How Teens Incorporate Digital Platforms and Devices Into Their Romantic Relationships (Pew Article)

Lenhart, A., Anderson, M., & Smith, A. (2015, October 1). How teens incorporate digital platforms and devices into their romantic relationships. Retrieved November 30, 2015, from http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/10/01/how-teens-incorporate-digital-platforms-and-devices-into-their-romantic-relationships/

Teens and dating is very complex and if you throw in the Internet their relationships become even more complicated. In this article, I learned how teens that are dating communicate.  According to the article, teens in relationships spend time with their partners both online and offline. Teens reported spending time with their partners in a number of ways such as texting, in person, social media, gaming, etc.

1. Text Messaging 92% of teens
2. Talking on the Phone 87% of teens
3. Being Together in Person 86% of teens
4. Social Media 70% of teens
5. Instant or Online Messaging 69% of teens
6. Video Chatting 55% of teens
7. Email 37% of teens
8. Playing Video Games 31% of teens

According to the article, “In an age of connectivity through mobile phones, complications arise when responses to texts or calls or posts aren’t immediate.” I think that this is a concern as a parent because I would not want my daughter to feel pressured to constantly be in contact with a boyfriend. Some of the teens in the study stated that when they are in a relationship they are expected to regularly check in with their partners throughout the day. Again as a parent this is alarming. I understand that when teens are in relationships they want to talk to their partners, but checking in regularly throughout the day does not sound healthy. Even though they are in a relationship teens should not be required to tell their significant other where they are every single minute of the day.  The article further stated that teens also use social media as a way to keep track of their romantic partners.

While young love can be sweet teens still need retain their individuality. Using digital platforms and devices can help teens stay connected, but they must maintain a healthy balance.

Pew Reading Total For This Article: 9 pages

Current Total Pew Readings: 153 pages 

Where Teens Seek Online Privacy Advice (Pew Article)

Lenhart, A., Madden, M., Cortesi, S., Gasser, U., & Smith, A. (2013, August 15). Where teens seek online privacy advice. Retrieved November 30, 2015, from http://www.pewinternet.org/files/old-media//Files/Reports/2013/PIP_TeensandPrivacyAdvice.pdf

When teens are online privacy is very important. Teens have to be smart and cautious when they are online in order to protect themselves and their private information. Although teens rarely like advice from their parents, when it comes to online privacy they do seek out help from their parents.

According to the article, Where Teens Seek Online Privacy Advice, most 12-17 year old teens report that they rely on themselves and to manage their privacy settings online and on social media. They achieve this by either doing their own research about online privacy or by exploring their options on the apps or platforms they are using. Many of them stated that they learned by trial and error or online tutorials. Although most teens only depend on themselves for online protection and privacy the survey conducted did find that teens are willing to ask for outside help when they have questions about online privacy. The survey found that 70% of teens have looked for outside help from friends, parents, and close family members.

• 42% have talked to friends or peers
• 41% have talked to a parent
• 37% have asked a sibling or cousin
• 13% have gone to a website for advice
• 9% have asked a teacher
• 3% have gone to some other person or resource

The study also found that girls are more likely than boys to seek help when it comes to online privacy. I believe this because boys prefer to be independent and find their own answers. A lot of times I have seen that their egos get in the way and they do not want to ask for help. In my classroom it is often my female students that ask for help and not the boys. As a matter of fact a lot of times the girls come ask me to go help the boys because they will not come ask me themselves.

I found very interesting that the survey found the younger teens ages 12-13 are more likely to ask a parent or teacher for help with online privacy than teens ages 14-17. In my opinion this happens because younger teens still value and trust the advice from teachers and parents. Older teens feel more independent and self-reliant so therefore do not seek the advice of parents and teachers. Some of the older teens even stated that their parents were too old and would not know how to manage online privacy settings. Others teens stated that their teachers probably would not even know how to set privacy settings.

