Upon reading this paper, I really did not know much about the term Participatory Culture. While I am aware of the impact the media has in our everyday lives, I had not really thought about the way schools have reacted to the emerging technology. I remember being in elementary school and not really being exposed to computers daily and going to the computer lab once a month. Nowadays, it is rare for a child to not be daily exposed to technology in the form of iPods, television, handheld game systems, and computers. I never thought about the way schools are managing the influx of technology the students are being presented with outside the classroom.

The paper made a good point about how “afterschool programs and informal learning communities” are the best options for helping students learn more about technology. I believe this is a very well manageable plan and more schools would be able to establish.  Teachers are already under a lot of stress to meet the standards set for the statewide standardized tests and integrating technology into their lessons can become too much of a burden and can be time consuming. They will most likely not set aside time in their curriculum to use and teach technology to students because it is not necessarily a required skill to pass the standardized tests. That is why I think it is a great idea for schools to set up an after school program to teach students how to use a computer and use technology in a way that positively encourages their learning and expands their critical thinking skills.

Another good point made in the paper was the mentioning of how the new participatory culture “offers many opportunities for youth to engage in civic debates” and in community life. This is made evident with the fact that many young people have various social networking sites and are more inclined to make their opinion known because of them. One major opportunity the youth are given is the ability to engage in political debates. Politics has been made more accessible to a wider range of people, specifically young adults. Not only can people debate about issues in their community but also speak out against national issues. Young people can go on sites such as YouTube and watch live presidential debates and ask questions to the candidates through their use of their Twitter. I found it to be rather interesting to reflect on how technology serves to help people be better educated and aware of current issues.

For that reason, I believe it is critical for students to be exposed to technology with proper guidance and for schools to use technology to the best of their ability and make the most out of it.