Inductive Introduction to Youth Voices
Let's use the most common activity on Youth Voices -- commenting on discussions -- to get to know the site more when each of us report back what we've found there.
This is a great way to start, for you and for your students, and it's a good practice for your students to develop into a habit. Some of us ask our students to add comments on at least four discussion posts before they post one new discussion.
After you go into the site and comment on something you are interested in, please Post a Comment to this Task, answering some of the questions listed below.
Explore what it is like to make comments using the guides:
Make a list of questions, topics, ideas that you are passionate about. Alternatively, if you or your students have already made a list of <a href="http://youthvoices.net/node/20498">10 Self / 10 World questions</a>, you or they can use that list to find something to look for on Youth Voices. Search for a discusion post that you are interested in. Read it carefully. Follow the links. Play the videos and listen to the audio. Study the image(s).
Do some commenting on a post the you have found on the site, using these Guides:
<a href="http://youthvoices.net/node/23265">General Discussion Response</a>
<a href="http://youthvoices.net/node/21596">Agree/Disagree Response</a>
After you write your response, please come back to this task, and add a Comment, answering some of these questions:
What did you find on the site?
What did you notice drew YOU in as a commenter? How did the Guides help or get in the way of the process.
As a teacher, think about what has engaged the creators on the site. What do you notice about when and how writers/creators are engaged in their posts and in their comments?
What supports might students need in order to participate?
How are the Guides helpful, useful or incomplete? What else might be there?