comfortable with new technologies and the opportunities they provide for learning, the conversations in staff rooms where social media is demonized are still far too common.  Eradicating old budgetary allocations, old practices, and old philosophies at a systemic level is extremely difficult–we may not have the power or influence to ‘change the game’ ourselves–but as Beane had the authority to impact the philosophy governing his team, so do we have the opportunity to bring a certain degree of progress and innovation to our own classrooms with or without the fancy tools.

2. Success is a product of confidence, not inherent ‘capability’

I would hope that we are all past the point of deducing student prospects in the way that baseball scouts must make snap judgments about players, but the temptation still remains to separate in our minds the ‘strong students’ from those who are unlikely to attain the same level of success academically, and measure our teaching effectiveness by the success of the students who possess the most ‘natural’ ability.  What Beane discovers reiterates what many of us already know--confidence is the single most important factor in a player’s (or student’s) success.  If a student is certain of his/her inability to succeed, his/her performance will undoubtedly match the expectation of failure.  Conversely, if we can instill in our students a confidence that is genuine and ongoing, we will motivate them to work hard and improvements (however minor) are sure to follow.

According to the film, Beane abandoned the traditional practice of ‘scouting’ largely due to its proven ineffectiveness (in his own life and the lives of many other young ball players).  He chose instead to take a rag-tag group of under-skilled players and explore their potential by focusing on their needs as individuals and finding out what drives each of them to aim higher.  We will always have students for whom high grades are sufficient motivation, but I would venture to say that most students will look to us to point them toward other motivating factors, a truth we must consider each time we assign a project or announce an upcoming test for which we expect them to prepare.  Students must see value in the tasks we are asking them to perform, and must be armed with the confidence that hard work will produce favourable results.

3. “Romance is for the fans”

I’d be lying if I did not admit at this point that I aspire to be a teacher who leaves a lasting impact on my students.  It’s likely that all teachers, to some degree, consider this possibility.  I remember fondly a handfull of teachers who challenged and inspired me throughout my academic career, and I often daydream about whether I will someday make a similarly profound contribution to the personal growth and development of students in my care.  Fundamentally, there is nothing particularly wrong with this aspiration, but I can’t ignore Beane’s conclusion that ‘romance is for the fans’.  He rarely attends the games, and even avoids the record-setting 20th consecutive win because getting caught up in personal glory and offers of inflated salaries that are sure to follow distracts him from doing his work and doing it well.

Professional sports, and (in a different vain) teaching are ‘romantic’ professions; they both offer the promise of a wonder and joy that are at times unexplainable and extremely memorable.  At times, our experiences as educators approach the sublime!  What we must remember is that we haven’t yet reached that retirement party.  We haven’t won the World Series.  We have lots of work left to do, much of it thankless and unrecognized.  It would be wonderful if my co-workers and former students were to some day look back upon my career and admire my conviction and commitment to the profession, but for now I must press on with the work at hand and dismiss thoughts of glory.  The drive comes from the unwavering belief that our work matters whether it is celebrated or not.

4. The sound of losing is silence

When Beane comes upon team-members in the locker-room carousing and acting foolish following an embarrassing loss, he stifles them and reminds them that ‘silence’ is the sound that follows a loss.  Now, admittedly, it’s merely a baseball game, and I don’t want to stretch the analogy beyond what is reasonable, but Beane’s deadening of the mood and calling to attention of his players is an entirely appropriate response to defeat.  When Oakland lost games, the result was lost revenue and a tarnished reputation.  When we fail our students because we are too busy, too jaded, or too tired to give them our best, the results are much more consequential!

It breaks my heart to see students drop out, or make decisions that will negatively impact them well into adulthood.  We can’t always prevent these behaviours or accept responsibility for them, but I know when I’ve done a great job vs. merely performing to expectations and I wonder if I set aside time for silence–for reflection–to consider how I might improve.  Reflecting on our practice is something often trumpeted by the administrative teams and ministries for whom we work, but most teachers cite lack of time in the day as an excuse for negating this important practice.  It simply can’t be ignored and set aside.  The consequences for not engaging in reflection and acknowledging our weaknesses are too great.

