NYSCATE 2007 Podcasting

The Quest for Success

Digital Democracy – High-tech Activities and Policies Essential for Modern Citizenship

Title: Digital Democracy – High-tech Activities and Policies Essential for Modern Citizenship

Presenter: Gary Stager Ph.D.

This session explores high-tech activities designed to inspire student political participation at a variety of grade levels. The Internet has changed politics and what it means to be a modern citizen. In an age when candidates host online discussions, political organization depends on meetup.com and elections are won or lost on YouTube, it is vital that students master the tools and media techniques of their age, including: data analysis, simulation building, polling and propaganda creation.

In addition to mastery of the tools and techniques essential for civic participation, this session will explore the network and democratic policies required if students are to develop as productive citizens.
The computer, Internet and constructivist software will be used to address:
* The mathematics of polling
* Making sense of data
* Effective communication
* Propaganda creation
* Online community building
* Civic participation

Podcast