Online Participation on User-Generated Content

Yup, My Grandma Has Snapchat

The internet is an ever-growing system that is constantly bringing new opportunities to various

A screenshot of a Snapchat conversation I had with my Grandma. I told her I applied to a school division recently, and this was her response. She also LOVES to use Bitmojis.

communities, families and friendships. People across the world that we were only able to speak to

once every few months on phone calls or through letters have become close to us in the sense of social networking. My grandfather always says, "The world is getting smaller and smaller." He is always so taken by the technology that this day and age presents. Not only is it world-wide, it has also spread through various generations of families. My grandmother has an iPhone with Snapchat and Instagram downloaded on it. She also will watch videos on YouTube on her iPad. I really appreciate this because I know that she wants to keep in touch as much as possible with her grandchildren.

Fun Experiences with the Culture of Participation Online

Having this network of "user-generated content" and "integrated mediascape" (as stated by Wesch) brings people together in ways that you'd never think. An example that is similar to Wesch's video on the superman dance phenomenon (only on twitter instead) is when NHL player Anthony Beauvilliver reached out to actress Anna Kendrick through a tweet simply stating, "Hi @AnnaKendrick47". Many of Beauviller's teammates responded to the tweet, speaking of Beauviller's accomplishments, in attempt to impress Kendrick. Another fun example is when actress/model Zendaya posted this picture on twitter and captioned it, "I wish I could edit the damn speaker off the wall." Various people responded with both well done and hilariously sarcastic photoshopped images to please Zendaya. I really enjoyed this feed because it brought many people together to accomplish one goal (photoshop the speaker out) and I found many of the artists complimented other's work as well, which brought this together as a communal thread.

Using Online Participation in the Classroom

With the new culture of participation online, I believe that it only makes sense to follow the trend in our own classrooms. Doing this engages students therefore they are more involved in their own

I used Google Forms to create a code-entry for an escape room I did with my students

learning by approaching them using something they know and are very invested in. Some common examples of ways to participate online are Kahoot and Mentimeter. There are also neat ideas to get students involved on SeeSaw and Google Classroom and many of Google's other extentions. Personally, I enjoy using and have experimented with all of theses websites/apps. I would bring these into my classroom once every one or two weeks (depending on the unit as well) - not too much and not too little. As we discussed in class, technology has come out with some great ideas that have great motives, they <the cameras> they just may not be as effective a we wish. With these student-involved apps, it will often depend on the age and personalities of the students. For older students in high school, perhaps Facebook pages (as discussed in class) or Twitter threads would be more appealing to students.

Now YOU can participate in the culture of participation online by commenting/liking this blog!