Pew Reading Total For This Article: 17 pages

Current Total Pew Readings: 144 pages

For Teens, Phone Calls Are Reserved for Closer Relationships (Pew Article)

Anderson, M. (2015, August 17). For teens, phone calls are reserved for closer relationships. Retrieved November 30, 2015, from http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/08/17/for-teens-phone-calls-are-reserved-for-closer-relationships/

Although texting has become a prominent way of communicating, phone calls have not totally disappeared. According to a recent Pew Research Center survey on teens, technology, and friendships the survey found that phone calls are an important way teens connect especially with their closest friends. I am glad because honestly there is nothing better than to have a real conversation instead of the emotionless texting.

The survey found that 52% of the teens surveyed said that a phone number for calling is one of the first three types of information they would share with someone. The top reason stated (80%) by the teens that they give their phone number to new friends is for texting. When you make a new friend it is easier to text them than to have phone conversations.

Yet when teens consider a friend to be close they stated that phone calls are more common. According to the survey 69% of teens cited phone calls as one of their top choices for talking with their best friends. One teen in the survey mentioned that giving their phone number to a new person was too much information. Another stated that talking to a new friend on the phone can be awkward. Yet another teen explained that phone calls are only reserved for more intimate relationships with close friends because if they are your best friends you will want to talk to them on the phone because you have more to talk about.

Pew Reading Total For This Article: 4 pages

Current Total Pew Readings: 127 pages 

13 Things to Know About Teens and Technology (Pew Article)

Rainie, L. (2014, July 23). 13 Things to know about teens and technology. Retrieved November 26, 2015, from http://www.pewinternet.org/search/13 Things to Know About Teens and Technology/

There is no question that technology is changing the way we do things. A long time ago finding answers to our questions would require us to look for the answer in a textbook or we had to go to the public library and get books that would help us find the answers that we needed. Today finding answers to our questions takes mere seconds with the help of the Internet. Teens have definitely embraced the Internet and all its wonders. This article focuses on the different ways digital tools have changed the way teens communicate and gather information.

According to the author Rainie, information has become a “third skin” for teenagers. This in my opinion means that teenagers have developed an extra layer in their personalities when it comes to seeking information especially on the Internet. Seeking information on the Internet for teens has become second nature. Teens no longer have to run to the local library like we used to in order to find answers. All they simply have to do is find Internet access either on a laptop, tablet, or cell phone and they can begin searching for what they are looking for.

Rainie also stated that the future of learning for teens is constantly evolving from what it used to be. A piece of information that really caught my attention was that learning used to be seen as a transaction in which teens would receive knowledge, but today learning is seen as a process in which learners create knowledge. This is so true because all the digital tools out there enable teens to create work that was unheard of in the past such as YouTube videos, infographics, and screencasts just to name a few.

Finally, the piece of information that had the most impact on me was when Rainie wrote that, in the past it was thought that teens learned best passively by listening and watching, but today teens learn best actively doing and managing their own learning. This statement is so powerful and true. No longer do you walk into classrooms and libraries and see students listening to lectures instead we see students actively engaged in their learning. We now see students cooperatively working and using technology as an active and present part of their education.

Pew Reading Total For This Article: 55 slides

Current Total Pew Readings: 123 pages

Final Reflection Blog

A final reflection for this class. Well that is a tough thought. Why? Well, when I first started this class I was terrified. I glanced through all the assignments and I was so scared of all the technology we were going to have to use. I was not familiar with many of the programs or apps we were going to have to use and neither was my campus librarian. She is the one I usually go to for help on my homework assignments. I will say as I navigated through the course I was reminded of the phrase, "Never judge a book by its cover." I learned to trust my ability to learn new things and I gained self confidence. I ended up loving this class and feeling eager to tackle the assignments because I knew I was going to learn something new every time. I am not going to lie there were moments of frustration, but I learned to take those moments in stride because in the end I knew I was going to learn something valuable. I am sad that this class is coming to an end, but I walk away knowing that I learned so much.

