Tweens and Technology

Reading Log—Week 7 (March 9-16)

Teens, Tweens, and Technology

Like many of my classmates, I was not surprised by much of the information in this week’s reading about young people and their use of technology.  The research confirmed my assumptions (and observations) that teens and tweens are using technology every day in increasing amounts, that the use has increased significantly in recent years, and that they are using multiple forms of electronic media in a day and at a time (phones and/or computers while listening to music and/or watching television, etc.). 

The most glaring implication this has for libraries, from my perspective, is that this population is used to keeping up with technology and libraries must do that also if we want to maintain young library patrons.  That poses several challenges.  For one thing, improved technology usually comes at a cost.  E-books, subscription databases, electronic readers—all of these require precious resources.  Beyond the cost of the technology itself is the added resource of training library staff.  It will be more and more necessary that librarians keep up with these trends of their own volition; keeping current will simply be an expected part of the job.

It may also mean making considerable shifts in attitude toward electronic media.  Rather than vehemently banning cell phones from the library, we should be embracing them and helping teens and tweens use them in ways that can contribute to their education.  One teacher at my school has begun requiring some assignments to be texted to him; in keeping with Twitter rules, the texts must not exceed 140 characters.  Now his students are using a format they love and are comfortable with, and they do not even realize they are also practicing the skill of summarizing at the same time.  That example is classroom-specific, but there is no reason young people should have to keep their phones locked up while in the library when they are such information tools for them.  But that kind of thinking goes against the grain of many adults, so it requires a shift in thinking.

Sources:

Rideout, V.M., Foehr, U.G., & Roberts, D.F.(2010). Generation M²: Media in the lives of 8- to 18-year-olds. Menlo Park, CA: Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. http://www.kff.org/entmedia/upload/8010.pdf

Lenhart, A.; Purcell, K.; Smith, A.; Zickuhr, K. (2010). Social media & mobile internet use among teens and young adults. Pew Internet and American Life Project. http://pewinternet.org/~/media//Files/Reports/2010/PIP_Social_Media_and_Young_Adults_Report_Final_with_toplines.pdf

Tweens in the digital age

Reading Log—Week 6 (March 1-8)

We focused this week on tweens in the digital age.  Goodstein’s perspective, now at least four years old, is dated in some regards.  For example, she talks extensively about Live Journal and My Space, while Facebook is practically a footnote in her text.  Today, Facebook has more than 500 million users and is ubiquitous with nearly all age ranges.  However, she also brings up some points about tweens and their search for their identity that are relevant still, and perhaps timeless.

Goodstein talks about her own experiences as a young tween and teen, and many of her memories are of “hanging out” with her friends.  She gravitated toward people who shared her love of punk rock; the generation before her bonded over Elvis or The Beatles or muscle cars.  Families are still important to young people in this age range—a face that is emphasized in the Search Institute’s list of developmental assets—but gaining independence from one’s family is also a major part of this period.  Kids in this age feel as though they have one foot in childhood and one foot in adulthood (though they may be further from both than they think).  They rely on their families in many ways, but they need space from them.  Peers are so influential and important during these years.  The Search Institute documents highlight this as well.  Young people tend to model their behavior after one another—which is why positive peer groups are so important. 

Though tweens still spend a lot of time with their peers in person, they are able to spend essentially all their time with them in a virtual sense.  Online presence is so strong with this generation, and that has to have an impact on their relationships.  The good news is that young people are finding more and more ways to connect with people who share their interests or viewpoints, no matter where they live.  It is easier than ever to feel a part of something for this group that often feels isolated.  The bad news is that there are dangers associated with these kinds of interactions, and young people can get so wrapped up in their digital interactions that their face-to-face interactions may suffer.  I see young people frequently who would rather text a friend who is in the same room with them than have a conversation.  In fact, most of the young people I know now do not even use their cell phones as phones; they are merely delivery services for text messages.  If that kind of communication comes at the expense of them developing their interpersonal skills, that is a problem.

Sources:

Goodstein, A. 2007. Totally wired.  New York: St. Martin’s Griffin.

40 Developmental Assests for Adolescents:
http://www.search-institute.org/content/40-developmental-assets-adolescents-ages-12-18

40 Developmental Assest for Middle Childhood
http://www.search-institute.org/40-developmental-asset-middle-childhood-8-12

Boys and Reading

Reluctant (primarily male) Readers

The fact that any significant group of people is having a harder time reading than another group is a problem worth examining, but the question of whether this is more of an issue because it is boys who are behind is also worth examining.  In the Watson, Kehler, Martino article, the authors cite Titus who says that a problem like this “creates moral panic because boys cannot be the ‘second sex’.” (Titus as cited in Watson, et. al.)  Does this issue get more exposure because more people are concerned with boys being behind in something than with girls falling behind?  Is there equal outrage when boys outperform girls in math, science, or sports?  Or is the skill of reading so very fundamental, so totally critical, that it is the reading difference that creates this “outrage,” and not the gender difference?  I can’t be sure, but I am hopeful that the latter is true.  Reading is such a critical skill; every academic school subject and many life skills depend upon a foundation of reading.

