Caroline Elbra-Ramsay
& David Scott
'The use of social media in
developing students' knowledge of
children's literature’
‘Any work with children and stories depends on a teacher’s
knowledge of texts. This does not just mean knowing about the
language, structures and narrative devices of stories; it means
knowing who are the good writers most likely to stimulate your
class. That, in turn, means reading a lot of stories for children.’
Medwell et al (2011 p. 139)
Why social media?
Foroughi (2011) suggests specific benefits:
• Learning-related benefits: facilitation of collaborative learning, development of
independent learning skills, problem solving, team work, reflective learning, peer-topeer support/feedback,
•Social benefits for students: increased engagement in course material,
•development of a sense of community and of transferable skills that enhance student
employability, increased sense of achievement, control, and ownership of their work.
‘…studies suggest that learning with social media helps students develop metacognition,
self-reflection, and communication abilities. …Similarly, Greenhow and Gleason (2012)
advance the idea of “Twitteracy,” a functional ability to use Twitter as a place to ex change ideas and fashion oneself as a professional within a larger community.’ (Hitchock
and Battista 2013 p.35)
Bynum (2011)’Certainly, the issue of digital divide, the haves versus the
have-nots technologically, must be addressed in any discussion regarding
technology implementation and is likely the greatest challenge with
implementing any type of technology’- talking about high school, but
relevant to HE
‘Some students are uncomfortable using social media and prefer to opt out
of participating on Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms for a variety of
reasons, including privacy concerns, previous negative experiences with
social media, or uncertainty about the effects’ (Hitchcock and Battista
2013 p.39)
However, since so many of these primary
professionals indicate that they rely on their
own knowledge of children’s books to make
decisions about classroom reading, the
relatively narrow range of their knowledge of
authors, poets and picture fiction creators, is
a matter of considerable concern.’
(Cremin et al, 2008 p. 18)
Scaffolded Tasks/
Activities
• Favourite book from SE1
********@********* · Feb 13
The Selfish Crocodile, 4*, Year 2. The story has really good morals and the children
had fun hot seating the characters. #1QTSE15A
• Award winners / book groups/ authors / resources /recommended
reading (#ff)
• Book queries
******@ ****** YSJ Feb 20
Any ideas for a story that could link to the new topic on 'electric rainbow'? #1QTSE15A
Caroline ElbraRamsay @celbraramsay Feb 20
@ ****** YSJ not sure about this one. Try searching Madeleine Lindley's bookstore.
@teacher_books
Madeleine Lindley @teacher_books Feb 20 @celbraramsay @ ****** YSJ How
about Elmer and the Rainbow, Lighthouse Keeper's Lunch, I Want My Light On or
Moonlight and Shadow?
Scaffolded Tasks/
Activities
****** @ ****** Feb 20 Can anyone recommend a non-fiction and a fiction book on
space? #1QTSE15A
Caroline ElbraRamsay @celbraramsay Feb 20 @ ****** what year group ?
#1QTSE15A
****** @ ****** Feb 20 @celbraramsay Year 1 #1QTSE15A
David Scott @David_Scott_YSJ Feb 21 @ ****** @celbraramsay Have you read
Sea of Tranquillity by Mark Haddon?
mark haddon @mark_haddon Feb 23
@David_Scott_YSJ @ ****** @celbraramsay that's a cracking read if i remember
correctly.
Scaffolded Tasks/
Activities
•Virtual book discussion
****** YSJ @ ****** Ysj Feb 24 #1QTSE15A 'The Rainy Day' 4. Could this
book be used effectively in Ks1 science lessons?
****** @ ****** ysj Feb 24 @ ****** Ysj I think so, could be a chance for some
outdoor learning and small experiments too #1qtse15a
****** @ ****** _ysj Feb 24 @ ****** Ysj you could look at mini beasts and
habitats
****** YSJ @ ****** Ysj Feb 24 @ ****** _ysj thanks!!
Scaffolded Tasks/
Activities
• World book day – character, examples from practice, activity idea,
favourite line
*******@********_ysj · Mar 7
#1qtse15a You're never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and
read to a child- Dr Seuss
****** @ ****** · Mar 16
if you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams, and
you will always look lovely- the twits #1qtse15a
Scaffolded Tasks/
Activities
• Responding to an article
Caroline ElbraRamsay @celbraramsay Apr 29
#1QTSE14A #1QTSE15A http://www.bringingupboys.co.uk/1017/literacy/boysput-reading-girly-picture-books/ …
******* @ ******* May 2 @celbraramsay I disagree with this article and believe that
there are plenty of books aimed towards boys.
******* @ ******* Apr 29 @celbraramsay There are plenty of graphic novels which
would appeal to boys on his criteria i.e. Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl series.
Caroline ElbraRamsay @celbraramsay Apr 30
@ ******* Have you see this? http://www.theguardian.com/books/nginteractive/2014/apr/27/novelists-do-comics-having-renewed-my-fire-by-daveeggers …
******* @ ******* Apr 29 @celbraramsay Young children will not think that a picture
book is girlie unless they are influenced to think so #1QTSE14
I have enjoyed the idea of experiencing English on a wider scale, seeing how other professionals
are using twitter as a valuable resource. I have seen many good ideas through scrolling down my
twitter feed, and have had people helping with my queries. The idea that you can contact
authors at your fingertips is amazing, and I love this instant connectivity. Overall the idea of using
twitter was inspired.
Because I don't have twitter on my phone therefore could not use it during class.
I found using twitter really beneficial. As well as gaining other ideas from class members, I used the
account to contact children's book stores to gain information and recommendations of books to
use with my class. Using twitter also meant that I could contact other people on the course to ask
questions about books, rather than contacting tutors straight away.
I did not enjoy having to use a public site for work. I would have preferred to use something which
enabled more privacy.
•
Contacting specialists - really enjoyed making wider links/connections which may come in
useful later in my career
•
I enjoy using my professional account for asking authors and other people in the class
help. This means we are all connected and everyone is willing to help over the internet. I
have used twitter to help with literacy lesson ideas and I use it to keep up to date with
educational news. I also used twitter for ides with my story sack and this gained a large
response even from people who did not attend this university.
•
I found it great help getting in touch with specialist authors and book stores. I needed to
find a pirate story book for my 3 week placement so I went onto Twitter and asked if
anyone had any recommendations and had a reply from a book store which was really
useful, it also saved me time.
•
I've found that I have come across a lot more new texts for lower key stage 1 which I
found useful
•
I thought the task where we asked each other for specific books for reluctant readers was
good. It provided lots of ideas to use.
•
I liked to look through the information being posted in my own time but I didn't like to have
to post things or comment on other people’s posts. I preferred to spend time looking
through things by myself rather than being under pressure during the seminars.
Has your perception of twitter changed as part of this project? If so, how?
• I enjoy the instant connectivity
• I barely ever used twitter before the module I just didn't find an interest but
now I enjoy asking for help and keeping up to date with educational
news. It just makes me feel more in touch with the outside world and with
being at uni
• It has changed, I didn't realise twitter could be used as a tool to support
academic development.
• I didn't think it would be useful but now I've used it independently outside
the teaching sessions my perception of it has definitely changed.
• Yes, I used to just think it was something that celebrities argued on now I
feel it can be used very well educationally.
Context
2014/15
• Y1 Level 1/4 20 credit English
module
• 180 students (6 teaching groups)
• York St John University
• Twitter
•
•
•
•
PGCE Primary with English
Level 3 /6
109 students (4 teaching groups)
Twitter
Twitter feed
linked to Moodle
modules
Introduced
#ysjenglish
Set Twitter tasks
Tutors actively
retweeted good
examples of
engagement
2014-15
How have we developed Twitter this year?
How have the students engaged in its use?
Positive response
to set tasks and
independent use.
Initial positive
response but
limited sustained
impact.
Impact on Tutors
• Enables tutors to see the impact of the module on
student interaction and engagement.
• Widens tutor accessibility and gives tutor/students an
opportunity to use a shared language to talk about
literature.
• Provides opportunities for other non-module tutors to
engage with students and share knowledge.
• Encourages tutors to read more and provides a
platform to instantly feed key messages to students.
• Allows for a broader discussion about subject related
content.
Impact on Student Teachers
• “I feel that the Twitter has been very useful, it has allowed me to 'follow'
authors in order to gain a deeper insight into the books they have
written and to share these ideas about books with other peers in the
group.
• “It has also allowed me to broaden my knowledge of children's
literature as well as giving me ideas to use at my school placement.”
• “I feel it is a good way to contact tutors and peers as so many students
and tutors are using Twitter, making it more accessible to share
information regarding English school based tasks, SOL tasks and any
other recommendations for books.”
• “I do feel it has made you (in particular) more accessible and again has
continued the conversation about children's literature. This allows your
passion for a subject/area to come through even more I think, and with
children's literature I think that is really important.”
Year 1 undergraduate students
2014-15 cohort
Key findings/
Considerations
•
•
•
•
•
•
Enrichment not replacement
IT skills, resources
SEN e.g. dyslexic students, visually impaired
Privacy, e-safety
Enter a professional community and develop professional identity
Resource rather than just communication. Using each other as a
resource
• Tutor time-availability/ communication – blurring of roles
• Focus/purpose/scaffolding
• The social in social media –professional discussions about
children’s literature and subject knowledge
References
•
Baker, A (2013) “Every child should be able to relate to their literature”: Trainee teachers investigating cultural diversity in picture books,
Write4Children Winchester
http://www.winchester.ac.uk/academicdepartments/EnglishCreativeWritingandAmericanStudies/Documents/w4cJune2013Diversity.pdf
•
Barnes, K. Marateo, R. C. & Ferris, S. P. (2007). Teaching and learning with the Net Generation Innovate: Journal of Online Education. Vol. 3, No
4
•
Cremin T., Mottram M., Bearne E., & GoodwinP. (2008) Exploring teachers' knowledge of children's literature, Cambridge Journal of Education,
38:4, 449-464
•
Cremin, T, Bearne. E, Mottram. M, and Goodwin, P. (2008) Primary teachers as readers English in Education Vol.42 No.1 2008
•
Dunn, L. (2013) Teaching in higher education: can social media enhance the learning experience? In: 6th Annual University of Glasgow
Learning and Teaching Conference, 19th Apr 2013, Glasgow, UK.
•
Foroughi, A. (2011). A Research Framework for Evaluating the Effectiveness of Implementation of Social Media in Higher Education. Online
Journal of Workforce Education and Development, 5(1).
•
Gamble N. and Yates S. (2008) Exploring Children's Literature, SAGE,
•
Hitchcock, L., and Andrew Battista. "Social Media for Professional Practice: Integrating Twitter With Social Work Pedagogy." Journal of
Baccalaureate Social Work 18 (2013).
•
Kelm (2011) Social Media: it’s what students do , University of Texas at Austin Business Communication Quarterly, Volume 74, Number 4,
December 2011 505-520
•
OECD (2011), “Are students who enjoy reading better readers?”, in PISA 2009 at a Glance, OECD Publishing.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264095250-28-en
•
Ofsted (2005) English 2000–05 :A review of inspection evidence Crown
•
U.S. Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences (2003) Findings from the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS)
of 2003 U.S. Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences
•
U.S. Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences (2006) Findings from the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS)
of 2006 U.S. Department of Education Institute of Education Science