E. Demastrie - ICTs in the Classroom Paper

COMMUNICATING 21ST CENTURY STYLE1

COMMUNICATING 21 ST CENTURY STYLE:

INCORPORATING DIGITAL SOCIAL MEDIA

INTO THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS

CLASSROOM

Emma Demastrie

January 17, 2012

EDC 546: Education Seminar

Pittsfield 21 Cohort

Instructor: Dr. Irene Willis


ABSTRACT

The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of recent action research involving the use of

digital technologies, particularly social media networking, in middle and high school English

Language Arts (ELA) classrooms. Three specific articles written within the past year and a half

by Ash, Sweeny, Taranto, Dalbon, and Gaetano cite important evidence of the effectiveness of

informational and communication technologies (ICTs) in the academic classroom, and will be

highlighted in this paper. Further, the term “academic social networking” is coined to describe

the use of social media for educational purposes. With proper guidelines set forth by the

classroom teacher, students are able to adapt their informal social networking techniques to

academic writing, with digital social media as the platform upon which to develop, share, and

publish their writing. Online forums such as blogs and wikis provide opportunities for

collaboration among students, as well as the individual freedom for students to express

themselves using their “native” language, that of the Digital Age.


COMMUNICATING 21 ST CENTURY STYLE

Public schools across America have been struggling in recent years to meet the complex

educational and psycho-social needs of today’s 21st century school children. The needs of

children have shifted greatly in the past ten years, primarily due to the advent of the digital age

of technology. Not only has the way we communicate with each other changed, but the language

we use to communicate and thus understand the world has changed as well. For instance, just ten

years ago, the majority of Americans did not own cellular phones, much less use them for

“texting”. Laptop computers were still a novelty, and devices such as the iPod and iPad did not

exist. There was no wireless internet or Wi-Fi, keeping us “plugged in” to the web twenty-four

hours a day in every location. And what about social networking sites such as MySpace,

Facebook, and Twitter? These types of digital media have forever altered the way we connect to

other human beings, and were just a glint in the eyes of their young, visionary creators ten years

ago. Indeed, technology has progressed so rapidly in just one decade that it is no wonder why

educators are finding it difficult to keep pace with the use of digital media in their classrooms.

Most teachers today are among the population of “digital immigrants” (Prensky, p. 4)

because they did not grow up with computers and, more specifically, internet-based technology.

They began learning this new language, the digital language, in adolescence and adulthood, and

are in many cases still playing catch-up as technology moves forward at an ever-increasing pace.

School-age children, however, are true “digital natives” because they were born into the digital

age. This way of communicating has always existed for them, having been a part of their lives

since birth. In addition, the ability to stay connected with others socially through digital media

has become constant, even addictive, for young people. The major challenge teachers have faced


in recent years is how to engage students in ways they understand, to “speak their language” in

order to reach them both academically and socially. In an effort to address the complex needs of

students in the digital age, and thus better engage them in their own education, more and more

teachers are integrating digital media into their classrooms in a variety of exciting and innovative

ways. In particular, some pioneering English Language Arts (ELA) teachers have begun utilizing

a variety of information and communication technologies, heretofore referred to as ICTs, to

develop students’ reading and writing skills. Blogs, wikis, text messages, and tweets are

fundamentally changing the ways in which children and young adults communicate. Many

believe these types of digital social media have perpetuated the downfall of written

communication as we know it. But is this “downfall” inevitable? Some of the new ICTs requite

an economy of language in order to participate – such as a limit on the number of words or

letters used in a single posting – while others have inspired an entirely new form of written

communication, the abbreviated “texting” language, where traditional methods of spelling,

grammar, and communication are modified or ignored altogether.

Sheelah Sweeney, in her article “Writing for the Instant Messaging and Text Messaging

Generation: Using New Literacies to Support Writing Instruction”, argues that ICTs such as

blogs, wikis, and even text messages, can be adapted successfully for the academic classroom.

She writes,

“The Digital Age is synonymous with rapid change. If the way in which we communicate is changing, then educators need to adapt to the new literacy context . . . Schools need to embrace ICTs so that students are prepared to function in a world where (digital media) is the expectation and the norm” (p. 122).


In addition to Sweeny’s recent research, Gregory Tanto, Melissa Dalbon, and Julie Gaetano, in

their action research article “Academic Social Networking Brings Web 2.0 Technologies to the

Middle Grades”, argue that proper grammar, punctuation, spelling, and other important, more

traditional writing conventions can be both expected by teachers, and achieved by students, in

classrooms where digital technology is utilized. They coin the term “academic social

networking” to refer to the successful integration of social media into 21st century classrooms (p.

