This past weekend I had the pleasure of participating in DM3C Live—a conversation about the intersection of digital and media literacy and civic engagement at the Knight School of Communication at Queens University of Charlotte (NC). Community Coordinator Jennifer Hull immaculately executed a 3-day luxury retreat that included a stimulating reception at the Levine Museum of the New South and a 2-day series of relaxed discussions at the Duke Mansion. I was honored to be invited as a session facilitator along with Dan Gillmor and John A. McArthur. I discovered that southern hospitality is not myth, but a reality thanks to the grace and poetic style of Van King, Dean of the Knight School. There were other media literacy VIPs in attendance including David Considine and Kathleen Tyner (whose work I’ve admired for decades). Over the course of 3 days (and much food) we brainstormed and discussed how digital and media literacy might support community engagement through the lens of Crossroads Charlotte. I left DM3C invigorated and returned to New Jersey with some big questions for moving forward in my own work in teacher education:
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| The brilliant & media literate Kathleen Tyner (left) and adoring fan Vanessa Domine (right) chit chat out on the veranda of the Duke Mansion. |
- How do we cultivate the art of civil dissent among young people?
- When is it necessary to shut down digital dialogue in favor of face-to-face deliberation?
- How can we subordinate the uses of technology to privilege community engagement?
- How can we achieve reciprocity through service-learning at P-16 levels?
- How can community organizations, public libraries, and schools work together to cultivate civic engagement among young people?
- How can teachers model civic engagement and meaningful contributions to communal conversation?
- Aren’t we all digital citizens and therefore share the responsibility for “moderating” online discussions?
Look for the Knight School at Queens to disseminate the results of the DM3C forum in several media forms. Let’s keep the conversation and momentum going.