I first learned about Danah Boyd's work through Steve Montgomery, El Cajon Valley's Teacher Librarian and my dear friend. After I was hired on as the Teacher Librarian for West Hills, Steve started recommending different resources for me to explore and It's Complicated was one that he mentioned since he had recently heard about it from Dan McDowell.
Having read the book this past summer, Boyd's ideas are still fresh in my mind, and so it was a treat to hear her on the recent On Being episode. While there are many points worth discussing, one that I feel is particularly appropriate for our school community is the concept of the Internet as a "visibility marker."
Reflecting upon our recent Burnbook experience, here is a snippet from the episode's transcript that I highlight:
Rather than blaming Burnbook or other technologies, how can we embrace them as opportunities to gain insight into issues that may otherwise remain more hidden beneath the surface? How can we use the visibility to our advantage to guide conversations with one another and with our students?
NOTE: If you are interested in reading more, I recently purchased a copy of It's Complicated for the West Hills Library. Related to this topic, I also purchased a copy of Sherry Turkle's Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other. Stop by the library to check one or both out!
Thanks for the Sherry Turkle book recommendation. The subject matter is intriguing! And, yes, I agree that we must constantly see the Internet and emerging technologies as opportunities to teach students about themselves and society. Great points.
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