Welcome!

This wiki will serve as a research repository for my studies on digital literacy and social media for my Master of Arts in Teaching program at Kennesaw State University. I will be viewing the information I come across from the perspective of an English education student and secondary educator.

The Digital Literacy and Social Media section on the left nav. bar is intended to help guide teachers with the theoretical framework of research pertaining to digital literacy and social media use in the classroom while also revealing my context as a student, researcher, and teacher.

The Twitter section reveals some theoretical reasoning for using Twitter in the ELA classroom and some ideas for using this social media tool to teach literature, writing, grammar, and literary terms. Some of these ideas have been carried out in the classroom in which I interned and many are inspired by the work of reputable English education researchers and best practices in the field.

The Web or Text Speak section discusses the linguistic implications of teens using acronyms, slang, emoticons, and other forms of shorthand or informal speech with increasing frequency on the Internet and in texting. Teachers can embrace this change and use it in classroom assignments but also must ensure to discuss code switching/levels of formality and language with their students.

My goal is for this wiki to serve as a resource to English teachers wishing to incorporate technology in their classrooms in meaningful and relevant ways. The content on this site (minus the Impact on Student Learning Report) also comprises my Capstone thesis project for my MAT English program, including an auto-ethnography.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me at MegVanD13@gmail.com.You can also add me on Facebook or Twitter (Megan VanDoran on FB and MegVanD13 on Twitter).

I welcome contributions and additional resources that will add to the work I've done! Please send me links to videos, articles, other research, etc. or apply to be a contributor.