12). Through extensive work in their own respective middle school classrooms, these teachers

have proven that with proper planning, guidelines, and expectations for student work, i.e.

outlining the differences between academic communication and social communication, social

media can be used effectively to develop students’ writing and higher-order thinking skills. In

addition, incorporating ICTs and other Web 2.0 technologies into the teaching pedagogy allows

students to use the digital language, the language they know best, to communicate their ideas and

demonstrate their level of understanding of a particular educational topic or concept.

Digital media has forever altered the way human beings communicate. The “digitization”

of society has changed the way organizations function, with more decision-making and

communication responsibilities shifting to workers. What this means is that members of the

workforce must have the ability to communicate in the Digital Age, and educators have the

responsibility of preparing students to be career and college-ready. As we engage in this

discussion of communicating effectively in the Digital Age, however, it is important to note that

the way our brains consume, analyze, and share information has changed over the past decade as

well. In addition, our relationship to language and each other has shifted radically as new

literacies emerge and take precedence in the social landscape. Kress writes,


“Historical definitions of semiotics – the study of communications signs and symbols – viewed language and communication as a stable system with defined rules, but that theoretical base is changing in response to the evolving nature of language and communication now possible with digital technologies” (p. 153).

More opportunities exist than ever before for people to not only consume information

from others, but to be producers and collaborators of their own information. This new reality can

be both empowering and overwhelming for people. For children and adolescents, writing in the

age of digital communication has taken on new importance, playing a prominent role in the way

young people socialize, share information, and even structure their communication (Sweeny, p.

121). They do not view technology as something new or complicated, but rather as simply a part

of their everyday lives. By embracing digital media, educators are providing the best

opportunities for their students to succeed both academically and socially in the 21st century.

Sweeney insists that “incorporating (digital media) into the writing curriculum does not

have to be an all-or-nothing proposition” (p. 125). Teachers can ease into the process by adding a

few ideas at a time to augment their curriculum. When considering using technology for writing

tasks, it is important for teachers to experiment in order to determine which types of digital

media may be most effective for their students’ specific writing tasks. Lesson plans should never

be written around a piece of technology, however. The question educators must always ask when

incorporating digital media into their lessons is, “How can this technology be used to support and

augment students’ learning?” In this regard, digital media does not change or usurp the academic

frameworks and standards. When using digital media in ELA classes, students must understand

that social communication such as “texting language” is not acceptable. There are acceptable and

expected academic standards that must be met, and these standards align with state and national

frameworks moving students towards proficiency on state standardized tests.


The first type of digital social media that can be used effectively in ELA classrooms is

the blog. Blogs are websites that utilize a similar, user-friendly template and format, and are

typically authored by one individual, although others can post comments and responses to them.

Blogs do not allow visitors to change the original posted material. Over the past several years,

blogs have become popular forums for many young people to express themselves, and there is

growing evidence that teens with their own blogs tend to be prolific writers both in and out of

school (Lenhart, Arafeh, Smith, & Macgill, p. 10). Teachers can incorporate blogs into their

classroom instruction in a variety of ways. For instance, teachers can create a blog for their class

and post assignments and writing prompts. Students then post their assignments and responses to

the blog, in essence self-publishing their work, and can then receive feedback via the blog from

both the teacher and their peers. When using blogs, however, strict guidelines must be laid out

beforehand so the online forum is not misused.

A second type of digital social media, and the one used most successfully by Dalbon and

Gaetano in their action research, is the wiki. Ribble (2008) defines a wiki as “a collaborative

website composed of the perpetual collective work of many authors” (p. 148). Similar to a blog

in structure and logic, a wiki allows anyone to edit, delete, or modify content that has been

placed on the website using a browser interface. Through the use of the wiki, students are able to

post their original work and receive feedback from each other. Gaetano incorporated a wiki into

her 8th grade advanced ELA class, and Dalbon used a wiki for her 8th grade remedial ELA class.

Both experienced great success in better engaging and motivating students in the development of

their writing. In addition, students reported feeling more a part of classroom discussions because,

by contributing online, they were not competing with their classmates to speak.


Gaetano’s advanced class used the wiki as a forum to discuss thoughts and opinions

about books the students read independently. These discussions were student-centered and

student-driven, and mimicked the fast-paced social interactions students have outside of school.

The teacher’s role was primarily in the initial structuring of the wiki, and also as moderator of

the discussions, although students were encouraged to self-monitor each other. Dalbon’s

remedial class used the wiki to post prompts for students to respond to after in-class readings.

The first couple of discussions occurred in school in the “virtual classroom”, and students were

given a rubric beforehand which outlined the expectations and guidelines for the use of the wiki.

They were also given a scale for how their responses would be graded. Eventually, the wiki

discussions became out-of-class assignments that students completed on their own time. Students

reported that using the wiki made learning fun, and was a lot less pressure than responding in

front of classmates who might mock or criticize their responses (Taranto et al., p. 16). The

purpose of the wiki is never to discourage face-to-face discussions, but rather to provide an

alternative forum for those students who are intimidated by such interactions to express

themselves and demonstrate their understanding.