5. “The first guy through the wall always gets bloody”

We must always remember that when we strive to incite change, to try something fresh and innovative and push the boundaries of what was previously thought possible, we will at times be met by voices of dissent.  As Beane was told that ‘nobody reinvents the the game using statistical gimmicks’, we might be told that the existing methods, tools, philosophies are sufficient and favoured over the untried and untested.  I am grateful for those learning environments where risk-taking is encouraged, but I am aware of just as many where it is met with opposition.  To those working in such environments, the message is clear: keep doing what you know is in the best interests of your students!

As with Beane, accusations of failure may fly if we can’t produce immediate results, but there is usually a price to be paid by those who pioneer new ways of thinking or put into practice new philosophies and methods.  Change is oftentimes threatening to the comfort and livelihood of respected colleagues, but it is essential if we are to remain relevant and effectively carry out our mandate.  Recently, I’ve encountered online a vibrant network of teachers committed to harnessing the power of technology and the wealth of information available to us in the pursuit of teaching excellence.  Many are implementing practices in their classrooms that would have been unthinkable and untenable a few years (or even months) ago.  Let us continue on this path, in recognition that we may not get the credit or even stick around long enough to witness all the fruits of our efforts, but our persistence and passion will impact our education system for good!  Beane never won a World Series with Oakland using his system, but another team that adopted it did so only a few short years later!

My response to the ‘metaphor’ described above is clear.  At every opportunity, I will ‘go for it’ even at the risk of falling flat on my face, rather than maintaining the status quo and betraying a conviction that I can be better!  I think it’s a practice that will serve me well in education and in life.  What will you do?

Avoiding ‘PowerPoint Overload’: Improving the Use of Slide-Ware in the Classroom

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Edward Tufte, Jean-Luc Doumont, Keynote, PowerPoint, presentations, sentence headlines, slide-ware, target audience, teaching strategies, visual evidence

‘PowerPoint Overload’ results when we utilize what some have called the ‘Banking Model of Instruction’, wherein we treat our students as vaults into which we will deposit knowledge!  Quite clearly, this type of behaviour opposes much of what we believe constitutes effective pedagogy, yet we continue to employ these tools–oftentimes poorly!

Must we avoid PowerPoint (or my personal favourite–Keynote) or simply change the way we use ‘slide-ware’ in our classrooms?

Personally, I really dislike writing on the chalk board.  I prefer an overhead projector, or better yet, a slide presentation ANY day!  It’s not because I have terrible hand-writing, or am afraid to turn my back to students for a few moments to write something on the board.  I think it has something to do with feeling prepared for a particular type of lesson, and in the situations where notes or other materials DO need to be transmitted to students visually, I want what they are looking at to be aesthetically pleasing.

On the other hand, I have many reservations about using the software (Keynote/PowerPoint) because I’ve witnessed the ways in which it has become a crutch in Academia.  The speaker need not memorize his/her talk or speak from notes because it’s easier to just throw everything up on screen.  The students need not pay attention or take notes because ‘it’s all on the slides anyway’.  This is a dynamic that destroys any hope of real learning emerging from lessons delivered this way.  Much ink has been spilt in the last decade exploring this phenomena, and I think that as educators it pays to have even a cursory knowledge of what has been discovered and continue the discussion of how we can employ these popular ‘slide-ware’ packages for the good of our students.

In true PowerPoint fashion, I’ve organized some of my thoughts below in a format ripe for easy scanning.  Please feel free to engage me in further discussion on any of them by way of a comment on this post.

Purpose – to promote reflection and discussion surrounding our use of PowerPoint (PP) in our classrooms and how this ‘tool’ can be used more effectively to enhance student learning.

