”Feeling like a different kind of smart”: Twitter as digital literacy mediates learning for urban youth and literacy specialist candidates.
Abstract
This article shares the qualitative research findings of an emerging professional development schools partnership that investigated the way Twitter, as a type of digital literacy, mediated literature discussions of Lois Lowry's "The Giver" between urban high school students and master's degree literacy specialist candidates. The findings were organized into three themes that indicated Twitter's productive use for literacy engagement among participants: (a) extending time-on-task engagement by encouraging text-specific discussions; (b) organizing cognitive engagement through questions to enhance text comprehension; and (c) facilitating affective engagement by generating enthusiasm and a desire to be part of a broader, more authentic literacy community. Collectively, these findings have implications for designing socially mediated digital literacy activities that lead to theorizing about the potential of adolescent online literacies in classrooms, leveraging 21st century literacy-based technologies for academic learning, and expanding the literacy pedagogy of preservice teachers.
Reference
Hunter, J. D., Silvestri, K. N., & Ackerman, M. L. (2018). ''Feeling like a different kind of smart'': Twitter as digital literacy mediates learning for urban youth and literacy specialist candidates. School-University Partnerships, 11(1), 36-45
Journal
School-University Partnerships
Analysis
Is this article part of a larger project or series of studies?
yes
Does this study draw on a large, preexisting data set?
no
Research Approach
- Pragmatic Qualitative Research
Geographic Setting
Institutional Context
Certification Level
- Master's Literacy Specialist
Programatic Focus
Research Location Context
- Masters's course on literacy instruction for linguistically diverse learners
Preservice Participants
Preservice Sample Size
6
Other Participant Data
- Cooperating teachers
- Students in Computer-Mediated Collaboration
- University instuctors
Duration of Data Collection
Data Sources
- open ended questions
- Screenshots of Tweets
- Semi-structured focus groups
Data Analysis Tools
- Open coding
- Thematic analysis
Researcher Positionality
- Inside (studying their own practices)
Research Questions
How can Twitter mediate literacy engagement among high school students?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes
How can Twitter support the pedagogical development of literacy specialist candidates?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes