How can we use social media to spark an interest in young adult literature?
It seems as though there are many students who already have used, heard, or talked about some form of social media. Whether it be Facebook, Twitter, blogs, AIM, or emails the point is that students have gained interest in these changing technological times. As an educator, we need to think about how we can use this collaboration with students to determine ways to teach them about young adult literature. By that, I mean knowing most students use and read posts on Facebook or blogs everyday it would be a great idea as an educator to teach to that point. For instance, co- teachers in Tennessee had their students create a Facebook page pertaining to a specific character in the story they were reading. Students were responsible for placing accurate information on the profile page also the posts they made had to relate to the text.
One may argue social media has changed the views of literature altogether. Students no longer want to read about characters they cannot relate too. If the story is set in a long time ago students are going to be more reluctant to gain interest in the story. If teachers (seems to be the common thread now a days) can relate them to what students love then maybe students will eventually have more knowledge and interest in the story being read. In a survey about social media and young adult literature,“The survey found that 19 per cent never read fiction books and 20 per cent never read non-fiction. In contrast, almost two-thirds surf websites every week, 55 per cent read emails and 46 per cent blogs.” Knowing this is how our students read and learn does influence us as educators.
Considering blogs have gained a lot of popularity over the years, studies have shown students gain lots of information and can recall information easier when they are used. Overall, we need to embrace the changes social media has had on young adult literature. In classrooms across America there are posters teachers can buy that use social media to depict a certain point. This is another way students are going to make connections to the literature they are reading. Over time, we need to evaluate to see if these methods are truly having a positive impact on our students and their learning.
Clark, L.. “Books Left on the Shelf: A Fifth of Pupils Only Read Blogs and Magazines.” Daily Mail (London, England), Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1167284/Books-left-shelf-A-fifth-pupils-read-blogs-magazines.html. November 8, 2011.
MacLeod, F. 2008. “Texts, Blogs and Facebook: The New Literacy.” The Scotsman (Edinburgh, Scotland), Retrieved from http://www.scotsman.com/news/education/txts_blogs_and_facebook_the_new_literacy_1_1156064. November 8, 2011.
I absolutely love the idea of having students create a facebook page for a character in a novel. It combines something that the students love with something that is important to the classroom (understanding characteristics). Students would have to have completed their reading to accurately create a facebook page, and knowing that they will be able to create a facebook page may be enough incentive to get them to read. In some of the articles I have read, teachers have also suggested creating facebook groups where students can post independent reading recommendations or create book clubs. If the web is what students are reading, we might as well try to use it to encourage them to read other material as well.
ReplyDeleteThis reminded me of the Twitter and Facebook pages for writers that we saw in class, but taken to another level in terms of text-reader interaction. Personally, I would love to read Holden Caulfield's status updates regularly. I've been thinking about the pull that social media has over literature nowadays (why would any child want to access Chaucer when he/she can see photos of friends at parties?), and this seems like a good way to apply how children read literature to how they communicate in the modern world.
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