Using Collaborative Writing Tools for Literary Analysis: Twitter, Fan Fiction and The Crucible in the Secondary English Classroom

Abstract

As educational researchers, media theorists, and sociologists are defining the constellations of practices that constitute “literacy” in a new social, digital, and participatory culture (Jenkins et al. 2009; NAMLE 2009; Alvermann 2008), teachers are faced with the challenge of preparing students for success with these new literacy practices while still meeting the accountability demands of NCLB-era schooling systems (Beach, Campano, Edmiston, and Borgmann 2009). What kinds of reading and writing assignments will prepare learners to engage with the vast range of knowledge-building and problem solving communities that increasingly characterize the educational, vocational, and social experiences of many adults? What can we do to bridge the gap between these new literacies and kinds of practices that students are called upon to demonstrate in formal and standardized assessments?