Week Three Assignment

     3/1 Digital collage

     3/2 Takeaways from Reading
      This week's reading is quite interesting and focuses on connections coupled with social learning networks in the digital age.
       I am really fascinated by the idea of "interest-driven" arts learning in digital age mentioned by Kylie Peppler. New media and the availability of media and digital devices empower youths to move from a passive "content learner" to a positive "active participant" in art field (Seely Brown & Alder, 2008, p.18). They have more opportunities and technologies to practice in designing, remixing, creating and sharing their work with others. It reminds me what my elementary art classes were like - usually we had to draw one same time, all the class and the teacher would compare each other's work to find, not a best one, but a most similar one. I hated art class because I am not the person who can draw exactly the same thing as what the object is, but also have my imagination in the drawing. While at the fourth grade, we had a new art teacher who taught us to draw what you feel or what you want to express, no matter format, instead of drawing exactly the same thing as what you see. Even though I was not good at art and left behind the class, he always encouraged me to brave in using colors and images. What he did is not only help us to practice drawing techniques, but more; he helped us to expand our vision beyond the tangible objects  and express ourselves in the way of drawing the feeling. He never judged us by the techniques or skills in our drawing, but always inspired us and enjoyed every drawing we created. His lesson, from today's topic, fits in the concept of "interest-driven' art class and has quite positive results that benefit students in a long term.
       In addition, I agree with Kylie that the mainstream social media platform, like Facebook or Youtube, do not have a clear pedagogical objective, which may lead to a result that their digital conventions have potential to backfire. Even though they offer digital space and technologies for users - in our case students - to be engaged in content making and sharing, there is not anything that can lead them effectively, and supervise their progress. They are open space for people who has foundation in the field and are highly motivated or disciplined but what about kids who just want to learn casually? I am really curious what can social learning network or digital connection help students learn offline.