There has always been some form of "participatory culture." It does not depend on the Internet. Once upon a time, it may have been a quilting bee or a sing-along. Maybe it was a barn raising or a church social. For me growing up, it was putting on shows with the kids in my neighborhood or coaching the Paul Bunyan races* at summer camp. Participatory culture involves learning new skills and contributing your own skills to a group effort. Now, with the Internet, one can be immersed in this kind of activity with a large, diverse set of people, without leaving the house.
As teachers, In order to guide students toward expanding their online skills and interests that they bring from home, we need to model that kind of interaction in the classroom. So often, it is the teacher dictating the lesson and the student learning and answering. Live or online, we need to help our students become invested in the lesson. When they learn that they can be part of constructing the body of knowledge, and when they are able to bring their personal strengths "to the table," they will learn to become contributing members of a participatory culture.
*Paul Bunyan races are like a giant relay race. Teammates get different "legs" of the race that starts with unrolling toilet paper, includes rowing a boat, and reciting song lyrics. It takes many different skills for the team to compete!
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