“I Don’t Play Those Games”: Composing Identities in the Classroom With Social Media Tools

• In Event: Negotiating Identities, Cultures, and Discourses in Educational Settings

Abstract

This paper draws from a one year qualitative investigation of a ninth-grade English classroom in a new technology-rich high school. The study explored the question, What identities did students compose as they alternately resisted and embraced the use of digital media in the classroom? Presenting a case study of one student, Shane, the paper traces the ways in which he embraced and challenged the teacher’s invitations to use digital media, crafting three types of identity performances: Shane the comedian, Shane the artist, and Shane the subversive. The paper challenges dominant pedagogical assumptions about using social networking tools and new technologies in the schools to engage learners.

Authors

• Jennifer Conner-Zachocki, Indiana University - Purdue University at Columbus

• Mary Beth Hines, Indiana University