Engaging youth in meaningful social and educational spaces is one of several goals related to urban education (Obiakor & Beachum, 2005). With the advances of Web 2.0 technology tools and information and communication technologies, access to educational and social spaces have become open and ubiquitous (Bonk, 2009). Harnessing the power of these tools may help facilitate a knowledge exchange within these environments. To that extent social media has been shown to provide relevant engagement and collaboration to an educational and social learning process for urban youth (Greenhow, Robelia, & Hughes, 2009). Exploration into the uses of social media within creative formal and informal spaces by urban youth may provide insights into how these tools may be used within a broader teaching and learning context to facilitate a more engaged learning experience that involves technology and ultimately social justice. Engaging youth in meaningful social and educational spaces is one of several goals related to urban education. With the advances of Web 2.0 technology tools and information and communication technologies, access to educational and social spaces have become open and ubiquitous. Harnessing the power of these tools may help facilitate a knowledge exchange within these environments. To that extent social media has been shown to provide relevant engagement and collaboration to an educational and social learning process for urban youth. Exploration into the uses of social media within creative formal and informal spaces by urban youth may provide insights into how these tools may be used within a broader teaching and learning context to facilitate a more engaged learning experience that involves technology and ultimately social justice.
TopIntroducing A Social Context Of Education For Urban Youth
Engaging youth in meaningful social and educational spaces is one of several goals related to urban education (Obiakor & Beachum, 2005). With the advances of Web 2.0 technology tools and information and communication technologies, access to educational and social spaces have become open and ubiquitous (Bonk, 2009). Harnessing the power of these tools may help facilitate a knowledge exchange within these environments. Of the various ICT tools available, social media has been shown to provide relevant engagement and collaboration to an educational and social learning process for urban youth (Greenhow, Robelia, & Hughes, 2009). Exploration into the uses of social media within creative formal and informal spaces by urban youth may provide insights into how these tools may be used within a broader teaching and learning context to facilitate a more engaged learning experience that involves technology.
Like Neo, urban youth face a matrix within a real, tangible world. This matrix involves real problems associated with education, social justice, literacy, socioeconomics, and engaging in a social world as a full member of society (Bourdieu, 1977; Bourdieu, 1985; Bourdieu, 1990; Carter, 2003; Obiakor & Beachum, 2005). While, urban youth seek to make meaning of these social and educational spaces, research suggests that technology plays a significant role in this process (Augustsson, 2010; Greenhow & Robelia, 2009; Greenhow, Robelia, & Hughes, 2009; Kirkland, 2007; Kirkland, 2008; Kvasny, 2006; Lenhart, Madden, Macgill, & Smith, 2007; Moje, 2004; O’Brien, & Scharber, 2008; Pincket, 2003; Resnick, Rusk, & Cooke, 1998; Zhang, 2009).