The Debate:

“Power Corrupts.  PowerPoint Corrupts Absolutely.” – Edward Tufte

“What comes out of PowerPoint depends largely on what goes into it; and the tool will likely neither improve poor thinking nor corrupt sound reasoning.” – Jean-Luc Doumont

The Research: According to a large sample of university undergraduates, learning increases when instructors do the following:

• use PP as merely an outline
• incorporate discussions or activities into PowerPoint
• allow time for questions
• show connections and associations between the ideas presented
• use PP to help students visualize the material

Before you prepare a slide-ware presentation, ask yourself these questions:

• What is the message I want to convey?
• Can I use PowerPoint effectively to enhance/clarify this message?
• Will I be respecting my audience as I seek to do so?

In Practical Terms…

a) Create your PowerPoint presentation LAST! — Instead, focus on target audience, message, and which teaching strategies to adopt, followed by structure and timing. 

b) Defy conventions and templates built into the software.

c) Break the mould of standard presentations!  There is no ‘perfect’ model.

How We Can Improve: ‘Alternative Design’ and Narrative/Argumentative Structure

1. Use Succinct Sentence Headlines (a claim, an argument, a statement) as opposed to a phrase headline.  A clear sentence headline will clarify the slide’s purpose and how it relates to the overall message of the presentation.  Read More…
2. Follow the headline with visual evidence as opposed to a bulleted list.  Visual evidence is memorable and the combination of word and image leads to efficient and persuasive communication.  Read More…
3. Include a conclusion slide that remains on screen throughout the question and answer period and contains the key information that you want your audience to take away from your presentation.
4. Determine whether your presentation should best be conceived of as a narrative or an argument.  This decision is based on an evaluation of your audience and your content and will dictate the structure of your presentation.  Read More…
5. Each slide should represent a single thought and the audience should be able to grasp easily how each slide relates to the narrative or argument that drives the presentation.  Read More…

Conclusions:

• We don’t need to stop using PowerPoint (and other slide-ware softwares), we just need to do a better job preparing our presentations!
• Audience & Message must guide our decision whether or not to use the software and how we go about using the software.
• Design and Structure are the keys to a successful presentation!

As we aim to prepare compelling, engaging lessons for our students that harness the rhetorical power of technological tools within our grasp, let us take the necessary time to contemplate our students’ experience of the lesson and what type of presentation (if any) will best enhance their learning!

The Final “One More Thing…”

Tags

Apple, commencement address, death, innovative, iPhone, iPod, legacy, Steve Jobs, Think Differently, tribute

cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by carriera01

Steve Jobs uttered many catchphrases and memorable quotes over his years as CEO of (arguably) the most innovative company on planet earth.  In recent years, audiences around the world would tune in to his keynote addresses to discover what revolutionary ‘one more thing’ Jobs would charismatically unveil.  As memorable as the many products and inventions Steve shared with us over the years, is the pure delight he displayed at the opportunity to bring them to us!

Many wonderful tributes will be spoken and written in the coming days by those who were privileged enough to know Steve Jobs personally, or remember the beginnings of Jobs’ indelible influence on his company, his industry, and his world.  In the scheme of things, I am a relatively recent Apple ‘convert’ (though I do remember holding the 1st generation iPod Touch on the day of its Canadian release and feeling like nothing short of a magician as I demonstrated it for family and friends!) but I stand with many who appreciate his staggering accomplishments and recognize what an inspiration he has been to his generation.  After hearing of his passing earlier today, I am prompted to reflect on the subject of legacy–the ‘one more thing’ that remains at the end of a remarkable life.

If we define legacy as a gift ‘handed down’ after our passing, it is logical to consider what ‘gifts’ Steve Jobs has left for us?  Will we remember him for his aesthetic sensibilities and attention to detail?  For his emphasis on ‘user experience’ with each new Apple product he helped to develop?  Or perhaps, his inspirational battle with cancer and his many motivational speeches to students?  Will it be the 300+ patents he holds for breakthroughs such as the computer mouse and the iPod click-wheel?  The president of the United States, Barrack Obama, suggested earlier today that “there may be no greater tribute to Steve’s success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented” (National Post).  Members of his family are quoted as saying that “In his public life, Steve was known as a visionary; in his private life, he cherished his family” (Washington Post).  I would suggest that acclaim and wealth pale in comparison to the truth implied by these final eight words–Jobs was keenly aware that people are to be valued most of all.

