RM Winter 2017 FINAL

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Reading Matters
Technology Matters
| 56| Reading Matters | Volume 16 • Winter 2016 |
intensified challenges to students who have attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Therefore, literacy teachers must
explore accommodations that support students as they navigate
through encountered challenges (Ewen et al., 2012). Wieth and
Burns (2014) cautioned that simply offering students incentives
may not necessarily lead to increased academic performance and
is likely to “encourage more superficial or habitual processing”
(p. 69). Therefore, literacy teachers should seek accommodations
that provide students with an appropriate amount of support
during learning experiences that involve media multitasking, such
as strategies that assist with self-monitoring of one’s behavior or
strategies that support task completion (Siklos & Kerns 2003).
Social Media among Adolescents
Adolescents are avid users of social media, and many have
reported use of multiple platforms for social media (Lenhart
et al., 2011; Lenhart et al., 2015). Current popular platforms
for social media among adolescents include blogs, wikis,
and podcasts, along with social networking websites, such
as Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. Social media platforms
are social environments that allow users to create and share
content with a multitude of other users worldwide.
The inclusion of social media during the process of learning
has the potential to foster a sense of community among students
and establish a space for collaboration, participation, and
cooperation (Fewkes & McCabe, 2012). Fewkes and McCabe
presented findings that showed some teachers were reluctant to
incorporate social media in the classroom due to concerns related
to distractibility. However, Fewkes and McCabe maintained that
as teachers develop understandings regarding students’ use of
social media, they can “better target and implement strategies
that use social media” to meet curricular requirements (p. 96).
When using social media in the classroom, literacy teachers
must also ensure they address students’ online privacy practices
due to their visibility and sharing of information, such as text,
photographs, videos, and other content (Marwick & Boyd, 2014).
Social media use encompasses a significant amount of
adolescents’ time mainly for reasons of leisure and social
connectedness (Mao, 2014). With this in mind, many students are
participating in “personal expression through multiple media” as
they “negotiate and create new meanings through their online
interactions” (White & Hungerford-Kresser, 2014, p. 645). When used
in a pedagogically sound manner, social media has the potential
to be an authentic and culturally relevant way to engage students
with learning. However, in order for students to view social media
as a tool for learning, literacy teachers must incorporate use of
social media regularly, thoughtfully, and be active participants
who provide students with meaningful feedback (Mao, 2014).
Instructional Considerations for
Literacy Teachers
Restricting the use of technology during learning is not a
realistic option and only leads to learning environments that are
dull, boring, and discourages engagement (Rosen, Mark Carrier,
& Cheever, 2013). Likewise, literacy teachers cannot assume that
adolescents’ immersion in technology has honed their knowledge
and skills related to digital literacy practices (Crowley, 2014).
Rather, a shift in literacy practices is necessary, and literacy teachers
must “understand the role and value of these literacies,” as well
as “how to infuse them into their curriculum in meaningful ways”
(Buckley, 2014, p. 7). Literacy teachers who seek to promote the
development of students’ digital literacy skills through media
multitasking and social media should keep the following evidence-
based and practitioner-based instructional considerations in mind.
Allow for personalization. As adolescents assume an active
role within a social media environment, it is important for
literacy teachers to consider developmental stages related to
adolescence. According to Erikson (1968), adolescents begin
establishing a sense of identity, which entails the exploration
of values, roles, goals, and purpose for one’s life. With this in
mind, literacy teachers might consider providing virtual spaces
that students may personalize (Casey, 2013). Various social
media platforms provide space for users with which they may
create a blog, upload pictures, customize the theme, select an
avatar, and/or produce a profile. As literacy teachers allow for
personalization with social media, it is extremely important
to attend to privacy and appropriateness with students.
With regard to privacy, literacy teachers should be the
administrator for students’ virtual spaces and consider restricting
user access to only students enrolled in the class. Literacy
teachers might also consider the use of pseudonyms to protect
students’ identity further. Concerning appropriateness, literacy
teachers should facilitate numerous discussions regarding
suitable portrayal of oneself within a social media environment
before students personalize their virtual spaces. Once students
have personalized their virtual spaces, literacy teachers should
continuously monitor students’ activity and address any
inappropriate behavior or privacy concerns immediately.
Recognize academic and nonacademic languages. Language
utilized within social media contexts carries its own unique
nuances, particularly among adolescents (Amicucci, 2014;
Rust, 2015). Although academic language is a significant part
of the writing completed during the school day, much of the
writing that adolescents complete outside of school employs
nonacademic language. Literacy teachers should recognize
the role that academic and nonacademic languages play in
students’ lives and provide opportunities for students to use
each language during various learning experiences at school.
In doing so, literacy teachers are enhancing students’ skills with
manipulating language, while also fostering a safe space for
adolescents to explore and maintain their identities. Rust (2015)
explained that attention to language requires “tactical teaching,”
where teachers “work alongside students to co-construct new
learning spaces” (p. 500). Literacy teachers might also consider
designing learning experiences during which students first
analyze online comments from various media sources so that
they may explore the different characteristics, styles, and features
before composing their own writings (Chandler-Olcott, 2013).