I ended up having a great experience with the technology I encountered. To be honest I do not use Twitter a lot and I definitely do not like Facebook, but I can see how they can be used to help promote the library. I have to put my personal feelings aside and think of them in terms of how they would help the students. Students today love to be on social media and if I use Twitter and Facebook to help attract students to the library then I will use these tools to my advantage. Blogs and blog readers are a great way to keep students up-to-date with information that can help them be successful in the library and in the classroom. If we set up a blog reader with only educational blog feeds students do not have to waste time searching for information, all the information they need is just a mouse click away. Infographics are an excellent way to show students information especially if they are visual learners. Teachers and librarians can use infographics to show students the main points of a lesson that was taught or as a visual study guide for students. Students can also show what they have learned in class or in the library by creating infographics. Podcasts are excellent way to teach lessons that can be listened to as many times as the students need to learn a concept. Students can also utilize podcasts to talk about what they have learned or are learning. Animoto is a great way to create book trailers. QR codes are a fun and exciting way to get students involved with the library. Students like QR codes because it is a surprise to them and they want to see what they will find when they scan the code. Online book communities are a perfect way for teachers and librarians to recommend books to their students. Cartoon and comics are an excellent resource for students to be creative and show what they have learned. Screencasts help librarians and teachers share lessons that students can view as many times as they need and are easily accessible at all times if they are posted to a blog or website. Instagram and Vine are also quick and easy apps that can be used to keep students informed about what is happening in the library.

My favorite technology tools to use were Animoto, QR Codes, cartoons/comics, and Instagram. Animoto has opened up a new world of possibilities for me as I create book trailers for my students to get them interested in books that I think they would enjoy. My campus librarian has asked me to help her by creating Animoto book trailers that she can show to classes when they visit the library. I am also very excited to use QR Codes. Our campus library just received new library books that come with additional content such as videos, slideshows, quizzes, etc. My campus librarian asked me to prepare a lesson that she will let me deliver to students about QR Codes. We will download a QR Code reader to the Ipads in the library and we will also help students to download a QR Code reader to their phones if they like. I will also be responsible to create a display featuring information about QR Codes and will feature some of the new library books that have QR Codes. Cartoons and comics are awesome! My students have started working with MakeBeliefsComix and they love it! Not only is it free and easy to use, but I love that students are not required to create an account. We have started to use it with our weekly vocabulary words. Finally Instagram is an easy to follow app that allows me to post videos and pictures and that is why I love it so much. It is so user friendly and I get the best of both worlds.

I would have to say that using Pixton was difficult. I was so aggravated using Pixton because in my opinion it was not user friendly and I did not have many options. The avatars were difficult to use and maneuver and I will not be using it with my students. I also had some difficulty using Jing. Recording on Jing was not difficult, but the length restrictions of the videos did cause a problem for me. Having five minutes to record a screencast is not a very long time. I also did not like that Jing does not provide an option for users to get an embed code. I would rather use screencast-o-matic with my students than Jing.

For the students I feel that they would benefit the most by using Podcasts, cartoons/comics, and screencasts. These tools will help students grow and learn. Cartoons will be a fun way to engage in lessons. As for screencasts and podcasts students can utilize these tools as frequently as they need until they learn the lesson.

Instagram and Vine

School librarians have so much technology at their fingertips that can be helpful in promoting the school library. Students today from elementary through high school enjoy incorporating social media into their daily lives. As librarians we need to find a way to connect with our students and I think technology is a great place to start. Instagram and Vine has grown so much in popularity so it would be wise as librarians to tap into these resources.

First let us take a look at Instagram. Instagram is so easy to use. In order to sign up all you need is to provide an email account and create a user name and password. Signing up takes no more than about two minutes. I love Instagram because it allows users to post photos and about 15 second videos. So really you are getting the best of both worlds. Once a user selects the picture they want to post they are given the ability to edit their picture by selecting different filters, adding shadows, adjusting the brightness, cropping the picture, etc. The possibilities are endless! Users can tag people or even add hashtags to their posts. When posting videos users are also given editing abilities.

