Character Journaling Through Social Networks: Exemplifying Tenets of the New Literacy Studies

Countering reactionary attempts to ban social media from schools is a strong research based rationale for bringing social media into the literacy classroom. When used as a medium to explore literature—or more specifically for interactive character journaling—this medium exemplifies how meaning is created by individuals' interactions with texts, by the prior knowledge they bring to their reading, and by the negotiation of meaning by participants in this digital “third space.” Used this way, social media can scaffold reading, promote critical discussions about texts, prompt basic sociohistorical research, and engage students in examining discourse, and provide an authentic venue for students to practice code-switching. This study highlights that social media is anything but an educational distraction; rather, when used appropriately it can serve as an engaging and interactive foray into socially-mediated literacy and constructivist learning.