Memo #1: Proposal- #DigitalLanguage

WHAT

     My morning routine typically begins with me lying in bed for about fifteen minutes checking all of my social media apps. As I scroll down my timelines, I see most status updates that seem to omit punctuation, spell words based on how they are spoken rather than written (anotha vs. another), and even the substitution of words for emojis. I’ve noticed that due to Twitter’s character count feature, which limits the amount of characters that can be in a single tweet, things like apostrophes and commas no longer exist. My generation has become experts on the use of digital shorthand that is short and sweet, yet gets the message across. After all, in the fast paced Western world that we live in today, who has time for GRAMMAR?!

            For this reason, I have chosen to write my I-search paper on teaching in the digital age: Are rhetorical situations changing? Are those changes impacting the teaching of genre, format, and purpose in an English/writing class? Throughout the research paper I will explore burning questions like:

- How do character counts, like that of Twitter, impact standard grammar? Do these “Twitter habits” sink into our subconscious and become part of our daily language/writing?

- If things like social media are impacting grammar, what barriers do they pose for ELA educators?

- How are educators adapting lesson plans to engage students in a new digital age (implementation of technology & social media within the classroom & lesson plans)?

- How is technology impacting the way that we present material to our students?

Essentially, this research paper will consist of two main parts. To start, I will be investigating what impact technology and social media has on our linguistic skills outside of the classroom. I will then move into what this means for students, educators and the educational system as a whole. I believe that in order to truly understand what composing in the digital age consists of within the realm of the world of education, we must first explore that idea beyond the classroom.

WHY?

     There are many benefits to conducting research that analyzes the impact that technology and social media has on writing and the teaching of language arts. On a personal level, it will help me to become more self-aware of the issues that I may be facing with writing as a subject of social media and the digital revolution that we are experiencing in the twenty-first century. Having the opportunity to delve into the psychological aspect of social media as it pertains to language (the subconscious rendering of digital shorthand) and the teaching of language, will provide me with insight that will not only improve my writing skills, but also develop my teaching style as well.

     In regards to my research impacting a community of people, I believe that research of this kind will have a positive impact on current and aspiring educators. It is my belief that technology will continue to rapidly advance and be thrust into our daily lives, even more so than it already has. I’m hoping that through conducting this research, I will be able to present data that will influence not only myself, but also my peer educators, in a way that helps us better understand how to reach and connect with our students. As future educators, it is crucial that we begin to understand the level of influence that technology has on our abilities to read and write. It is through this understanding that we will be able to better serve our students’ needs. Through researching what kind of impact technology may have on linguistic skills (if any), we will be better equipped to assist our students and improve their reading and writing. Furthermore, through also investigating how technology is being used (or can be used) as a mode of communication within the classroom, we will be able to improve the effectiveness of our lessons in an ever-changing digital classroom. Being informed of new technological innovations is crucial in today’s society, especially to educators. Years ago, chalkboard’s were our main mode of presentation; then came the whiteboard, overhead projectors, PowerPoint, and now even smart boards. I believe that my research will draw attention to technological advancements and the importance of educators gaining a coherent understanding of how to incorporate it effectively. This research will help me to gain a deeper understanding of how I will one day teach writing in a digital world. I'm hoping that the information that I gather will influence my understanding in such a way that I am able to develop and implement innovative lesson plans that are both engaging and valuable to the lives of my future students. Digital media is already a huge part of today's American society, so I can only imagine what our classrooms will look like in 20, 30, even 50 years from now. By investigating how technology impacts literacy and writing, I will be better equipped to serve my students and meet their educational needs.

Who? When? Where? How?

     In terms of gathering data to further investigate my topic, I plan to use scholarly sources from credible databases such as JSTOR, ERIC, and EbscoHost, all of which can be accessed via Adams Library. I believe that in order to truly do this topic justice, I will also need to go beyond accessing scholarly articles. I plan to utilize high school students and their teachers as a mode of primary first-hand perspective. These are the students that are currently being molded by Secondary Education, so I feel that it is best to hear what they have to say about the topic. I may ask them to submit sample social media posts (with names omitted) to be analyzed by myself. To gain insight into the world of teaching English/writing courses in a digital age, I will also be conducting interviews with one or more educators (cooperating teachers from my SED 412 course).

Going Forward

     I am excited to begin exploring this topic, and will be conducting research shortly. Being that this topic is multi-faceted, I will need to be diligent about completing and analyzing research in a timely manner. While formatting of the paper may change as the project unfolds, I plan to complete the assignment using subsections for a more organized and coherent style of writing. I am confident that the diversity of the modes of research that I have chosen will help to prevent bias, and lead to a well-rounded series of evidence. Not only do I feel that this topic is innovative, but I believe that it will be crucial to the success of aspiring educators, as we come to the understanding of how things like rhetorical situations, formatting, and teaching the genre of English/writing are changing due to our technologically advanced society and the social media influences that are ever so present in our daily routines.