Over the years, I’ve witnessed the passing of several close family members and experienced the inevitable clinging to memories that follows such losses, as I’m sure have we all.  Each time I’m reminded of my own mortality, I’m forced to ponder what gifts I will bestow upon those who succeed me.  What will be my legacy?  What will be your legacy?  As a father, husband, teacher, son, I hope that I will be remembered as a man who loved generously, worked passionately, and lived faithfully and vibrantly.  As we seek to digest the meaning of Steve Jobs’ life and death in these coming days, I suggest that we would honour him best by focusing on what he valued and who he loved.

In his commencement address to the Stanford graduating class of 2005, after already confronting and surviving pancreatic cancer for the first time, Jobs spoke these words.  I believe that they speak volumes about how he was able to consistently marvel us with his creativity and share his passion–his delight–for technology and the ways it connects us to one another:

Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

Thanks, Steve!  Thanks for helping us to ‘Think Differently!’

How Should We Support Youth Identities?

Tags

acceptance, bullying, cultural code, education, learning, sexual orientation, support, teaching, youth culture, youth identities

How should we respond as teachers–as a society–to the news that a 14-year-old boy has taken his life?  How do we digest the news that once again this tragedy occurred because he just couldn’t endure further bullying regarding his sexual-orientation?  There are no easy answers to these questions, and the truth is, if educators could prevent this type of behaviour and its unfortunate results, we would have already done so!  We are powerless to control the out-of-school behaviour of students on social networking sites, but we can model an acceptance and support of all youth identities within the four walls of our classroom!  Recent events have forced me to consider deeply what it truly means to ‘support youth identities’ in my classroom.  It’s my privilege to share my ideas thus far, in hopes that together we might further this important conversation.

While it is important to support the identities of subgroups within our classes (ie. gay/lesbian, racial, etc.), my concern is that we may be ill-equipped to do so if we haven’t first given sufficient consideration to what is meant by ‘supporting youth identities’ in a broader sense.  All teenagers (and pre-teens) we encounter will be undergoing many changes as they mature and develop, and will be formulating and refining their understanding of their ‘personal identities’.  As educators, (particularly in English classrooms, where literature and oral/written expression are perceived as gateways to greater understanding of self/others/the world) we have a unique opportunity to provide support and a framework through which students can arrive at a greater understanding of how their identities are shaped as they negotiate a place within youth culture, and the world at large.  As such, it is my assertion that to truly support the identities of our students, we must 1) validate who they already are, and 2) encourage/promote exploration of who they are becoming.  The second part can’t happen unless we successfully do the first part (a harder task than we might think).

It is essential that we first build a vocabulary around personal identity that is not unlike that often employed in the English classroom when students are asked to enunciate the ‘traits’ of a particular character in a piece of literature.  I might seek to define ‘personal identity’ as the culmination of the individual the subject professes to be, and the one he/she displays through action.  We describe our identity by talking about who we believe we are, and for many teenagers this is understood in the context of what they do and do not ‘like’.

This follows with the Post-Structuralist notion that we perceive our identity in opposition to others, differentiating from one another through careful selection of what we will ‘consume’, thus emphasizing by omission what we are not.  We are regularly reminded that our identities are not fixed, are in fact unstable, and consequently, the idea of the ‘bounded self’—of a solid, finalized identity that must be constantly re-enforced through repeat performance–is disrupted.

By asking students to bring into class something that has recently proven to be ‘meaningful’–in other words, something they ‘like’–we establish the classroom as a place where their interests, their culture, and their personal lives are not only welcome but worthy topics of discussion.  It’s so much more than a ‘fact-finding mission’.  Many teachers begin the year with a survey that asks students to list favourite movies, books, musicians, hobbies, etc.  What exactly happens after that?  Does the teacher go home and download all those songs and watch all of those movies in effort to understand his/her students?  Would it matter if we did?  These, and other ‘get to know you’ activities, neither challenge or validate youth identities!

