Cowboys and Aliens: Capturing the Digital Natives

TELL AN ALTERNATIVE STORY
Saturday, 15 June 13

COWBOYS & ALIENS
CAPTURING THE DIGITAL NATIVES
Digital technology has changed nearly everything. Is your church/school prepared to engage
the digital generation? Does your church/school understand the digital generation and the
way they think? Are you hearing their voice? Do you think just having a Facebook account is
enough? The team from 2ndcity Studios are here to open this world up to you, and show you
how learning, thinking, and culture are being shaped by digital technology and digital natives.

Don Tapscott
HOW YOU SPEND EXTENDED ADOLESCENCE DETERMINES
HOW YOUR BRAIN GETS WIRED

Neural Plasticity
HOW YOU SPEND EXTENDED ADOLESCENCE
DETERMINES HOW YOUR BRAIN GETS WIRED

Neural Plasticity
→ PASSIVE RECIPIENT

Neural Plasticity
→ LISTENING & INDIVIDUALISATION

Neural Plasticity
→ ONE SIZE FITS ALL

Neural Plasticity
→ ACTIVE PARTICIPATION

Neural Plasticity
→ COLLABORATION & COMMUNITY

Neural Plasticity
→ COLLABORATION & COMMUNITY
→ AUTHENTICITY

Today’s world
• A connected & social world
• An instant information world
• A transparent world
• An interactive world
HOW TODAYS TEENS ARE SPENDING EXTENDED ADOLESCENCE

Neural Plasticity
WITH THESE KIDS?
The QUESTION BECOMES:
HOW DO WE DO
EDUCATION

Pedagogy for
Digital Natives

Pedagogy for
Digital Natives
• A talking head is not good
• this is anti-active participation!
• No longer the sage (on the stage)
• Community, conversation, collaboration
• Fail softly
• Bigger meaning

BIGGER THAN
THEMSELVES

BIGGER THAN THEMSELVES
We want to believe in what we do – so much so
that volunteerism is at an all time high amongst
Millennials. We want to belong to something,
something we can believe in, something that
gives our lives purpose because it is bigger
than us.
Something that is the same size as you
doesn’t really give you a deep sense of
purpose – because, let’s face it, you came up
with the idea and you could stop it at any point.
Things that provide meaning and purpose
need to go on without us, and despite us.

ACTIVE, NOT PASSIVE
→ REJECTION OF DUALISM
→ AUTHENTICITY
→ A DESIRE TO PARTICIPATE
→ I WANT TO DO SOMETHING!
THERE NEEDS TO BE AN OUTLET FOR THE IMAGINATION

“if you look at Twitter in a very narrow way, and just
think (like I did initially), “Why does anyone care
about all of these little, mundane updates…” then it
will seem like a total waste of time. However, what
Twitter does is lets you into the life of your
friends/co-workers/family in a way that is
unlike any other. You hear about the little things,
the day-to-day elements of their lives that you
would generally miss out on – and all of that adds
up to knowing your friends in a “different” way – a
social sixth sense – another layer deeper into their
lives.”
http://pomomusings.com/2008/09/07/twitter/
COLLABORATIVE, COMMUNAL, AUTHENTIC

So why has Twitter been so misunderstood?
Because it’s experiential. Scrolling through random
Twitter messages can’t explain the appeal. You
have to do it — and, more importantly, do it with
friends.

friends.
active
participation!

friends.
active
participation!
Authentic!

friends.
active
participation!
community!
Authentic!

When leaders come together to talk about vital
ministry, it’s less about hearing a lecture from the
expert, and more about a conversation with
friends.
Which means that two things have to happen in
order for me to be an effective communicator in a
shifting culture:
(1) I have to have some sort of mechanism in which
I can hear readers talk back and
(2) I need to be accessible and able to develop
relationships with people.
http://tribalchurch.org/?p=858
So What?

MY ANSWER: Imagination

WE NEED TO
RECAPTURE THE
IMAGINATIONS OF OUR YOUTH

WE NEED TO
RECAPTURE THE
IMAGINATIONS OF OUR YOUTH
BUT WE NEED TO DO IT IN A WAY THAT IS:
→ ACTIVE RATHER THAN PASSIVE
→ COLLABORATIVE & INVOLVES COMMUNITY
→ BIGGER THAN THEMSELVES
→ AUTHENTIC AND CREATES VALUE / CAUSES CHANGE
→ FUN!

Case Study:
Gamification

Gamification
• Jane McGonigal
• need to game more!
• fail softly
• zone of proximal
development
• 6 ﬁxes for reality
• Gabe Zichermann

The “How?” Chasm

The “Why” The “WhAT”The “HOW”

SPARK THE
IMAGINATION

SPARK THE
IMAGINATION
REAL
WORLD
ACTION

Learn Together
VIGOTSKY SUGGESTS THAT CHILDREN ... CAN
ATTAIN TO HIGHER LEVELS OF THINKING IF THEY
ARE GUIDED BY SOMEONE WHO IS MORE
CAPABLE AND COMPETENT - A MORE
KNOWLEDGEABLE OTHER. THIS CONCEPTION IS
BETTER KNOWN AS THE “ZONE OF PROXIMAL
DEVELOPMENT”

Fail Softly
THE BEAUTY OF GAMES
IS THAT PLAYERS CAN
EXPERIMENT,
AND “FAIL SOFTLY”

Our Journey

The Beginning of the Story

The Beginning of the Story
• Originally a Sunday School for children living in rural areas.
• Advertisements were placed in the Farmers Trading Company Mail Order
Catalogue
• Within a year- 3000 subscribers
• Ministry peaked in 1970’s with 8000-9000 subscribers

An Online Biblical Game
2ndcity Studios are building a steampunk
online Virtual World for tweens
that teaches them the greatest
story ever told
browser
based 10-14yo
english
speaking
world
the great
engineer

The great engineer in a land of fog

Creation:
• Great King/ Engineer
• Engines that Keep the fog at bay
• Everything is awesome
Fall:
• "Lucky" is jealous of the King
• Introduces Doubt
• People Riot
• King is usurped by Lucky
• Engines go unkept, fog comes in
Story

Redemption:
• "Joshua" is leading a resistance
• Resistance aims to redeem land (get rid of fog)
• This requires the engines to be running
• Player joins resistance
Restoration:
• Joshua is returned Triumphant to the great engine rooms and
revealed as the man who once was king.
• Resistance restores truth, justice, mercy etc to the land
Story

Key Learning objectives
1. Scripture is a single, coherent true story detailing God's activity in the
world throughout history, a story of redemption, love, and community.
2. Every mini-story within the big story points to Jesus, who is the
'pinnacle' of that story
3. You have a place in that story, a place that you need to find and fulfill
• How? By being God's Agent-of-Change, by bringing "redemption" to
your contexts.

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Cowboys and Aliens: Capturing the Digital Natives

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