Metacognition in a Digital World

How do we perceive ourselves (and others) in the real and digital worlds in which we live?

When we think and talk about our “online identity,” most of us think about our credit cards, our Facebook persona, and our internet browser history.  Thinking about our online identity in terms of how we interact with others is really not something I have ever given much thought to.  I don’t think that many others spend much time thinking about it in the same way as the authors have either.  I found it an interesting perspective to read about.

Becoming Metacognitive

For me, this concept is essentially an exercise in metacognition.  When we teach reading at PK Yonge, we don’t spend a lot of time reading stories and answering questions at the end; we don’t talk a lot about the “skills” drilled into students in most basal reading series.  Instead we focus on the underlying strategies that good readers use while they read (questioning, connecting, inferring, synthesizing, summarizing, etc.).  Along with explicitly teaching these strategies we work with students on becoming metacognitive about the entire process; helping them to notice when they are doing it and figuring out why.  Through this process they are able to understand themselves as a learner and become smarter in the way they utilize the strategies.  To me, this is the same kind of meta-structure that Ito et al. (2009) are using to categorize online usage.  Just like in reading one can be using multiple strategies simultaneously, using this framework one can be operating in different spheres online at the same time.  I can be on my phone “hanging out” via text messaging, Facebook, and Instagram while at the same time “geeking out” online by participating in a chatroom about a specialized topic that I’m really into (I’m not divulging my nerd tendencies here! J).

New wonderings

            There were a couple of points in the reading where I began wondering about some pieces of kids’ online lives.  I thought it was very interesting that, contrary to what many adults believe, teenagers would prefer to hang out in person (Ito et al., 2009; “Social media, social life: How teens view their digital lives,” 2012).  However, just like adults who are in a perpetual tether to their work via smart phones, teens find themselves in a constant state of connection with their peers.  I wonder if this is one reason why there has been a rise in reported bullying and other issues between kids online.  If you were truly able to disconnect and have a break from one another, oftentimes issues lessen and wounds heal.  But with 24/7 connectedness, many might find themselves in a destructive whirlpool that is crashing in on itself as rumors and gossip travel faster and warp into evermore destructive forms.  It doesn’t even matter if you are online or not, because everyone else is, so rumors will still spread.  I’m sure that as I progress through this course and degree I will be able to delve more into this, but at this point, it hasn’t gotten past the wondering stage.

Building an online identity

            When it comes to relating our readings to my context, I often find it difficult.  I teach fourth and fifth graders (9-11 year olds).  Most of the research and writing about kids online focus on 13-18 years olds because most social media sites don’t allow participation until you are 13.  As we all know, this doesn’t mean that there aren’t hundreds of thousands of 9-12 year olds online creating identities and bumping into the hard realities of online interactions.  It simply means that there aren’t many people looking at them.  However, I did find one video that does have an eleven year old discussing shaping her online identity and how she views online connections.

            While this isn’t specifically centered on the convergence of and movement between “hanging out,” “messing around,” and “geeking out” as discussed in the chapter, it does deal with how pre-teens are learning to move their “hanging out” from face-to-face to cyberspace.  I actually found it interesting that in contrast Ito et al., who talked about teens using technology primarily to arrange offline face-to-face time (p. 38), “Eva” discussed how chatting online allowed her to say things she wouldn’t say to someone in person, including the f-word, much to her mother’s horror.  This speaks to the thesis of Hanging Out, Messing Around, and Geeking Out by showcasing a seamless movement between multiple reasons to use the same technology.

Social Networks in Elementary School

            In my own context, my colleague and I are working to integrate Edmodo into our online community of learners (this colleague is Holly Wall who is also in this class with me).  When I saw the topics that we will be discussing and researching this semester, I got really excited because we have just recently begun this journey and are hoping to work on some mini-grants this summer to take it to the next level next year.  I am really looking forward to delving deeper into the idea of social networks and online identities as we introduce our students to these contexts.  Though it won’t be our primary purpose, helping them learn to navigate these waters is a very important secondary goal.  This idea of moving back and forth between tools and purposes online will be an important addition to how we approach our students.  Just as we teach them to be conscious of moving back and forth between reading strategies, we want them to be self-aware about their purpose and online persona as they are interacting with others online.  By recognizing the different purposes and therefore different types of interactions, hopefully students will become more successful in their online interactions.

References

Ito, M., Sonja B., Matteo B., Boyd, D. Cody, R., Herr, B., Horst, H.A., Lange, P.G.,Mahendran, D., Martinez, K., Pascoe, C.J., Perkel, D., Robinson, L., Sims, C., & Tripp, L.(2009). Hanging Out, Messing Around, Geeking Out: Living and Learning with New Media. Cambridge: MIT Press.

Self expression and identity online. 2012. Retrieved from http://on.aol.com/video/self-expression-and-identity-online-517371587?icid=video_related_thumb_2

Social media, social life: How teens view their digital lives. 2012. Retrieved from

http://www.commonsensemedia.org/research/social-media-social-life/key-finding-4%3A-teens-wish-they-could-disconnect-more-often