1. Sci-Fi, Storytelling, and New-Media Literacy
- Author
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Subramaniam, Mega, Ahn, June, Waugh, Amanda, and Druin, Allison
- Abstract
Understanding how to better engage young students in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) is essential. The constraints of U.S. K-12 schools (e.g. insufficient institutional supports, lack of technology access, testing pressures, etc.) often make it difficult to create truly engaging STEM curricula with which students can deeply identify. Educators currently have a unique opportunity to leverage resources that resonate with young people today, such as: science fiction, sci-fi movies, and sci-fi games; popular science media such as "National Geographic" and "Discovery Education"; and online communities and social-media platforms. This is a prime time for school library programs to link these forms of media and technology to science learning. The authors contend that school library programs are uniquely suited to lead innovative thinking about how to leverage these resources to help young people see the value of STEM in their everyday lives. For school library programs to function as bridges to these resources, many substantive questions must be addressed. How could school libraries structure educational programs, access to media resources, and curriculum to create engaging learning experiences for students? What would be the role of the school librarian in designing and implementing STEM-infused programs? To begin answering these questions, the authors report on the Sci-Dentity project launched in January 2012. Sci-Dentity is a project through which researchers at the University of Maryland are collaborating with school librarians to design ways to incorporate science storytelling, new-media literacies, and participatory culture to ignite students' interest in STEM. (Contains 3 figures.)
- Published
- 2012