Identity, Social Networking & Digital Tools

Identity, Social Networking & Digital ToolsLaura Morrison & Dr. Janette M. Hughes

OVERVIEWOur latest digital literacies research explored the creation and development of online and offline identities through a unit on poetry, a classroom social networking site called the Ning and various digital tools.

The five poetry types upon which the lessons were based include: acrostic, six-rooms of a poem, postcard, spoken word, and found poetry.

PROJECT FOCUSTo explore how adolescents identities are shaped and performed as they use a social networking platform to present themselves to the world

We also examined how online and offline identities correspond and differ in the context of adolescents out-of-school lives and their school lives

Finally we observed how digital tools and a multimodal pedagogy engaged students and influenced their literary practices

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Theoretical FrameworkCommunities of Practice (Wenger, 1998, 2000, 2007; Rourke et al., 2001; Salmon, 2005)

Affinity Spaces (Gee, 2004)

SNS in Education (Boyd, 2006; Brady, Holcomb & Smith, 2010; Kear, 2011; Picciano, 2002)

Social Presence in Online Learning (Bai, 2003; Cobb, 2009; DeSchryver et al., 2009)

Adolescent Identities (Buckingham; Ke, Chavez & Causarano, 2011)

New Literacies (Lankshear & Knobel, 2006; Coiro, 2004)

Multiliteracies (NLG, 1996; Selber, 2004)

Digital Literacies (Lankshear & Knobel, 2008; Frey, Fisher, Gonzalez, 2010)

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ContextToronto, Ontario, CanadaThree grade six classes78 students90% of students immigrants21% From war-torn countries12% ESL students10% Resource students

Macbook laptops

Ubiquitous wifi access

Websites: readwritethink.org; writeordie.com; Wordle.net; YouTube; Glogster

Computer software: Microsoft Word; PPT; iMovie

Thematic focus on identity development and dual identity (both online/offline dual identity and two nationalities dual identity)

Context

Ning network social networking site where students could:

personalize their profile pages friend other Ning memberspost photos, videospost status updatespost comments and discussionsLike photos, comments and videos posted by other members create groups

http://digitalliteracies.ning.com/profile/LauraMorrison

Context

The Poetry Acrostic

Created a digital About Me poster that included:

- An Acrostic Poem using their names and the online Acrostic Poetry tool on the www.readwritethink.org website

- A personalized barcode created in Word using line shapes and significant/meaningful numbers that represent them as individuals

- A profile pic taken with the Photo Booth tool

The Poetry Acrostic

For anonymity, can you blur out the student and teacher names on slides with screen shots please9

The Poetry Six-Rooms

Created a six-room poem:

First in a brainstorming table in Word with the following headings as writing prompts: Image, Light, Sound, Question, Feeling, Repetition

Then, in a formal poem using the online quick-writing website www.writeordie.com

Students then shared & commented on each others poems on the Ning

The Poetry Six-Rooms

The Poetry Postcard

Created a Postcard poem:

First shown examples & deconstructed their elements

Created their own postcard poem visuals using www.Glogster.com answering the prompt: Who I want to be in middle school

Wrote a poem in response to the collage and included it on their posters

Students then shared & commented on each others poems on the Ning

The Poetry Postcard

http://michaeljordan1029.edu.glogster.com/john/

The Poetry Spoken Word

Created a Spoken Word poem:

First shown an example on YouTube [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQbQGn_rqTw] & deconstructed their elements

Created their own Spoken Word poem using iMovie answering the prompt: Who I Am discussing their dual national identities

Students then uploaded their movies to YouTube, shared the links on Ning & commented on each others poems

The Poetry Spoken Word

The Poetry Found Created a Found poem:

First shown an example of a Found poem with words taken from magazine and TV advertisements

Created their own Found poems using the words and phrases found in their classrooms

Class discussion re: how ones environment can shape or influence their personalities/identities

Students then wrote another Found poem using their status updates, comments and discussions etc. from the Ning and reflected on the personalities they portray on Ning based on what they publish.

Larger class discussion then on how many hats they wear or identities they have in their daily lives depending on the situations.

Uploaded their poems to Ning & commented on each others poems

The Poetry Found

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Discussion Turning it over to you!Time Frame: 15 minutes

Feel free to

Ask questionsMake connections to your own workDiscuss concernsDiscuss/consider the utility of the ideas presented for your own projects (during this week or in the future)