Draft educational and thoughtful responses to the posts below.

POST #1 (Alexis):

Taking risks, adapting quickly, and thinking critically are all skills that teachers hope their students will develop in the classroom. These skills help students feel comfortable applying their learning to real-world situations. These same skills are often associated with individuals who participate in participatory culture, as discussed in Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century.

After reading the articles and watching the two videos, I believe it is incredibly important for teachers to incorporate activities that reflect this culture. YouTube is especially popular among elementary and middle school students. Many of my students have told me about the YouTube channels they've created to share their favorite topics. One student, who has a passion for trains and their history, shared that he plans to make YouTube videos to educate others. Another student enjoys creating "how-to" videos, one student created videos on crocheting a scarf and making a matching hat. Seeing their enthusiasm for content creation only motivates me more to design activities and assessments that align with their interests.

A key point mentioned in the article is that this type of culture prepares students for society. As educators, our goal should be to prepare students with the skills they need to succeed in life. Embracing and incorporating participatory culture into our classrooms is a great way to do that.

I have already started integrating projects like podcasting and green screen video production into my teaching. I've used tools such as Vocaroo and Audacity for voice recordings, Do Ink for green screen editing, and Canva to create backgrounds for videos. I've included links to these resources and would love to share them with you!

https://vocaroo.com/

https://www.doink.com/

https://www.audacityteam.org/

One question that comes to mind while reading about this topic is privacy. When I create videos and podcasts with my students, I do not post them publicly for privacy reasons. While we want to encourage students to produce creative content, how can we ensure their privacy is protected?

POST #2 (Gina):

I appreciated Mimi Ito's video on Connected Learning, Children, and Digital Media. Although this video is more than a decade old, her concepts of friendship-based and geeking-out participation remain relevant today, even with the evolving digital landscape. Friendship-based participation centers on social connections, but platforms like Instagram and TikTok have expanded its scope to include broader social circles and self-expression. I would imagine geeking-out participation has become more specialized, with the niche communities on platforms like Reddit, Discord, and YouTube, enabling deeper engagement with specific interests. These participation types relate closely to the articles of Ito et al. (2011) and Jenkins (2009). Ito et al. emphasize interest-driven and socially embedded learning, which aligns with both participation typesfriendship-based engagement fostering social bonding and geeking-out promoting specialized, collaborative learning. Jenkins also highlights participatory culture, where users actively generate and share content, a concept reflected in the collaborative nature of geeking-out. Both articles underscore the importance of community, engagement, and shared knowledge in the digital media landscape, aligning with Ito's framework of connected learning.

I believe the Library of Congress Instagram (@librarycongress) is perfect example of connected learning as it makes history, culture, and knowledge accessible to a broad audience in an engaging and interactive way. I started following this account after visiting the stunning Library of Congress during one of their Thursday night Happy Hour events, where I had the chance to explore this incredible Library in a relaxed setting. That experience itself felt like a form of connected learningblending social engagement with intellectual discovery. It sparked my curiosity to keep learning about the library beyond my visit. The library's Instagram extends this learning by sharing rare books, historical photos, and behind-the-scenes content, using storytelling and interactive posts to connect followers with their vast archives. As Ito et al. (2011) describe in Connected Learning, learning thrives when it is interest-driven, socially embedded, and academically relevantprinciples demonstrated by the Library of Congress Instagram (@librarycongress), which transforms historical exploration into an interactive and accessible experience for a global audience.

Jenkins (2009) further emphasizes that participatory culture, where users are engaged and active in the learning process, is central to connected learning. The Instagram account fosters this participatory culture, inviting users to interact with the content and engage in ongoing dialogue about the library's resources.The Teaching in Higher Education podcast is another great example of connected learning, which emphasizes interest-driven, socially embedded, and academically relevant learning. As I read about this topic, I immediately thought of this podcast because it connects educators, researchers, and practitioners in meaningful discussions on pedagogy, technology, and student success. The structure of the podcast reinforces the principles of connected learning. Each episode features an interview-style format where host Bonni Stachowiak engages with guests in deep conversations about timely and impactful topics in higher education. The episodes often include practical takeaways, recommended resources, and discussions that encourage listeners to reflect on their own teaching experiences. This format fosters a sense of community, as listeners are not just passive consumers of information but are invited to apply insights, share ideas, and engage with a broader professional network. This aligns with Ito et al.'s emphasis on peer-supported and academically oriented learning, as the podcast connects professionals across disciplines, reinforcing continuous education through collaboration and shared knowledge.

Jenkins (2009) also supports this idea, arguing that participatory media cultures allow for continuous, collaborative learning through peer interaction and knowledge-sharing.In a connected learning environment, the roles of both learners and teachers are more fluid and collaborative. This creates an environment where teachers and learners are co-creators of knowledge, and teaching becomes more about guiding exploration and encouraging interaction than about simply delivering content. This participatory nature of learning challenges traditional educational models and calls for a redefinition of both roles. How can we as educators encourage more peer-driven and participatory learning? What are the challenges and benefits of fostering an environment where learners are also teachers and vice versa? I look forward to hearing thoughts and exploring these ideas further with the group.