This recorded session for educators of 11 – 24 yr olds looks at how Rudy, director of entrepreneurship and gaming from the Dreamyard Project in the Bronx, NYC, has been supporting young gamers from underrepresented communities in the Bronx to use platforms like Twitch and Discord to build inclusive communities, learn digital skills and become entrepreneurs. Learn how Dreamyard supports digital equity, encouraging tech careers in creative design and teaching poetry through Fortnite. Hillary, director of digital learning and Rudy discuss how teachers can learn from these experiences using multimodal, media content and interest-driven learning.
- 00:40 Introduction to Hilary and the work of Dreamyard
- 03:38 Introduction to Rudy and the career journey that has brought him to his current role
- 09:15 What the pandemic has been like for children and teachers in the Bronx
- 12.02 The impact of the digital divide on access to education during the pandemic, and how community organisations helped promote digital equity
- 15:21 What the Bronx Gaming Network is and how it has been supporting young people’s career pathways
- 22:47 Creative design and how Dreamyard is supporting young people’s career pathways
- 26:04 The necessity (and challenge) of finding funding for creative digital projects and learning
- 32:08 Engaging and involving educators in the Dreamyard ecosystem
- 36:24 How platforms like Twitch and Discord can be used to engage and motivate young people
- 39:32 The power of multimodal approaches to learning
- 42:48 Hilary and Rudy’s hopes for the future of young people in the Bronx as we emerge from the global pandemic Q&As
- 46:42 Can you explain what you see as the potential therapeutic benefits of learning with games, as well as the broader social benefits?