Librarians can use Instagram in many creative ways. Librarians can promote library activities such as contests, author visits, new books or library arrivals. Librarians can highlight library services and library hours. Top school wide readers or top reading classrooms can be featured on the library's Instagram account. The best part is that by using Instagram students will be able to connect with the school library in a fun way and parents can also find out what is going on at the library by simply following the library on Instagram.
Librarians
New Library Books Ready

Vine I was a little more hesitant to use because I had never used it before. I downloaded the app and I decided to ask my students for help. I figured if anyone knew how to use the app it would be them. I created my account by simply adding an email address and password and I asked the kids for help. All I had to say was, "Who is a Vine expert?" All my students' hands shot up in the air! I gathered a few to show me what to do and a few to volunteer to be in the video so I could do a few test runs. My students were so excited that they were helping their teacher with her homework. It took me no more than five minutes to figure out what to do. I love Vine now and I cannot believe I had not used it before. Users must keep in mind that the videos can only be six seconds long and will play in a continuous loop.

Librarians can effectively use Vine for the school library. Librarians can use it as a quick way to highlight the arrival of new library books. Librarians can promote upcoming library activities like the book fair. If the library has held a contest a Vine video would be a perfect way to reveal the winner of the contest.School librarians can then share or embed the videos to the library's social media accounts. The only drawback that I had with Vine was that I was not able to embed the videos directly to my blog I was only given the option to embed and share the videos directly to Twitter, Facebook, or Tumblr so I had to share a link to the videos instead. Maybe as I become more familiar with the program I can figure out how to solve this issue, but for the time being I was not able to figure it out.
Accelerated Reader Vine
New Library Books Vine

Overall I loved both Instagram and Vine and will be using them as part of the school library program. I will probably use Instagram more because the length of the videos can be a bit longer, but will also incorporate Vine for those students who prefer to watch Vine videos.

Conflict, Friendships and Technology (Pew Article)

Lenhart, A. (2015, August 6). Conflict, friendships and technology. Retrieved November 13, 2015, from http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/08/06/chapter-5-conflict-friendships-and-technology/

For teens social media can be a really fun tool, but at times it can cause a lot of headaches. According to the article, Conflict, Friendship and Technology, “Digital media plays a role in these less happy elements of teens’ friendships, both as a source of and platform for drama and conflict, and as a conduit through which the connection can be severed and walls erected when a friendship ends.” Teens today label problems on social media as drama instead of bullying. According to the study 68% of the teens who participated in the study and participate in social media report they have witnessed people stirring up drama on these social media platforms. The study found that girls are more likely than boys to state that they have seen drama created on social media. For this study the social media that was most frequently used by teens who participated was Snapchat, Twitter, and Instagram.

The economic status of families also plays a role in the drama their kids witness on social media. The study found that only 59% of teens whose families earn less than $30,000 have experienced people creating drama on social media as opposed to 70% of teens from wealthier families. I think this happens because teens that come from higher income families have more access to social media through electronic devices such as smartphones and tablets. The more kids have access to these devices the more likely they are to use social media. Kids from lower income families do not have as much access to these devices so social media are not as prevalent in their daily lives.

Many of the teens who participated in the focus groups for this study discussed that conflicts and drama flow between online and in person. Some teens stated that something silly that started online was then blown out of proportion in person. Others said that personal problems then escalated and got worse online because online more people are able to join in and add fuel to the fire. One teen explained that drama escalates more online because people are more willing to say things online that they normally would not say in person because they have the ability to hide behind their computer or phone screens. The teen also explained that once the conflict blows up online it just keeps growing because other individuals have the ability to join and feed into the problem. I agree with what this teen stated. Even as an adult I have found that people become bolder or brazen when they have the ability to hide behind a screen.

Teens who participated in this study also discussed some of the factors that contribute to online conflicts. The most common response was a simple misunderstanding. One teen stated that just the way you type something can be misunderstood and can turn into a big argument. Another teen said that sometimes the lack of closure can make a problem bigger. This teen in particular felt that problems can be eliminated faster when issues are resolved in person rather than online when you cannot see the person’s true reaction. I have to agree with this particular teen. When problems are solved online you really do not know if the person was sincere or not and the lack of closure can often come back to cause other problems or bring back old issues.

When a friendship does come to an end the teens in the study reported that 60% of them have taken an action such as unfriending, blocking or deleting photos of a former friend. Girls were found more likely than boys to take one of these actions. The study found that 63% of girls were likely to unfriend a former friend as opposed to only 53% of boys. It was found that unfriending was more likely to happen among older teens than younger ones. Of the teens in the study 43% of them admit to blocking a former friend. Finally 42% of the teens admitted to removing photos of a former friend from their social media accounts.