I would guess that in the majority of cases, one of two things is typically done with such surveys:  a) the teacher reads that student X likes hip-hop music or skateboarding and makes a snap judgment about that student based on all the other students he/she has taught who liked hip-hop music or skateboarding, or b) the teacher conscientiously and with the best intentions tries to incorporate hip-hop music into a poetry unit, for example.  I think it’s obvious why the first response is problematic.  The difficulties with the second response are perhaps a little less apparent.  To understand why a teacher introducing hip-hop music into the poetry unit may prove problematic, I’ll turn to one of the giants of Cultural Theory, but first, this clip from “Modern Family” illustrates the point in a humorous way.

It’s always fun to laugh at dads who think they’re hip but aren’t.  The problem is, as teachers we often act the same way.  What was ‘hot’ when Zac Efron did it just doesn’t have the same effect when it’s your dad, or your teacher, and I’m sure that if we’re honest, we can think of times when we at least approached this type of behaviour!  Last fall, I checked out the new Kanye West album because everywhere I looked there were phenomenal reviews of this album, and I consider myself to be open-minded, so even though I usually listen to folk and indie music I thought I’d give it a serious listen.  Secretly, I was thinking about application for the classroom, but in the end I decided that even though I could appreciate the creativity and some of the lyrics, I wasn’t going to use it until I took the time necessary to understand in greater detail what it meant to my students.  Several of my colleagues have attempted activities involving creating Facebook pages for literary characters, and students have been less than enthused.  Pierre Bourdieu presents a compelling argument for why this occurs.

Bourdieu says that, “[a] work of art has meaning and interest only for someone who possesses the cultural competence, that is, the code, into which it is encoded.”  I could transport Kanye West into my classroom, but if I didn’t possess the cultural code necessary to truly understand his music and his lyrics, the students would quickly recognize that I was merely appropriating it for my own educational purposes, and consequently, cheapening something potentially meaningful and influential in their lives.  Bourdieu’s work is, of course, aimed at describing the variables that account for ‘taste’ with regard to artistic appreciation, but I think it’s reasonable to argue that this notion of ‘cultural competence’ can also be understood as a strong reminder that we must exercise humility as we seek to incorporate youth culture into our lessons and our pedagogy.  We can never hope to remain current (even if we do spend hours on YouTube listening to all of the artists named on the student surveys) and despite our best efforts, we may never ‘get it’.

In many ways, we’re not supposed to get it.  In the late 70’s, guys like Hebdige, and later on, Malcolm McLaren, wrote about ‘punk subculture’ and how it was all about “a decisive break with the parent culture”.  It “[represented] the experience of contradiction” and “expressed itself through rupture”.  Much of collective youth identity and youth culture today exists to a lesser degree for exactly the same reason, and thus, we will and should meet resistance if we work too hard to sanitize and legitimize it for the purposes of ‘learning’.  So what’s the alternative?

Perhaps it is appropriate, even in an age where we agree that engaging students using New Media and modern-day alternatives to traditional texts is a positive step forward, that we recognize the dangers of boldly trespassing where we haven’t yet been invited to tread.  True validation of the identities of our students and the cultural artifacts that are so closely tied to their identities comes when we 1) invite students to educate us about who they are, 2) humbly relinquish any pre-conceived notions we have that our expertise qualifies us to aptly ‘read’ their code, and 3) aim to bring clarity to the ways in which what they find meaningful (what they ‘like’) is an outward expression of feelings, truths, and relationships that make them who they are.

Let us not discount our influence and our ability to validate and encourage the development of student identities.  We may never know when the support and acceptance of a respected adult might prevent the next Jamey Rodemeyer from a devastating and irrevocable decision.

What might you do or what are you already doing in your classrooms to support youth identities?  How can we apply in practice the theoretical framework outlined above? (I have a few ideas but I’m excited to hear yours!)

If you are interested in reading more regarding Cultural Theory, I would be pleased to pass along bibliographic details for the sources cited above.