A number of years ago, I worked as an educator in an inner city school. My role as teacher-librarian was to integrate the technology into the curriculum. Due to the socio economic situation of our students, the only access they had to technology was at the school. For this reason, we put in a number of proposals to address the “digital divide”. We always did our best to expose our students to technology by opening up the library before and after school, rolling a mobile cart through the classrooms for “just in time learning”, and the standard classroom computers. We promoted the local school library and encouraged our students to go there to use the computers available to them to complete their homework. At this time, (over 10 years ago), there really was a digital divide in this community and as a school, we felt we did the best we could to try and bridge this gap.
This week’s reading brought to light a new divide that I had never considered, the “participation gap” (Jenkins, 2006). Our students were from a marginalized community where they did have some access at school, but not necessarily the knowledge of what to share, or the confidence to post their opposition to traditional power structures. In most cases, none of these kids would ever have the access to tell their stories and ideas through rich media. Moreover, not only did our students experience this participation gap, but their parents, who did not have access to the schools’ technology, experienced both the digital divide and the participation gap. They had stories that would never see the light of day, but really needed to be told.
Moving forward to my current role at TVO, the article really resonated with me because TVO is considered to be a trusted voice with documentaries. This article really made me think about the filmmakers and interviewers. There is always a bias in media and of course the documentary team will interpret and share the story in accordance with their beliefs and values, but at least the stories are being told. So I do agree with the author in that it should not be considered DIY, but DIWO. Furthermore, I think the documentaries should be considered citizenship as they are grass roots and when “knowledge is shared, knowledge is gained” (Hartley, 2010). Now with DIWO and social media, many stories and questions from the local people can be told, which is how change can be fostered and a new and more enlightened power structure can emerge.
Mandy Rose. “Making Publics: Documentary as Do-it-with-Others Citizenship.” DIY Citizenship. Pp. 201-212.
This week’s reading brought to light a new divide that I had never considered, the “participation gap” (Jenkins, 2006). Our students were from a marginalized community where they did have some access at school, but not necessarily the knowledge of what to share, or the confidence to post their opposition to traditional power structures. In most cases, none of these kids would ever have the access to tell their stories and ideas through rich media. Moreover, not only did our students experience this participation gap, but their parents, who did not have access to the schools’ technology, experienced both the digital divide and the participation gap. They had stories that would never see the light of day, but really needed to be told.
Moving forward to my current role at TVO, the article really resonated with me because TVO is considered to be a trusted voice with documentaries. This article really made me think about the filmmakers and interviewers. There is always a bias in media and of course the documentary team will interpret and share the story in accordance with their beliefs and values, but at least the stories are being told. So I do agree with the author in that it should not be considered DIY, but DIWO. Furthermore, I think the documentaries should be considered citizenship as they are grass roots and when “knowledge is shared, knowledge is gained” (Hartley, 2010). Now with DIWO and social media, many stories and questions from the local people can be told, which is how change can be fostered and a new and more enlightened power structure can emerge.
Mandy Rose. “Making Publics: Documentary as Do-it-with-Others Citizenship.” DIY Citizenship. Pp. 201-212.