Social media is supposed to be a place to share happy moments. At least that is why I use Instagram. I have a personal account and on it I share pictures of my daughter so my family can see her. Unfortunately some do abuse social media and use it for negative purposes like to stir up drama. If we all use social media responsibly then we should not have any problems.

Pew Reading Total For This Article: 6 pages

Current Total Pew Readings: 68 pages 

Teens, Social Media & Technology Overview 2015 (Pew Article)

Lenhart, A. (2015, April 9). Teens, social media & technology overview 2015: Smartphones facilitate shifts in communication landscape for teens. Retrieved October 24, 2015, from http://www.pewinternet.org/files/2015/04/PI_TeensandTech_Update2015_0409151.pdf

It is no surprise that the continual advancement of technology changes how people do things. I think technology has had the greatest impact on teens. The Pew Research Center continues to enlighten us on how technology has had an impact on all of our lives. This time the report I read dealt with how smartphones have facilitated Internet use among teens.

The research conducted by the Pew Research Center consisted of 1,060 teens that were ages 13 to 17 both male and female, from various ethnic backgrounds, and various socio-economic backgrounds. The team at the Pew Research Center understands that teens prefer technology so the study was conducted online instead of their usual method of gathering data which is an over the phone interview. The study revealed that most teens go online using mobile devices especially smartphones. This is due to the convenience and constant access to the internet that these devices provide. Out of the 1,060 teens surveyed 92% of them report going online daily with 56% reporting they go online several times a day as opposed to 12% who report they go online only once-a-day and 6% reporting going online weekly. According to the article, smartphones and other mobile devices have become the primary driver of teen internet use. I have to agree with the researchers, I believe that teens are always on the Internet now because they are carrying the Internet in their pockets. If smartphones and other mobile devices did not exist teens would not have the Internet at their fingertips unless they were at home or school. I believe having easy access to the Internet for teens is important especially for homework, but I feel that having easy access to the Internet from their phone is not always a good thing. Some teens are using the Internet too much because it is so easy to access from their devices. The study also reported that teens that do not go online from their mobile devices go online less than those who do.

The research also found that social media use is prominent because of the easy accessibility given to teens using mobile devices. From the prominent social media platforms it was found that Facebook is the most popular. The study stated, “Facebook remains the most used social media site among American teens ages 13 to 17 with 71% of all teens using the site. The use of the other social media sites is as follows:

·         Instagram 52%

·         Snapchat 41%

·         Twitter 33%

·         Google+ 33%

·         Vine 24%

·         Tumblr 14%

·         Different social media site 11%

The study also found that older teens ages 15 to 17 are mostly likely to use Facebook than teens ages 13 to 14. It was found that younger teens ages 13 to 14 are more likely to use Instagram. I feel that this occurs because younger teens are barely getting permission from their parents to use social media so parents feel that Instagram is a good place to get them started. Plus I feel that Instagram is easier to use than Facebook and this might be appealing to younger teens.

The study not only found that teens access the Internet more through their smartphones, but the study also found that because of smartphones the way teens communicate has changed. The research found that 90% of the teens in this study use their phones to send text messages. On average it was found that teens send and receive at least 30 texts per day. Not only are teens using their phones for texting they are downloading and using messaging apps like Kik and WhatsApp. I understand that texting is so much easier, but I also miss the regular phone calls. I just feel like as much as I enjoy and appreciate technology, teens and adults alike are deviating from human interaction which is so necessary. The only regular phone calls I have on a daily basis are the calls to my parents because they strongly believe that a phone call is a thousand times better than a text message and I appreciate that.  

One thing is certain and that is that technology is here to stay. Teens will continue to embrace it and use it and as adults we need to learn to keep up with it.