In terms of promoting reading to boys—to anyone, really, and especially to any reluctant readers—the findings in the Farris, et. al. article seem logical and effective.  We have talked in this class and I have had many discussions among English teachers about the power of letting young readers choose what they read.  It is human nature to be more committed to something that we perceive as having opted in for.  The additional recommendations of having many nonfiction titles available as well as titles with plenty of graphics and “textual features” such as varied fonts and white space on the page are also factors that make books more appealing to many of these readers.  Another interesting finding from this research is that the weaker the reader, the more likely he/she is to read a selection based on a passage that a teacher reads aloud in class.  That means teachers (and librarians) should choose these selections carefully, knowing that they may well be the only titles that some of these readers will pursue.

Also noted in this research was the interaction that these young students had with adults, and how motivating these higher-level conversations seemed to be for the younger readers.  This is such an interesting point.   It implies that, if young people are given an opportunity to engage in a meaty conversation about a book, they will often rise to that occasion.  This had the added benefit of leaving the younger readers eager to read more and, presumably, discuss other titles as well.  That is exactly the goal—to get these folks reading critically and curious for more.

Sources:

Watson, A., et. al., The problem of boys' literacy underachievement: Raising some questions. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy v. 53 no. 5 (February 2010) p. 356-61.

Farris, P. J., et. al., Male call: Fifth-grade boys' reading preferences. The Reading Teacher v. 63 no. 3 (November 2009) p. 180-8.

St. Jarre, K. R. Don't blame the boys: We're giving them girly books. English Journal; Jan 2008; 97, 3. pg. 15

Sax, L. The boy problem. School Library Journal v. 53 no. 9 (September 2007) p. 40-3

 

Reading Log--Week 4

Reading Log—Week 4 (Feb. 16-22)

The readings this week focused on special populations among tweens, particularly LGBTQ, runaways, lower socioeconomic groups, and the distinct reading struggles of tween boys.  They remind us that, though there are many shared feelings and developmental milestones among tweens, their individual experiences and needs vary wildly.  

The first New York Times article, “Coming Out in Middle School,” was both encouraging and frustrating.  The author points out the increasingly positive portrayals of gay characters in the media and popular culture as an indicator of a broader acceptance of the gay population.  I agree with this, though I do worry that my perception may be skewed since I live in an area—the Bay Area in California—that is much more progressive than many areas of the country.  Still, if media representation is a sign of anything, perhaps the less frequent token portrayals of gay characters is a step in the right direction. 

Two things about this article really trouble me, however.  One is when the author notes that, “for many gay youth, middle school is more survival than learning.”  This is tragic.  A middle school student should have to worry about how to get his homework done, how to find a best friend, perhaps, but not how to survive.  When a young person’s basic needs are not met, how on earth is he going to worry about something as seemingly irrelevant as school?

Another troubling part of this article is the observation that teacher reactions to anti-gay language in the classroom (most notably, students calling other students “gay” to mean stupid or inferior) are inconsistent.  It seems that homophobia is still, to some degree, an acceptable form of oppression.  Most teachers I know would not tolerate a comment in class that was sexist or racist, but I know that some do ignore the derogatory “gay” comments.  What effect does it have on a homosexual tween to hear that word bandied about in such a negative way, and then to have that use condoned by adults?

The LGBTQ and runaway tweens are both populations that are especially vulnerable and potentially high-risk, depending on the support systems they may have.  I am curious how many runaway teens are on the run because they are LGBTQ and lack a supportive network; I am sure those populations intersect at times.

The notion of socioeconomic class in the “What a Girl Wants” online discussion was interesting.  I have noticed, as many of the authors in this discussion point out, that books that feature more affluent characters tend to stand out to me.  These characters do not have to struggle with some issues that many, many young people do, and that lack of struggle makes it hard for many readers to identify with them.  The most interesting stories that feature more affluent characters, in my opinion, are those that include contrasting characters who come from more blue collar backgrounds.  I think that is something that a wider reading audience can relate to.

In terms of librarianship, it is so important to be ever mindful that young readers have many different experiences, backgrounds, and needs.  Whether it is building a collection that is appealing and relevant to them, or helping a young person with a reference interview, librarians have special opportunities to help young readers navigate through these critical years.

