Journal 10: Helping Students Express Their Passion

Mann, Michelle. "Helping Students Express Their Passion." Learning and Leading. N.p., March/April 2011. Web. 13 Apr 2011. http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/.


This article talks about Adobe Youth Voices (AYV), a global education program sponsored by the Adobe foundation. Their main focus is on teaching underserved kids ages 13-18 about how to use digital media to comment on their world, share ideas and take action on the social issues that are important to them. The goal is to spark dialogue for change around the world by harnessing the energy and insight of young people.
What educators and policy makers are finding all over the world is that they are facing the same problems; Figuring out how to improve the quality and impact of secondary education. Much of the public discussion focuses on student achievement and teacher performance, but the Adobe Foundation saw that the issue was even more fundamental than raising test scores, it has to do with student engagement. There are many ways to get students interested, but one thing that really drives most young adults is technology.
Adobe works closely with educators and community organizers to find out how technology can motivate and empower students to participate more actively in their own educations. One of the ways that AYV is trying to achieve this is by helping educators use digital media to give new life in to lessons about team collaboration, narrative, analysis and writing. This program has also helped educators understand how to make what kids learn and the way they learn it, more meaningful and useful.

Do you feel that the right applications of technology can help inspire students?
Absolutely! Students begin to become passionate about what they are learning. In turn, they become actively engaged in school and in their communities.

What is another benefit that AYV adds to the mix?
AYV teaches young adults, educators and the communities around them how to work together. By fostering this type of collaborative learning AYV is helping educators develop forward thinking lesson plans that get students excited and involved with the world around them.