Bridging the Digital Divide between Sites and School Children

Sure, kids have long been attracted to extracurricular activities like dance or sports. But researchers say digital media is bringing up a new generation who are creators of media rather than just passive consumers of it. Within these digital environments among peers, kids who create and evaluate media are deriving a sense of competence, autonomy, self-determination, and connectedness—and it’s a great opportunity for historic sites. Children’s levels of engagement with the Internet and games could give educators new ideas for upping an historic site’s status and move it from ‘boring’ to ‘exciting’.

According to Mimi Ito, a cultural anthropologist of technology use, many kids create media online because their work can be immediately recognized or judged among their peer group or a larger audience. In contrast, it can take kids much longer to reap the rewards or build recognition from hard work in school. “It’s the context of publicity now (online) vs. delayed gratification of getting a job in ten years,” Ito said. “The assessment of what they do happens internal to their community (of peers). Kids get to be the evaluator as much as the producer in interest-driven groups. School is much more of a future trajectory.”

The “digital generation” may also be a result of the shift from a television culture in the living room to a bedroom culture, in which many kids have television or a computer in their room. Or it could be that teens go online to hang out with friends because they don’t have a place to go in the physical world.

No matter the cause, Sites should engage students through these new skills and interests. Assess your lesson plans and school programs to see if they include elements that allow sharing among peers or take advantage of their computer expertise. Can students make videos about your site? Post their experiences on a blog? Create a PowerPoint presentation about your site for class?  If you have other ideas or activities that have succeeded at your site, share them with your comments below.

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