Sources:

Coming Out in Middle School (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/27/magazine/27out-t.html?_r=1&hpw)

Running in the Shadows (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/26/us/26runaway.html)

What a Girl Wants #7 (http://www.chasingray.com/archives/2009/09/what_a_girl_wants_7_because_we.html)

Packaging Boyhood (http://www.ypulse.com/author-spotlight-packaging-boyhood-by-mark-tappan-lyn-brown-sharon-lamb)

Reading Log--Week 2

Many decisions about the logistics of schools (starting and ending times, school calendar, configuration of grades) are made because of factors other than developmental needs of students.  Sometimes, the decisions actually contradict the needs of the students.  The pushing up of young people from elementary to secondary going from largely happening at ninth grade to moving up to the sixth grade was a result of crowded schools, not needs of students.

In the district where I teach, this conversation recently bubbled up anew.  Severe budget constraints led the district leadership to propose a new 7-12 model, rather than the existing 6-8 and 9-12 model we now have.  The benefit would be savings in closing middle schools, but there was enormous community uproar.  The leadership team presented research that says fewer transitions are much better for secondary students (which is consistent with the research presented in this week’s reading by Simmons and Blyth in “Focus on the Wonder Years”).  When community resistance to this model reached fever pitch, the leadership team changed course and dropped the 7-12 proposal.  One wonders why they would do that if they were truly convinced that it would be better for students to pursue that option.

The findings of the Carnegie research from 1989 were especially disturbing: A volatile mismatch exists between the organization and curriculum of middle grades schools, and the intellectual, emotional, and interpersonal needs of young adolescents.” (Rand, p. 14)

Another topic from this week’s readings that I find fascinating is the influence that ‘tweens can have on retailers.  They wield enormous buying power, as noted in Hulbert’s New York Times article.  I wonder to what degree parental guilt may play into this.  Parents of tweens today frequently had children at an older age than their own parents did, and many of them are at a different (perhaps more time-consuming) point in their careers than their parents were.  Certainly, more of them live in two-career households than their parents did.  These extra demands on their time can create a lot of guilt when it comes to having children and having enough time and attention for them.  Many parents have more money than they do time, and they are willing to spend freely on their children if it seems to make them happy.

Sources:

Focus on the Wonder Years, Chapter 2
http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2004/RAND_MG139.pdf

Hulbert, A. (2004, November). Tweens 'R' Us. New York Times Magazine, November 28, 2004.
Available http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/28/magazine/28WWLN.html

Jayson, S. (2009, February 4). It's cooler than ever to be a tween, but is childhood lost? USA Today.
Available http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-02-03-tweens-behavior_N.htm

Tween Summit website (http://www.tweensummit.com/) 

Reading Log--Week 1

Week 1

Serving Young Teens and ‘Tweens, ch. 1

Naked Reading, ch. 1

40 Developmental Assets for Adolescents

40 Developmental Assets for Middle Childhood

Being an emerging teenager—a ‘tween—is often not fun, as these readings confirm.  It is a time of such uncertainty.  Young people at this age often long for so much (acceptance, popularity, a great body, among other things) and yet often feel as though they come up short.  These difficulties plague even the most well adjusted young person with the optimum support network.  So for those unfortunate older children and young adolescents who do not have the benefits of support at home, some kind of social life, academic success, and any number of other deficits, these years of development can be misery.

When we as adults add to this misery by demanding that kids challenge themselves in terms of their reading, it can seem overwhelming.  Kids today are luckier than their predecessors were in that educators make great efforts to try and find accessible materials for a wide range of young people.  But the challenge of matching readers with books—of just getting young people to read and keep reading—is a major one.  Lesesne makes several points that resonated with me.  She points out that there is “no one template” for “aliterates.”  I have worked with freshmen who read below grade level for the past three years, and there is no one profile that fits them all.  Several come from a background of poverty, but not all do. Several have parents who did not finish high school, and others have parents with multiple degrees.  Some are behavior problems, mostly because they have come to hate school since they have never been any “good” at it; others will do anything a teacher asks them to do quietly, quickly, and with no resistance.

While I agree with much of Lesesne’s chapter and I think she has some great insight about young people, I do take exception with one statistic that she names.  She says that 75% of graduating high school seniors do not plan to ever read another book.  But more than 25% of these same people will go on to college, and I just cannot fathom that a college-bound teenager thinks (let alone wants!) that he/she will not read a book again, even outside of the classroom. 

Anderson’s chapter also had some interesting points, but her chapter seems more directed at readers who are not familiar with people in this age range.  I think I know them pretty well as a classroom teacher, though I realize that there is always more to learn about these interesting folks.

Sources:

Anderson, S. B. (2007). Serving young teens and ‘tweens. Westport, Conn: Libraries Unlimited.

Lesesne, T. S. (2006). Naked reading: Uncovering what tweens need to become lifelong readers. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers.

40 developmental assets for adolescents. (n.d.). Retrieved from  http://www.search-institute.org/content/40-developmental-assets-adolescents-ages-12-18

40 developmental assets for middle childhood. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.search-institute.org/40-developmental-asset-middle-childhood-8-12