Pew Reading Total For This Article: 47 pages

Current Total Pew Readings: 62 pages 

How Teens Do Research in the Digital World (Pew Article)

Purcell, K., Rainie, L., Heaps, A., Buchanan, J., Friedrich, L., Jacklin, A., . . . Zickuhr, K. (2012, November 1). How teens do research in the digital world. Retrieved September 11, 2015, from http://www.pewinternet.org/2012/11/01/how-teens-do-research-in-the-digital-world/

The Pew Research Center has many interesting articles about the Internet, science, and technology. This time I found a great article about teens and research while living in a digital world. I was very surprised at the survey results conducted on teachers and their perceptions of teens conducting research. While the Internet has done wonders for the world not all teachers feel that researching on the Internet by teens has yielded the best results academically. For today’s blog I will be using the article called, “How Teens Do Research in the Digital World.”

For this article more than 2,000 middle and high school teachers from Advanced Placement (AP) and the National Writing Project (NWP) were surveyed about how teens conduct research in today’s digital world. Although the majority of teachers surveyed indicated that the Internet has mostly had a positive impact on student’s research habits they also say that there are some definite drawbacks. The research conducted for this article showed that teachers are using a wide variety of digital tools in their classrooms and that the assignments they give are encouraging students go beyond just using a desktop or laptop computer. According to the article 72% of teachers said students use their cell phones, 66% of the students use digital cameras, and 55% said students use video recorders in the classroom or at home in order to complete assignments. Although teachers are making an effort to incorporate various digital tools in their classrooms the survey revealed a variety of challenges teachers face which could hinder the way students are taught to do online research. The survey results exposed that 97% of teachers who participated in the survey worked in a school that uses Internet filters, 97% of the schools have formal cell phone use policies, and 97% of the schools have acceptable use policies (AUP). Normally Internet filters, cell phone policies, and AUPs are considered necessary, but the teachers surveyed feel that sometimes these measures hinder the ability of students to conduct effect online research while they are at school.

The research survey did indicate that not all teens are gaining the appropriate skills they need when conducting online research in the digital world. According to the article, “87% [of teachers] say these technologies are creating an easily distracted generation with short attention spans and 64% say today’s digital technologies do more to distract students than to help them academically. Some of the concerns raised by the teachers surveyed were students’ over dependence on search engines, poor time management skills, the ease in which today’s students borrow from the work of others, the students’ inability to judge the quality of online information, etc. Teachers are reporting that students are relying on search engines for research instead of using databases, books, reference librarians, or reputable news websites. Teachers stated that for today’s students research means turning to Google for answers. The teachers who participated in the survey related that students use the following methods to conduct research:

·       *  Google or other online search engine (94%)

·       *  Wikipedia or other online encyclopedia (75%)

·        * YouTube or other social media sites (52%)

·       *  Their peers (42%)

·       *  Spark Notes, Cliff Notes, or other study guides (41%)

·      *  News sites of major news organizations (25%)

·         *Print or electronic textbooks (18%)

·        * Online databases such as EBSCO, JSTOR, or Grolier (17%)

·        * A research librarian at their school or public library (16%)

·        * Printed books other than textbooks (12%)

·         *Student-oriented search engines such as Sweet Search (10%)

Due to their students’ over dependence of search engines for research teachers in the survey study reported that they had to change the way they created research assignments. The authors of the article found that, nine in ten (90%) of the teachers had to direct their students to specific online resources for a particular assignment and 83% developed research questions or assignments that require students to use a wider variety of online and print resources.

To be completely honest I am not surprised by the information revealed of the over 2,000 teachers that were surveyed. Although the Internet is supposed to be a useful tool that is supposed to be used wisely it is not. As a current classroom teacher I have seen firsthand how students do not want to use any other resources other than the Internet for their research projects. Students today do not want to take the time necessary to actually search their topic and thanks to the rapid speed of the Internet have become conditioned to expect rapid results. I love the Internet and I do find it helpful, but at the same time I resent the effects it has had on the younger generations who have grown up with it. As teachers and librarians I feel that we have a tough task at hand, but we must take the time to teach students that so much information can be found in other places other than the Internet. I commend those teachers and librarians who are working smarter and requiring students to use sources other than online sources for their research assignments.

Pew Reading Total For This Article: 9 pages

Current Total Pew Readings: 15 pages