Below are a few basic principles for teaching new media, or teaching with new media. These apply in using new media in the writing classroom, the science classroom, the history classroom, etc.
- If you’re going to be teaching new media, you should also be using new media in both your professional and your personal life.
- Learn advanced new media technologies…now!
- Understand that new media literacy requires not just the reading and interpretation of texts, but also the writing of new media texts. Don’t have your students just watch new media texts–have them write them. New media is the perfect place for students to develop and use their voices on issues that really matter.
- Bridge the digital divide. Some of your students may not have access to computers in the home, and some may have little or no experience with technology. There are many resources available to help you bridge the digital divide.
- Realize that while your students may be new media savvy, they probably aren’t new media literate. Even though your students may use a lot of technologies, they still can benefit from you as a teacher.
- Be aware of plagiarism, copyright laws, fair use, and public domain. Help your things to be legal, especially if you’re having them post their projects on the web.
- Use new media–but don’t just use it or assign new media projects for the sake of doing so. See how new media can fit into and enhance your educational and curricular objectives.
- Learn how to constructively evaluate and grade new media.
- Consider how you can teach your students to use new media to connect to the real world, to look outside themselves, to teach others, and to build communities.