For teachers new to social networking technology, the appeal of wikis and blogs is that

they allow everyday users, without knowledge of programming language such as html, to

transform the internet from a “read-only” web to a “read AND write” web. Many teachers and

administrators are hesitant to allow students to use social media in an academic environment,

however, due to the challenges in regulating content being posted. Social media has been used in

particularly destructive ways by youth in the form of cyber bullying, and this is something

educators and schools must consider carefully when allowing students to use social media for

academic purposes. This is why Dalbon and Gaetano, in conjunction with their school district,


drafted an “Academic Social Networking Contract” for both students and parents to review and

sign before engaging in this type of technology in school (p. 17). This contract not only holds

students responsible for the content they post on their class blog or wiki, but it also encourages a

sort of “digital citizenship” where students learn to use social media responsibly. When it comes

to developing 21st century skills, there are few that are more important than learning how to be a

responsible citizen in the Digital Age. Miller, Thompson, and Franz concur,

“By modeling appropriate behaviors rather than denying students opportunities to use digital technology tools, middle grades educators can promote digital citizenship among adolescents” (Miller, Thompson, & Franz, p. 28).

Of course, there are many more ways to use technology in the classroom besides wikis

and blogs, although these two online forums provide both teachers and students with the best

academic opportunities with regards to their ELA education. In her article, “Language Arts

Educators Balance Text-Only Tactics with Multimedia Skills”, Katie Ash reports that some

teachers are requiring students to create PowerPoint presentations with multimedia in addition to

the traditional writing of an essay (p. 7). First grade classrooms are using digital storytelling

programs such as Storybird to write and present their writing. An even newer trend is the “Cyber

English” classroom, where students create either their own websites or blogs, and then spend the

entire class period writing and publishing their work on their site. Most Cyber English teachers

believe that students are able to more fully express themselves if they can incorporate various

multimedia in their writing by digitally publishing their work. In addition, they report that the

quality of students’ writing improves greatly using this method. High school English teacher Ted

Nellen, who pioneered Cyber English, states that using websites allows students to embed video,

audio, and images into their writing, to fully allow for their own self-expression and means of


demonstrating understanding. In addition, “having an authentic audience online encourages

students to do their best work” (Ash, p. 7). Dawn Hogue, another Cyber English teacher,

concurs:

“When student writing becomes public, it ceases to be this assignment they just hand in for the teacher. At some point, the shift happens in their minds that anybody could be reading this, and it really needs to look good” (Ash, p. 7).

In addition to writing and publishing their work on their own websites, students must

complete monthly “cyber journals” where they reflect on current readings as well as on how

using a computer in English class changes how they learn. One of the most important reflections

students have is the realization that their writing is not, as Hogue puts is, “static” (Ash, p. 7).

Writing has a heartbeat – it is alive, changing, and growing. When students go back and read the

work they have posted online, they take responsibility for it, and as such continue to revise it

over time.

Some teachers have been so bold as to even incorporate text messaging into the academic

environment. Rather than forcing students to keep their cell phones turned off during class,

teachers send brief questions and writing prompts to students via text messages. Students then

respond to the questions by texting back to the teacher. While this method is perhaps best

appropriate for high school students, K-12 classrooms, usually at the behest of their school

districts, have begun using interactive digital technologies to conduct formative assessments,

both for those using large data management systems, and those creating their own independent

assessments.

The argument that technology has made communication skills obsolete is a false one. On

the contrary, the development of social media over the past decade has made the demand for


communication stronger than ever before. In this Digital Age, people have endless opportunities

to communicate, and indeed communication is required of everyone, both in their careers and in

their everyday lives. The demand for communication is stronger than ever before. This could

well explain the rise of such digital media as text messaging, Facebook, and Twitter. As the

world becomes more and more connected through advances in information and communication

technologies, classroom experiences will need to reflect those same changes (Taranto et al., p.

12). The digital media discussed in this paper, as well as various other forms of new literacies,

both current and yet to be created, provide unprecedented opportunities for students to access

higher order thinking skills and communicate their thoughts and feelings powerfully and

effectively. The role of the teacher in the Digital Age is not to deny, but rather to embrace the

power of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to uplift and transform the minds

of their students, so that they may meet their fullest potential as 21st century citizens.


REFERENCES

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(2010, May 5). General format. Retrieved from

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Ash, K. (2011). Language arts educators balance text-only tactics with multimedia skills.

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Kress, G. (2000). Design and transformation: New theories of meaning. In B. Cope & M.

Kalantzis (Eds.), Multiliteracies: Literacy learning and the design of social futures.

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http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/prensky/DigitalNatives,DigitalImmigrantsPart1.pdf

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E. Demastrie - ICTs in the Classroom Paper